Sensing of biological substances based on the bending of microfabricated cantilevers

We show that the bending-plate method with microfabricated cantilevers can be used to transduce the binding of a biological substance to a receptor in to a signal. This could be the basis for a new class of biosensors. To demo nstrate the feasibility of the method, we coated cantilevers with the herbi cide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Then, we measured the cantilev er deflection while continuously rinsing with a solution containing the mon oclonal antibody. In this way, we monitored changes in the surface stress o f the cantilever due to the binding of the antibody.