Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of a surface structured bulk hydrogel bearing a topographic and chemical pattern, comprising the steps of: (i) providing a primary master having a predetermined topographic pattern, (ii) replicating said primary master by an elastomeric secondary master to obtain a secondary master with said predetermined topographic pattern in its inverse form, (iii) replicating said secondary master by an imprintable curable material of hydrogel precursor molecules which are capable of forming a hydrogel once crosslinked by curing, and crosslinking said material to thereby yield a replica made of cross-linked bulk hydrogel bearing the topographic pattern identical to that of the primary master, and (iv) functionalizing, particularly biofunctionalizing, the bulk hydrogel replica.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a label-free biosensor system, a method for manufacturing said label-free biosensor system, its use for detecting biochemical reactions and/or bindings, enzymatic reactions, nucleic acid hybridizations, protein-protein interactions and protein-ligand interactions, as well as an assay method for detecting and/or quantifying an analyte of interest in a biological sample which comprises detecting the Recognition Induced Birefringence (RIB) generated in the presence as opposed to the absence of said analyte by bringing said sample into contact with said label-free biosensor system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a label-free biosensor system, a method for manufacturing said label-free biosensor system, its use for detecting biochemical reactions and/or bindings, enzymatic reactions, nucleic acid hybridizations, protein-protein interactions and protein-ligand interactions, as well as an assay method for detecting and/or quantifying an analyte of interest in a biological sample which comprises detecting the Recognition Induced Birefringence (RIB) generated in the presence as opposed to the absence of said analyte by bringing said sample into contact with said label-free biosensor system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photochemical method for manufacturing nanometrically surface-decorated substrates, i.e. the creation of periodic and aperiodic patterns of highly ordered inorganic nanostructures on a substrate. This method is based on the selective photochemical modification of a self-assembled monolayer of metal compound loaded polymer core-shell systems on widely variable substrates. Light exposure through an appropriate mask causes selective chemical modification of the polymer core shell system. By subsequently placing the substrate in an appropriate chemical solution that eradicates the non-modified polymer, the pattern given by the used mask is reproduced on the surface. Finally, the remaining organic matrix is removed and metal salt is transformed to the single metal or metal oxide nanodots by means of gas plasma treatment.