The long-range goal of this project is to generate a fluorescence-based microarray diagnostic platform and a rugged device capable of reading DNA and/or protein microarrays for performing the routine array-based comprehensive DNA, protein, pathogen, etc. analysis, allowing for rapid diagnosis or ruling out a potential threat to human health early in the short period of time. This will be achieved by developing i) disposable self- illuminated array slides with integrated backlighting and ii) a flexible, rugged and portable microarray reader. The self-illuminated microarray slides will consist of a commercial Agilent(c) 105K microarray slides, and on their bottom side there will be fabricated resonant microcavity organic light-emitting diodes (?c-OLED) as the light source, designed to selectively excite a fluorescent label. The OLED array will be fabricated on the bottom of the sensing element array to form one thin sensor array. The microcavity structure will be realized via either a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) or a semitransparent anode. It will both select the best excitation wavelength as well as enhance the intensity, efficiency, and lifetime of the OLED pixels, providing stronger excitation with minimal fluorescence background, and selectively exciting the fluorescent label of interest, resulting in high sensitivity. These ?c-OLED illuminated arrays could effectively replace the expensive lasers in current array scanners. Secondly, a portable array reader for the ?c-OLED illuminated arrays will be developed. Because small, rugged, inexpensive array-reader platforms are not accessible, also proposed is the development of a reader device consisting of simple optics and a camera to image the self-illuminated microarrays. This reader will be very simple based on off-the-shelf components (telecentric lens, CCD or CMOS camera, power source, circuitry for data acquisition). Since the reader does not use lasers, scanning stage with micrometer precision and moving mirrors, which make the laser scanners both fragile and expensive, the proposed reader will be rugged and inexpensive while maintaining high sensitivity and precision at a small fraction of the cost. A cost of less than $5,000 with the first prototype cost of $10,000-$15,000 is targeted. The proposed research is relevant to public health as it is aimed at the development of inexpensive, yet rugged microarray diagnostics that allows for reliable imaging of high-density microarrays used in DNA, RNA, and protein analyses. This effort will make these diagnostics tools available in field hospitals, poor countries, war zones, mountainous and other inaccessible localities or natural disaster areas. Because a wide availability of fast diagnostic tools may save lives, we believe this project is relevant to public health and the NIH mission.
The proposed research is relevant to public health as it is aimed at the development of inexpensive, yet rugged microarray diagnostics that allows for reliable imaging of high-density microarrays used in DNA, RNA, and protein analyses. This effort will make these diagnostics tools available in field hospitals, poor countries, war zones, mountainous and other inaccessible localities or natural disaster areas. Because a wide availability of fast diagnostic tools may save lives, we believe this project is relevant to public health and the NIH mission.
