Development of Infrared Spectroscope for Microfabricated Proteome Chips

该奖项支持开发一种红外光谱仪，该光谱仪能够观察蛋白质复合体的内在分子振动，具有高灵敏度和高通量的潜力。该仪器将使用消逝波，通过使用工作在中红外的可调谐激光获得，来检查定位在硅悬臂梁微制造阵列上的蛋白质。每个悬臂梁的一侧有一个固体浸没透镜(SIL)，另一侧有一个蛋白质沉积部位。沉积部位通常由化学结合的已知多肽加上一个或多个仅通过与多肽相互作用结合的蛋白质组成。阵列将被放置在显微镜的舞台上。红外的使用允许在酰胺I带中进行检测，其中多肽键具有足够大的横截面以消除标记蛋白质的需要。该项目是波士顿大学、斯坦福大学和加州大学伯克利分校的科学家和工程师之间的跨学科合作。预计该仪器将在基础研究和应用研究中得到应用，包括旨在改善对蛋白质结构和功能之间关系的理解的研究，以及对蛋白质混合物的快速筛选。该项目的更广泛影响将包括培训研究生和定期向地区高中生介绍情况，作为旨在传播科学技术理解的正在进行的外联方案的一部分。这些报告在学年和暑假期间进行。此外，正在进行的让理科和医学专业的少数族裔本科生女性参与的另一项努力也将受益。

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.