Importance

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Abstract

Binding between two members of a recognition pair, e.g. antigen-antibody is determined by utilizing a probe which includes a piezoelectric crystal with electrodes on two opposite faces of the crystal. The crystal carries one or more metal plates which may be the same or different than the electrodes, the metal plates having immobilized thereon a first member of a recognition pair. Binding of a second member of the recognition pair to the first member, or dissociation between the two members and release of the second member from the probe, causes a change of immobilized mass which results in a change to the probe's resonance frequency. The immobilized members may be immobilized on the surface of the metal plates by means of a linking group, having the following general formula (I): Z--R.sup.1 --Q, wherein Z represents a sulphur-containing moiety which is capable of chemical association with, attachment to or chemisorption onto the metal, R.sup.1 represents a connecting group, Q is a functional group which is capable of forming a covalent bond with a moiety of said first member of the recognition pair.

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First Claim