# Optical imaging of size, charge, mobility and binding of single proteins

> **NIH NIH R01** · ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-TEMPE CAMPUS · 2022 · $275,738

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Protein analysis is essential to the understanding of molecular scale processes in living systems, the diagnosis
of diseases based on molecular biomarkers, and the treatment of diseases with drugs. The basic tasks of protein
analysis include detecting a protein, identifying it and determining its interactions with other proteins or molecular
ligands. Various technologies have been developed to perform these tasks, but the most indispensable ones are
gel and capillary electrophoresis, Western Blot (WB) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These
technologies separate and identify proteins based on a protein’s charge, size, and specific binding to antibodies.
For molecular interaction analysis, surface plasmon resonance and other detection technologies are the current
choices. Although ubiquitous in both research labs and industry, these platforms must be combined to provide
complete analysis of proteins, which is complicated and time consuming. In addition, they lack single molecule
analysis capability required for studying heterogenous processes and for achieving precision diagnosis,
especially for low volume samples. The present project aims to develop one detection platform that can perform
the key functions of the above technologies with single molecule detection capability. The proposed technology
images single proteins without labels, measures the size, charge and mobility of each protein simultaneously,
identifies the protein based on its specific binding to antibodies, and quantifies its interactions with other proteins
in real time. The team at the Biodesign Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors, ASU, has carried out
substantial experiments to demonstrate the proposed technology. In this R01 project, the team will address
remaining technical challenges, build a complete prototype and validate it for single protein analysis on single
cells.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10521663
- **Project number:** 1R01GM140193-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-TEMPE CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** SHAOPENG WANG
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $275,738
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10521663

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10521663, Optical imaging of size, charge, mobility and binding of single proteins (1R01GM140193-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10521663. Licensed CC0.

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