Infrared Metasurface Augmented by Deep Learning for Monitoring Dynamics between All Major Classes of Biomolecules

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Insights into the fascinating molecular world of biological processes are crucial for understanding diseases, developing diagnostics, and effective therapeutics. These processes are complex as they involve interactions between four major classes of biomolecules, i.e., proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids, which makes it important to be able to discriminate between all these different biomolecular species. In this work, a deep learning‐augmented, chemically‐specific nanoplasmonic technique that enables such a feat in a label‐free manner to not disrupt native processes is presented. The method uses a highly sensitive multiresonant plasmonic metasurface in a microfluidic device, which enhances infrared absorption across a broadband mid‐IR spectrum and in water, despite its strongly overlapping absorption bands. The real‐time format of the optofluidic method enables the collection of a vast amount of spectrotemporal data, which allows the construction of a deep neural network to discriminate accurately between all major classes of biomolecules. The capabilities of the new method are demonstrated by monitoring of a multistep bioassay containing sucrose‐ and nucleotides‐loaded liposomes interacting with a small, lipid membrane‐perforating peptide. It is envisioned that the presented technology will impact the fields of biology, bioanalytics, and pharmacology from fundamental research and disease diagnostics to drug development.
Metasurfaces have outstanding light manipulation capabilities at the nanoscale, which enable functions beyond what otherwise is seen in nature. In this work, highly sensitive, broadband mid‐IR metasurfaces for spectroscopy are augmented with artificial intelligence to allow the label‐free monitoring of biomolecules from all major classes. This pioneering bioanalytical technology offers unprecedented opportunities for unravelling complex biomolecular processes.