Abstract: The invention provides surface plasmon resonance-mass spectroscopy for the rapid, sensitive and accurate investigation of molecular interactions coupled with the identification and quantification of the same. Methods of the invention include capturing an analyte present within a sample by an interactive surface layer on a real-time interaction analysis sensor, analyzing the analyte by surface plasmon resonance while the analyte is captured by the interactive surface layer, and identifying the captured analyte by desorbing/ionizing the analyte from the interactive surface layer while under vacuum within a mass spectrometer. Devices of the invention include a transparent material, a conductive material capable of supporting surface plasmon resonance affixed to the transparent material, an interactive surface affixed to the conductive material, and a means for exposing the interactive surface to the interior of a mass spectrometer without breaking the vacuum therein.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for producing a substrate surface supporting a continuous planar bilayer lipid membrane by covalently binding a plurality of micellar of vesicle liposomes, optionally comprising a membrane protein or other biologically active membrane-bound component, to a substrate surface supporting a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of essentially straight long chain molecules. In one embodiment, the micellar or vesicle liposomes covantly bind to hydrophilic spacer molecules attached to the functional groups of the self-assembled monolayer.

Abstract: In a method of assaying for an analyte in a fluid sample, the presence of the analyte is detected by determining the resulting change in refractive index at a solid optical surface in contact with the sample, which change is caused by the analyte involving or influencing the binding or release of a refractive index enhancing species to or from, respectively, the optical surface, the refractive index of the refractive index enhancing species varying with wavelength. According to the invention, the determination comprises determining the variation with wavelength of the resulting change of refractive index, caused by the variation of refractive index with wavelength of the refractive index enhancing species, for a number of discrete wavelengths or for a continuous range of wavelengths. This variation is representative of the amount of analyte.