Method for determining the interaction between a ligand and a receptor

Abstract

Described is a sample holder assembly including a functionalized test well wall, which may be used in combination with a light source.

1 .- 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A sample holder assembly configured to be used in combination with microscopy, comprising:
 a sample holder plate comprising a plurality of bottomless test wells,   a bottom plate attached to said sample holder plate via a material, thereby forming a well bottom wall of said plurality of bottomless test wells,   said material having a refractive index (N a ) that is lower than a refractive index (N g ) of said bottom plate.   
     
     
         29 . The sample holder assembly according to  claim 28 , wherein the well bottom wall is functionalized with a second ligand which faces the interior of a bottomless test well of the plurality of bottomless test wells whereby the second ligand is immobilized. 
     
     
         30 . The sample holder assembly according to  claim 28 , wherein said bottom plate comprises glass. 
     
     
         31 . The sample holder assembly according to  claim 29 , wherein the second ligand is a pharmaceutical drug. 
     
     
         32 . The sample holder assembly according to  claim 31 , wherein the second ligand is melagatran. 
     
     
         33 . The sample holder assembly according to  claim 28 , wherein said material is UV curable and/or resistant to buffer solutions. 
     
     
         34 . The sample holder assembly according to  claim 28 , wherein said material is an adhesive. 
     
     
         35 . The sample holder assembly according to  claim 28 , which comprises a microtiter plate. 
     
     
         36 . The sample holder assembly according to  claim 28 , wherein the sample holder assembly is combined with a light source configured to provide a light beam into the well bottom wall such that the light beam propagates throughout the entire well bottom wall thereby creating an evanescent field in the plurality of bottomless test wells. 
     
     
         37 . The sample holding assembly according to  claim 28 , wherein the microscopy is selected from the group consisting of image analysis, Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), Total Internal reflection Fluorescence (TIRF), waveguide imaging, interferometric scattering, light filed microscopy, epi fluorescent microscopy, laser scanning microscopy, orbital scanning microscopy, local enhancement microscopy, structured illumination microscopy, RESOLF microscopy, spatially illuminated illumination, omnipresent localization microscopy, and x-ray microscopy. 
     
     
         38 . The sample holding assembly according to  claim 28 , wherein the microscopy is TIRF microscopy. 
     
     
         39 . The sample holding assembly according to  claim 36 , wherein the light source is a TIRF source.