Automated Synthesizer of a Protein Analysis Chip

描述(申请人提供)：DNA微阵列芯片已被证明是研究基因组学领域产生的大量信息的高度有用的工具。随着焦点转向蛋白质组学，现在人们对类似的蛋白质分析芯片产生了浓厚的兴趣。现有的蛋白质分析方法，如凝胶电泳法、层析法和质谱仪等，并不容易用于高通量的蛋白质筛选。为了满足这一需求，蛋白质分析芯片的开发已经成为一个活跃的研究领域。蛋白质分析芯片有几种形式，包括抗体、酶、其他蛋白质、配体和多肽的阵列。由多肽库组成的蛋白质分析芯片提供了某些优势，特别是完全自动化合成它们的可能性。为此，我们建议开发一种仪器，它将能够完全自动化地合成由高密度多肽微阵列组成的蛋白质分析芯片。这种仪器的出现使从事蛋白质和小分子筛选、表位绘制、结合研究和其他生命科学相关领域的研究人员能够快速合成定制的芯片。如果成功，这个项目将产生一种新的仪器，使快速合成定制的蛋白质分析芯片成为可能。这种仪器将被证明在高通量筛选蛋白质、病毒、小分子、结合研究和其他保健研究中很有用。建议的仪器可以帮助新药开发和新的诊断测试开发。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): DNA microarray chips have proven to be a highly useful tool for studying the vast amounts of information generated in the genomics field. With the focus moving to proteomics, there is now significant interest in analogous protein-analysis chips. Existing methods for protein analysis, such as gel electrophoresis, chromatography, and mass spectrometry, do not readily lend themselves to the high-throughput screening of proteins. To fill this need, the development of protein-analysis chips has become an active area of research. Protein analysis chips have taken several forms, including arrays of antibodies, enzymes, other proteins, ligands, and peptides. Protein analysis chips consisting of peptide libraries offer certain advantages, in particular the potential to completely automate their synthesis. For this reason we propose to develop an instrument that will be capable of the completely automated synthesis of a protein analysis chip consisting of high-density peptide microarrays. The availability of such an instrument makes possible the rapid synthesis of customized chips by researchers working on protein and small molecule screening, epitope mapping, binding studies, and other life sciences related areas. If successful, this project will result in a new instrument that makes possible the rapid synthesis of customized protein analysis chips. Such an instrument would prove useful in high throughput screening of proteins, viruses, small molecules, binding studies, and other health care studies. The proposed instrument could aid in new drug development and new diagnostic test development.