Lanthanide (III) cations have fluorescent properties that can be taken advantage of in medical devices. Though, due to a very low molar extinction coefficient, they fluoresce weakly when directly excited. Coordination with specific ligands can amplify this signal by acting as a light antenna. These chelating agents are integral in incorporating lanthanide (III) cations into the final assay complex. Various studies will be undertaken to investigate the chelation and fluorescent properties of a range of lanthanide and ligand pairings. An additional factor is incorporating a spacer arm which creates an antenna effect, by use of heterobifunctional linkers, further amplifying the emission spectra. This complex will be conjugated to avidin, taking advantage of the high affinity avidin has with biotin which will be used in the final assay development steps.
As an undergraduate student in Pharmaceutical Science, I carried out my final year dissertation on 'Antibody Drug Conjugates vs Traditional Therapies'. This inspired the continuation of bioconjugation research and work with antibodies. I intend to utilize and expand on my skills and knowledge in this area to create a novel biomolecule that provides an alternative to current immunoassays.