Construction of nanosyringe arrays for inserting bimolecular motor-powered nanodevices in living cells

摘要CTS-0004499C。由于目前的技术允许生产比典型细胞尺寸更小的纳米结构，因此基于它们在细胞内的非破坏性、有序注入而考虑有用的应用已成为可能。在这种方式下，细胞可以被修复或进行功能修改。特别令人感兴趣的是注入生物分子马达的可能性，这种马达可以为活细胞内纳米结构的自组装提供能量。这可以通过开发纳米注射器阵列来实现，每个纳米注射器阵列在预先计划的位置和时间输送选定的结构。拟议的工作将分三个步骤展开：1.制造尺寸适合于注射生物分子旋转马达(例如鞭毛/三磷酸腺苷)的单独(独立的)注射器，能够在细胞内启动各种修饰。硅片将通过现有的蚀刻工艺成形，尖端直径为10纳米，轴直径为1微米。检测将通过绿色荧光蛋白测量进行。由于许多有用的细胞修饰可能涉及多个不同的注射，因此作为第一步，需要制造一组自对准的注射器阵列。这将允许在给定一系列细胞的情况下同时(可能是不同的)注射，如果需要的话，随后是其他注射模式。测试将类似于独立案例。上面讨论的注射器的概念将得到改进：悬挂机构将使注射器的垂直和水平受控位移成为可能。运动将在光学显微镜的帮助下进行跟踪。

AbstractCTS-0004499C. Montemagno, Cornell UniversityAs current technology permits the production of nanostructures smaller than typical cell dimensions, it has become possible to consider useful applications based on their non-destructive, orderly injection inside the cells. In this fashion, cells could be repaired or functionally modified. Of special interest would be the possibility to inject biomolecular motors which could energize the self-assembly of nanostructures inside living cells. This could be accomplished by developing arrays of nanosyringes, each of which to deliver chosen structures on preplanned location and time.The proposed effort will unfold in three steps:1. The fabrication of individual ("standalone") syringes with dimensions suitable for the injection of biomolecular rotary motors (e.g. flagella/ATP), capable of initiating a variety of modifications inside a cell. Silicon wafers will be shaped by existing etching processes, yielding a 10nm diameter for the tips and a 1-micron diameter for the shaft. Testing will be done with green fluorescence protein measurements.2. Since many useful cell modifications may involve a number of different injections, it is desirable to produce, as a first step, a set of self-aligned syringe arrays. These will allow, given a line-up of cells, for simultaneous (and possibly different) injections, followed by other injection patterns if so desired. Testing will be similar to the standalone case.3. The syringes concepts discussed above will be refined: a suspension mechanism will make possible both vertical and horizontal controlled displacements of the syringe. The motion will be tracked with the help of an optical microscope.