9523179 Henderson This research is to develop BioTips, biologically functionalized force transducers for molecular detection. The fundamentals for the development of the BioTip are derived from the atomic force microscope. A BioTip is formed by covalently coupling biomolecules, in this case a protein/DNA pair, to cantilevers, a technology derived from the atomic force microscope. Interactions between these molecules will cause the cantilever to bend and will be detected by a laser system. Research will also be done to develop specialized molecular force detection devices by testing other molecular pairs. BioTips have enormous potential for success in industry due to its molecular force detection capabilities. When developed completely, this detection device will have a wide range of applications including chemical screening and clinical environmental diagnostics.
