Researchers at NIST have developed a highly sensitive infrared (IR) spectroscopy technique that can characterize proteins in their native solution state, overcoming the limitations of conventional FT-IR spectroscopy caused by strong water absorption.
The new technique, based on quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) and solvent absorption compensation (SAC), achieves 1000 times higher sensitivity than conventional FT-IR. This breakthrough allows non-destructive characterization of complex biomolecules like proteins, peptides, and vaccines without additional sample preparation.
The method combines SAC with double-beam modulation (DBM) and double-pass acousto-optic modulation (DP-AOM) to expand the spectral range and improve detection sensitivity. The high-sensitivity IR spectroscopy technique has the potential to become a standard measurement tool for characterizing biological systems, including new protein drugs and gene therapy applications.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/high-sensitivity-ir-spectroscopy-proteins
Keywords: Quantum Cascade Laser, Infrared Spectroscopy, Solvent Absorption Compensation, Biopharmaceutical, Biomolecules
