Substantial evidence indicates that endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) � particularly those that interact with the estrogen receptor � may play a role in the degeneration of human and animal health. EDCs can mimic or alter the action of the endogenous hormones, which have been shown to affect the reproductive and endocrine systems of mammals and reptiles.We have developed a novel new technology -- an estrogen-receptor quartz crystal microbalance (ER-QCM) biosensor � to break through this barrier in identifying EDCs relevant in the environment. The ER-QCM detects estrogenic substances using a genetically engineered construct of the hormone-binding domain (HBD) of the estrogen receptor immobilized to a piezoelectric quartz crystal. The ER-QCM senses ligands that are known to bind the ER (e.g., estradiol, tamoxifen, genistein) and shows no response for non-binding substances. The ER-QCM sensor surface is the unique and critical aspect of this biosensor that permits us to detect estrogen receptor ligands by measuring ligand-induced changes in the rigidity of the protein films. Genetic engineering of the ER-HBD to replace exposed cysteines with serine yields immobilized proteins with uniform orientation on the surface

Nanotechnology application of genetically engineered proteins that form self-assembled monolayers on gold surfaces: A biosensor for endocrine disrupting chemicals

244th National Meeting (2012)

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