Surface Analysis of Biomolecules: Unravelling biointerfacial interactions (original) (raw)

The ability to control interactions between biomolecules and surfaces influences a number of bioengineering applications. In vivo we desire materials that can prevent or initiate cellular adhesion, selectively adsorb proteins or mimic the structure of a cell surface. In vitro, high sensitivity proteomic and diagnostic applications require the immobilization of specific biomolecules without any loss of native function. In order to understand how the surface properties of a material influence the organization of biomolecules detailed characterization is required to establish the composition, structure and orientation. This paper will review how combining surface analytical techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SSIMS) with biological assays has enabled the characterization of the type, amount, conformation, orientation and spatial distributions of proteins on biomaterial surfaces.