Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
11:33
Fabrication of Three-dimensional Paper-based Microfluidic Devices for Immunoassays
Published on: March 9, 2017
Fabricating protein immunoassay arrays on nitrocellulose using dip-pen lithography techniques
Eleanore Jane Irvine1, Aaron Hernandez-Santana, Karen Faulds
1Centre for Nanometrology, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, WestCHEM, University of Strathclyde, 295 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, UK.
The Analyst
|June 8, 2011
Summary
Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) creates high-density protein arrays on nitrocellulose for disease screening. This optimized technique fabricates prostate specific antigen (PSA) immunoassays with sensitivity comparable to ELISA kits.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Nanotechnology
- Surface Science
Background:
- Advancements in lithography enable precise biomolecule printing for disease screening and research.
- Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) is a micro/nanofabrication technique suitable for sensitive biomolecules like proteins.
- Existing methods require optimization for high-throughput protein array fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an optimized, high-throughput dip-pen nanolithography technique for fabricating protein arrays.
- To demonstrate the fabrication of a prostate specific antigen (PSA) immunoassay using DPN.
- To analyze the protein integrity and substrate interaction on nitrocellulose.
Main Methods:
- Utilized dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) for high-resolution printing of biomolecules.
- Fabricated protein arrays, specifically for prostate specific antigen (PSA) detection.
- Employed atomic force microscopy (AFM) to analyze surface morphology and protein integrity.
- Quantified detection limits and compared performance with ELISA kits.
Main Results:
- Achieved fabrication of dense protein arrays on nitrocellulose with feature sizes as small as 8 μm.
- Developed a PSA immunoassay with detection limits comparable to commercial ELISA kits.
- AFM analysis revealed the mechanism by which the nitrocellulose substrate preserves protein integrity.
- Demonstrated the first successful printing of protein arrays on nitrocellulose using DPN.
Conclusions:
- The optimized DPN technique offers a significant advancement for producing dense protein arrays on nitrocellulose.
- This method is suitable for disease screening applications utilizing standard fluorescence detection.
- DPN provides a versatile platform for fabricating functional biomolecule arrays under mild conditions.
