A novel high-throughput scanning microscope for label-free detection of protein and small-molecule chemical microarrays

Rev Sci Instrum. 2008 Jan;79(1):013708. doi: 10.1063/1.2830286.

Abstract

We describe a novel scanning optical microscope based on a polarization-modulated nulling ellipsometry. The new microscope employs a combination of scanning mirror and sample translation and thus enables high-throughput label-free detection of biomolecular microarrays with more than 10 000 protein or small-molecule targets. For illustration, we show the image of a 2760-spot protein microarray on a functionalized glass slide obtained with such a microscope. The new scanning microscope is also capable of determining, in parallel, the real-time binding kinetics of multiple molecular species under aqueous conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Image Enhancement / instrumentation*
  • Image Enhancement / methods
  • Microarray Analysis / instrumentation*
  • Microarray Analysis / methods
  • Microscopy, Confocal / instrumentation*
  • Microscopy, Confocal / methods
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Robotics / instrumentation*
  • Robotics / methods
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Staining and Labeling