Attenuated total reflection protein solutions

In an effort to gain a better understanding of the initial fouling step leading to bacterial attachment and biofilm formation, we have investigated the adsorption of protein and polysaccharides onto thin metallic films and uncoated internal reflection elements from flowing solutions using attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy. The preliminary results will be described in this paper. 

Attenuated Total Reflectance FTIR (ATR-FTIRf) is a method that has been applied by a number of workers for the study of protein conformation. ATR has been used for monitoring adsorption of proteins or blood components to sur ces (1,2), and for the structural analysis of proteins dried onto an IRE (thin film) (3,4). It has also been used for exploring the effects of solution conditions on the structure of proteins irreversibly adsorbed to an IRE (5,6,7), and has been shown to be usefel for studying the secondary structure and ligand binding properties of membrane proteins (8,9). 

Oberg and Fink (1994) The Application of Attenuated Total Reflection FTIR to the Study of Protein Structure In Solution. Ms. in preparation. 

FT-IR spectra can be obtained for proteins in aqueous solution or adsorbed onto surfaces by a combination of transmission and attenuated total reflectance techniques. 

A less technically complicated approach for tracking the surface dehydration ability of proteins and polymers is by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Accordingly, a solution of a surface binding solute is pumped into a flow cell with a Zn-Se crystal sensor, where it is irradiated with IR light and reflected to a detector. The surface chemistry and area of the sensor are specified and the surface area increased using different types of nanobeads (50 nm in diameter). 

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