Development of Infrared Spectroscope for Microfabricated Proteome Chips

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This award supports development of an infrared spectroscope capable of observing the intrinsic molecular vibrations of protein complexes with the potential for both high sensitivity and high throughput. The instrument will use evanescent waves, obtained by use of a tunable laser operating in the mid-infrared, to examine proteins positioned on a microfabricated array of silicon cantilevers. Each cantilever has a solid immersion lens (SIL) on one side, and a site for protein deposition on the other. The deposition site will typically consist of a chemically-bound, known peptide plus one or more proteins bound only through an interaction with the peptide. The array will be positioned on the stage of a microscope. Use of infrared allows detection in the amide I band, where the peptide bond has a sufficiently large cross section to obviate the need for labeling of the protein. The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists and engineers at Boston University, Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley. The instrument is expected to have applications in both basic and applied research, including studies aimed at improved understanding of the relationship between protein structure and function, and rapid screening of protein mixtures. The broader impacts of the project will involve the training of graduate students and periodic presentations to area high school students as part of an ongoing outreach program aimed at dissemination of scientific and technological understanding. These presentations occur during the school year and the summer as well. In addition, another ongoing effort at involving minority undergraduate women majoring in science and medical science will benefit.