HIGH-DENSITY DIGITAL MICROSPOTTING ARRAYS

申请人描述：癌症的进展和实验 肿瘤致瘤性的逆转伴随着模式的复杂变化 关于基因表达的。DNA微阵列使快速产生大量 用于基因表达监测、靶标筛选等方面的数据量 其他应用程序。了解单个基因的功能是一个 具有挑战性的目标。生物分析微系统，如免疫学和 微阵列形式的杂交分析需要使用高密度斑点 可以将微量(纳升或皮升) 将含有足够生物特异性探针的溶液放置在给定的固体载体上。 为了实现这一目标，智能光学系统(LOS)将发展 提供具有一致光点大小的数百万个特征的微点阵列 和点对点的重现性，并将使快速批量生产 DNA芯片。建议的点阵是非常通用的。在第一阶段， LOS将通过测试来研究基于MEMS的点阵的可行性 DNA样本和评估斑点样本大小、数量、 斑点均匀度、斑点密度、沉积精度、最小斑点尺寸和 点对点的变异系数。 建议的商业应用： 基于MEMS的点样设备将在许多行业的DNA芯片制造中使用， 例如保健和农业，以及食品和水检测，以及法医和亲子鉴定 测试。这项技术的商业潜力非常大，因为它将使 制造生物芯片，并将在从临床实验室到 生物技术研究设施。

APPLICANT'S DESCRIPTION: The progression of cancer and the experimental reversal of tumorigenicity are accompanied by complex changes in the patterns of gene expression. DNA micro-arrays make it possible to quickly generate large amounts of data for gene expression monitoring, target screening, and many other applications. Understanding the function of individual genes is a challenging objective. Bioanalytical microsystems, such as immunologic and hybridization assays in micro-array format, require using high-density spotting technology that can dispense tiny (nanoliter or picoliter) quantities of solutions containing sufficient biospecific probes onto a given solid support. To achieve this objective, Intelligent Optical Systems (lOS) will develop microspotting arrays that offer millions of features with consistent spot size and spot-to-spot reproducibility, and will enable the rapid mass production of DNA chips. The proposed spotting arrays are extremely versatile. In Phase I, lOS will investigate the feasibility of MEMS-based spotting arrays by testing DNA samples and evaluating the consistency of spotted sample sizes, quantities, spot uniformity, spot density, deposition precision, minimal spot size, and the coefficient of spot-to-spot variation. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: MEMS-based spotting devices will be used in the fabrication of DNA chips in many industries, such as health care and agriculture, and for food and water testing, and forensic and paternity testing. The commercial potential of this technology is very large, since it will revolutionize the fabrication of biochips, and will find use in environments ranging from clinical laboratories to biotechnology research facilities.