https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-026-02407-7
Regular Article
Liquid crystal droplets-aqueous interface sensing platform for the detection of tumor biomarker
1
CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, 110012, New Delhi, India
2
Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), 201002, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
a
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Received:
1
April
2026
Accepted:
24
May
2026
Published online:
9
June
2026
Abstract
Aptamer based liquid crystal (LC) droplet platform was fabricated for the qualitative detection of tumour biomarker, platelet-derived growth factor BB. PDGF-BB specific aptamer was electrostatically bound with the surfactant stabilised patterned 4-cyanopentyl biphenyl (5CB) LC droplets on the silane modified glass surface to obtain the four-clover fan like optical images under polarised optical microscope (POM). The Planar LC alignment in the aptamer/CTAB-LC droplets turned into homeotropic alignment in the presence of target PDGF-BB with the appearance of uniform dark optical image under POM. Optical characterisation of LC-droplet platform was carried out with the optimised concentration of surfactant and the aptamer sequence to obtain the aptamer/LC-droplets sensing platform for the optical detection of PDGF-BB in diluted human serum. The LC-droplet based sensing platform is able to detect as low as 10 pM PDGF-BB in human serum with the distinct uniform dark POM image. Optical transmission (%) measurements were also recorded to further evaluate the sensitivity of the LC droplet platform through a photodetector under crossed polarizers, using a monochromatic laser source. The specificity study of the aptamer/LC-droplets platform was also carried out with other PDGF isoforms [PDGF-AA, PDGF-AB] and IgG in human serum, under identical experimental conditions. The aptamer/LC-droplet platform showed insignificant changes both in its bright fan-like POM images and optical transmission in the presence of non-specific biomolecules suggested its high specificity for the target PDGF-BB, demonstrating its potential for tumor biomarker detection in human serum.
Copyright comment Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2026
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
