133 -- Attempt of Protein Coated Au Colloid Sol-Gel Sample Formation

Sol-gel is the preparation of polymers from a liquid to a network structure called “gel” through the use of liquid precursors. In this experiment, the use of silica containing sol-gel in order to trap gold nanoparticles with either Amyloid Beta peptide, which is related to Alzheimer's Disease, or SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is being tested. A liquid precursor for sol-gel which can then later be used to trap the gold colloid in the gel has been successfully made. Silica sol-gel is useful for these specific experiments because it can then be used with either the peptide or the spike protein and analyzed using the UV-VIS Spectrophotometer or Raman imaging microscope. The next step would be to find the best way to use the precursor and make the gel with the gold colloid to be analyzed using these methods.