MULTICHANNEL BIOPRINTER FOR MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS

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We will build a "BioChip" for rapid identification of mycobacteria in clinical specimens. The BioChip will have 50-100 oligonucleotide probe spots in a 1.8 cm(2) array. Probes will reveal (i) which mycobacterial DNA are present in a patient's specimen, and (if M.tb) (ii) exactly which M.tb mutant(s) are present. Antimicrobial therapy tailored to the susceptibility of the identified mycobacterium can thus commence within hours of specimen receipt. MicroFab will build the "BioPrinter" for printing DNA probes on BioChips. The sample preparation, DNA amplification protocols, and the selection of the probe set will be developed from the protocols now in clinical/experimental use by Dr.'s Dao and Musser in the Baylor Tuberculosis Center. The optical, data-processing, and informatics systems to be used for imaging and "reading" the chip will be developed by MicroFab and collaborators. M.tb infects 1 patient per second, and kills more people than any other infectious disease. Rapidly evolving drug-resistant strains make genotyping mandatory for a prompt, effective therapy. Our BioChips will cost no more than $5.00 in quantity, assuring widespread availability. Moreover, our BioPrinter will be readily adaptable to cDNA BioChips for individualized phenotyping of patient's therapeutic responses to HIV, cancer, and other multifaceted diseases. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: M. tuberculosis is the number one killer among infectious diseases worldwide. Fast, inexpensive diagnosis and identification of Mtb can dramatically reduce the spread. More generally, a BioPrinter capable of producing immuno- and DNA-probe arrays in microscopic size and high volume is needed throughout biomedicine and biotechnology. The system we are developing could easily become the premier array-making technology for all diagnostic production.