An important goal for many areas of biological research and clinical testing is the ability to detect and quantitate thousands of DNA segments in an automated and inexpensive fashion. We are trying to combine the power of DNA amplification with the ability to detect thousands of different sequences at one time using DNA chip technology. A major technical challenge is to develop a method for automatically subdividing a small liquid sample into thousands of smaller droplets that can be repeatedly heated to near boiling temperatures for DNA amplification. This project was discontinued following the departure of the one post-doctoral fellow working on it. However, a patent was issued this year based on prior work, and a small amount of administrative time was spent dealing with technology transfer-related issues.
| Silver, J; Mi, Z; Takamoto, K et al. (1999) Controlled Formation of Low-Volume Liquid Pillars between Plates with a Lattice of Wetting Patches by Use of a Second Immiscible Fluid. J Colloid Interface Sci 219:81-89 |
