42
nanotimes
10-01 :: January 2010
EU-Projects
Sensor Development //
Opto-electronics to Play a Key Role
R
esearch headed by the University of Manchester these developments, UoM was seeking patent pro-
in the United Kingdom indicates a promising tection for the platform.
future for opto-electronic sensors with regard to
biological processes.
Contact: Patricia Scully, The University of Manchester,
The University of Manchester (UoM) assembled a Centre for Instrumentation and Analytical Science (CIAS)
team of experts in the context of the MATINOES School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science,
project to assess the potential of opto-electronic U.K., Phone: +44-16-12008923:
technology.

http://www.manchester.ac.uk
The fruit of their labour was an instrument capa-

http://www.ceas.manchester.ac.uk/
ble of measuring the level of oxygen quenching of
fluorophores and enzymes. It induces excitation at a
specific wavelength then collects and amplifies the
signal using a photomultiplier tube. Monitoring the
flow of photons over time provides important feed-
back about the decay in fluorescence.
The UoM engineers exploited optical theory to
determine oxygen levels at the fluorophore sites
using a ratiometric technique. It involved successive
measurements of light intensity to form a ratio that
is solely dependent on the decay lifetime. Oxygen
quenching can then be determined with the aid of
pre-calibrated lookup tables.
© Safibra
During the project, UoM provided the instrument Company Safibra, C.Z., collaborates on the European
platform to its MATINOES partners to facilitate the project:
testing of unique sensors, such as those suspended in http://www.safibra.cz/english/projekty/matinoes.html
Ormocer
®
films. In addition, it was also used for the
ensuing field trials of the new instruments. Further to