Antibody immobilization and surface functionalization chemistries for immunodiagnostics

The immobilization of antibodies on sensing platforms is the first critical step in the development of immunoassays with excellent bioanalytical performance. The ideal immobilization strategy should be leach-proof, rapid, and less labor-intensive to provide high detection sensitivity and specificity without the requirement of high-end skillset and instrumentation. Further, it must be amenable to automation and micro/nanofabrication toward the development high-throughput devices for immunodiagnostics with parallel sensing. Therefore, the surface of most bioanalytical platforms is functionalized to form abundant functional groups for the maximal binding of detection antibodies. Nanoscale characterization techniques provide vital insights into the stability and activity of the immobilized Ab using different immobilization methods. Such nanoscale techniques can be combined with tools from chemistry and molecular biology to improve immobilization strategies. This chapter provides an in-depth overview and insights into various Ab immobilization procedures, surface functionalization chemistries, and surface characterization.