Microfluidics and microarray based approaches to biological analysis

Abstract

In the first part of this work, microfabricated Capillary Electrophoresis devices were integrated with microfabricated PCR devices for fast DNA amplification and separation., rapid on-chip amplification and separation of genes of interest was performed. A micro DNA extraction device using paramagnetic micro silica beads was consequently developed, subsequently a combined on-chip DNA extraction from a single drop of blood and PCR amplification were performed. In the second part of this work, micro array-based strategies for proteomics studies were developed. Two new strategies for site-specific immobilization of kinase substrates onto functionalized slides were developed: In addition, a novel fluorescent antibody-based detection was developed to rapidly screen for kinase substrate phosphorylation. Avidin-biotin is one of the strongest know non-covalent interaction, and by arraying C-terminal biotinylated proteins on avidin functionalized slides, a very stable array of functionally active proteins was also obtained.