Abstract: An adaptive surface for supporting an analyte to be examined, includes a support layer, a metal island layer, and an adhesive layer by which the metal island layer is attached to the support layer, the adhesive layer and metal island layer being interactive with an analyte containing solution to permit movement of at least some of the islands on the adhesive layer into increasingly close proximity during drying of the analyte solution.

Abstract: Instruments for molecular detection at the nano-molar to femto-molar concentration level include a longitudinal capillary column (10) of known wall thickness and diameter. The column (10) contains a medium (24) including a target molecule (30) and a plurality of optically interactive dielectric beads (26) on the order of about 10?6 meters up to about 10?3 meters and/or metal nanoparticles (31) on the order of 1-500 nm. A flow inducer (34) causes longitudinal movement of the target molecule within the column (10). A laser (14) introduces energy laterally with respect to the column (10) at a wavelength and in a direction selected to have a resonant mode within the capillary column wall (12) and couple to the medium (24). A detector (40) is positioned to detect Raman scattering occurring along the column (10) due to the presence of the target molecule.