Microfabricated Deposition Tools for Creating NanoArrays

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案的目标是设计和测试新型微悬臂装置，以改善生物材料在超微阵列中的沉积。BioForce NanoSciences, Inc. （http://www.bioforcelab.com）是开发下一代生物分子筛选阵列（NanoArrays）的行业领导者，其专利技术允许构建亚微米空间地址的生物芯片。这些纳米级阵列允许在由单个最先进的微阵列点占据的相同表面空间中进行一千或更多的分子测试。这种格式提供了伴随超小型化的试剂成本的显着节省，更重要的是，它为涉及极少量样品材料的应用中基于阵列的分析性能提供了一个现实和受欢迎的平台，其中使用当前微阵列格式是不可行的。这些应用包括单细胞蛋白分析、产前诊断、法医测试、高通量药物筛选和微创临床诊断测试。该技术的商业化需要高度可重复的分子沉积，而目前的沉积工具是不可行的。本研究项目将通过以下具体目标推进该技术：1。设计和制造前、后加载的羽毛笔和孔型单、多路沉积工具；和2。使用目标1中设计的设备比较迭代沉积-冲洗循环与预负荷连续流沉积方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this proposal is to design and test novel microcantilever devices for the purpose of improving deposition of biomaterials in ultraminiaturized arrays. BioForce NanoSciences, Inc. (http://www.bioforcelab.com) is an industry leader in the development of next-generation biomolecular screening arrays, or NanoArrays, with patented technology permitting the construction of biochips with sub-micron spatial addresses. These nano-scale arrays allow a thousand or more molecular tests to be carried out in the same surface space occupied by a single state-of-the-art microarray spot. This format offers dramatic savings in reagent cost that accompanies ultra-miniaturization, and more importantly, it provides a realistic and sought-after platform for performance of array-based analyses in applications involving extremely small quantities of sample material where uses of current microarray formats are not feasible. These applications include single-cell protein profiling, prenatal diagnostics, forensic testing, high-throughput drug screening, and minimally invasive clinical diagnostic testing. Commercialization of this technology requires highly reproducible molecular deposition that is not feasible with current deposition tools. This research project will advance this technology through the following specific aims: 1. Design and construct front and back loading quill- and aperture-type single, and multiplexed deposition tools; and 2. compare iterative deposition-wash cycle with pre-load, continuous flow deposition methods using the devices designed in aim 1.