High-throughput screening with micro-x-ray fluorescence

Journal Article · Wed Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 2005 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1906063· OSTI ID:20722877

Havrilla, George J; Miller, Thomasin C ^[1]

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1. Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

Micro-x-ray fluorescence (MXRF) is a useful characterization tool for high-throughput screening of combinatorial libraries. Due to the increasing threat of use of chemical warfare (CW) agents both in military actions and against civilians by terrorist extremists, there is a strong push to improve existing methods and develop means for the detection of a broad spectrum of CW agents in a minimal amount of time to increase national security. This paper describes a combinatorial high-throughput screening technique for CW receptor discovery to aid in sensor development. MXRF can screen materials for elemental composition at the mesoscale level (tens to hundreds of micrometers). The key aspect of this work is the use of commercial MXRF instrumentation coupled with the inherent heteroatom elements within the target molecules of the combinatorial reaction to provide rapid and specific identification of lead species. The method is demonstrated by screening an 11-mer oligopeptide library for selective binding of the degradation products of the nerve agent VX. The identified oligopeptides can be used as selective molecular receptors for sensor development. The MXRF screening method is nondestructive, requires minimal sample preparation or special tags for analysis, and the screening time depends on the desired sensitivity.

• OSTI ID: 20722877
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Journal Name: Review of Scientific Instruments Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 76; ISSN 0034-6748; ISSN RSINAK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL WARFARE
DETECTION
FLUORESCENCE
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
NATIONAL SECURITY
SAMPLE PREPARATION
X RADIATION
X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS