COMBINED MOLECULAR BLINDING DETECTION THROUGH FORCE MICROSCOPY AND MASS SPECTROMETRY

摘要

The present invention includes a method for analyzing and characterizing molecular interaction events utilizing a combined scanning probe microscope (SPM) and a mass spectrometer (MS). An array of one or more deposition materials may be randomly deposited on a suitable surface, scanned with the SPM ( or AFM) to take an initial reading of the topography of the deposition materials on the surface, and then exposed to a target sample containing a target material which may bind or interact to one or more of the deposition materials on the surface. The surface is then scanned again with the SPM to determine the molecular interaction sites and then these sites are analyzed using the MS to determine both the unknown and the deposition material.