Electric field induced surface attachment and detachment of proteins

通过从一个样本中获得大量基因和蛋白质表达的数据，微阵列正在彻底改变疾病的诊断。疾病和毒素的生物传感器依赖于相同的机制，即生物大分子附着在表面。我们提出了一种通过微加工电极系统来控制附着的新方法，即在选定的位置施加电场。最终将使用微电子工程方法。这将为控制附着过程提供潜在的好处，如定向附着分子，减少非特异性附着，并通过对附着力的询问来丰富诊断。

Microarrays are revolutionising the diagnosis of disease by enabling large amounts of data on genetics and protein expression to be obtained from one sample. Biosensors for diseases and toxins rely on the same mechanism, namely attachment of biological macromolecules to a surface. We propose a new method for controlling the attachment by micromachining an electrode system to apply an electric field to chosen sites. Ultimately microelectronic engineering methods will be used. This will give control over the attachment process with potential benefits of orienting attaching molecules, minimising non-specific attachment and enriching diagnostics by enabling interrogation of the force of attachment.