Molecular-Systems-on-Chip (MSoC) Steps Forwards for Programmable Biosystems

摘要

This work describes online programmable microfluidic bioprocessing units using digital logic microelectrodes for rapid pipelined translocation of DNA molecules and other charged biopolymers as well as nanoparticles. Fundamentals of the design and fabrication technique both the silicon-PDMS and a polyimide-PDMS based construction (a new method based on conventional printed circuit board materials) of these electronic microfluidic devices and their functions are described as well as the experimental results along with the first proof of principle functionality. The electronically controlled collection, separation and channel transfer of the biomolecules and nanosized beads are monitored by a sensitive fluorescence setup and controlled by a custom-designed hardware for camera-control and feature selection. This hybrid reconfigurable architecture couples electronic and biomolecular information processing via a single module combination of fluidics and electronics and opens new fields of applications not only in DNA computing and molecular diagnostics but also in applications of combinatorial chemistry and lab-on-a-chip biotechnology to the drug discovery process.