In research supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry and the Instrument Development in Biological Research Programs, Professor Robert M. Corn and his coworkers at the University of Wisconsin are developing new fabrication methods and spectroscopic detection techniques for biopolymer arrays on gold thin films. A combination of novel attachment chemistries and microfluidic delivery strategies are being employed to create high fidelity biosensor arrays of DNA, polypeptide and proteins on gold surfaces. Surface plasmon resonance imaging is a surface-sensitive detection technique that is being developed for the label-free detection of bioaffinity interactions in an array format. The DNA and protein arrays fabricated in this research effort will be used in conjunction with the surface plasmon resonance imaging methods for the high throughput study of protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions.
Professor Robert M. Corn and his coworkers at the University of Wisconsin are creating high quality biochips that consist of DNA, polypeptides, and proteins attached onto gold thin film surfaces in a multi-element array format. By detecting the binding of other biomolecules onto these biochips with the spectroscopic technique of surface plasmon resonance imaging, these biopolymer arrays can be used as multi-element biosensors in the areas of environmental sensing and medical diagnostics. In addition to the detection of biological compounds, the high throughput study of bioaffinity interactions with these arrays will have immediate applications in the areas of gene expression and proteomics
