NANOARRAYER: A TOOL FOR CREATING NANO-SCALE BIOARRAYS

该研究计划的最终目标是开发和商业化超小型化，超灵敏，固态，分子分析平台技术。这种“NanoArray”技术基于在纳米尺度空间阵列中真实的时间内直接询问分子相互作用事件，而不使用任何外部标记或分子报告系统。它在分子诊断、基因组学、蛋白质组学和药物发现方面具有广泛的应用，在降低材料成本和产生的废物、增加通量和灵敏度以及概念简单性方面具有显著优势。将开发NanoArray技术的两个组成部分。在第一阶段，将构建一个原型NanoArrayer，并用于在纳米级可寻址域中创建分子的空间阵列。第一阶段的里程碑目标是使用这种NanoArrayer创建一个10 x10的单一分子种类阵列和一个4x 4的4种不同分子种类阵列。在第II阶段，重点将转移到基于原子力显微镜（AFM）原理的NanoArray读取器的构建和测试以及NanoArrayer设计和NanoArray构建方法的改进。拟议的商业应用：该技术的商业应用包括：在固态阵列上的配体/靶相互作用的高通量筛选、DNA-蛋白质相互作用筛选和固态分子诊断。

The ultimate goal of this research program is the development and commercialization of an ultraminiaturized, ultrasensitive, solid state, molecular analysis platform technology. This "NanoArray" technology is based on the direct interrogation of molecular interactions events in nanometer scale spatial arrays in real time without the use of any extrinsic label or molecular reporter system. It has broad ranging applications in molecular diagnostics, genomics, proteomics, and drug discovery with significant advantages in terms of reduction in materials costs and waste generated, increased throughput and sensitivity, and conceptual simplicity. Two components of the NanoArray technology will be developed. In Phase I, a prototype NanoArrayer will be constructed and used to create spatial arrays of molecules in nanometer scale addressable domains. The milestone goal of Phase I is to use this NanoArrayer to create a 10x10 array of a single molecular species and a 4x4 array of 4 different molecular species. In Phase lI the focus will shift to construction and testing of a NanoArray reader based on the principles of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and improvements in the NanoArrayer design and NanoArray construction methodology. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: Commercial applications of this technology include; high throughput screening of ligand/target interactions on solid state arrays, DNA-protein interaction screening, and solid state molecular diagnostics.