Flow-pattern Guided Fabrication of High-density Barcode Antibody Microarray

Summary

This protocol outlines the fabrication of a large-scale, multiplexed two-dimensional DNA or antibody array, with potential applications in cell signaling studies and biomarker detection.

Abstract

Antibody microarray as a well-developed technology is currently challenged by a few other established or emerging high-throughput technologies. In this report, we renovate the antibody microarray technology by using a novel approach for manufacturing and by introducing new features. The fabrication of our high-density antibody microarray is accomplished through perpendicularly oriented flow-patterning of single stranded DNAs and subsequent conversion mediated by DNA-antibody conjugates. This protocol outlines the critical steps in flow-patterning DNA, producing and purifying DNA-antibody conjugates, and assessing the quality of the fabricated microarray. The uniformity and sensitivity are comparable with conventional microarrays, while our microarray fabrication does not require the assistance of an array printer and can be performed in most research laboratories. The other major advantage is that the size of our microarray units is 10 times smaller than that of printed arrays, offering the unique capability of analyzing functional proteins from single cells when interfacing with generic microchip designs. This barcode technology can be widely employed in biomarker detection, cell signaling studies, tissue engineering, and a variety of clinical applications.

Introduction

Antibody microarrays have been widely used in proteomic studies for decades to examine the presence of targeted proteins, including protein biomarkers^1-3. Although this field is currently facing great challenges from other high-throughput technologies such as mass spectrometry (MS), there is still plenty of room for the utility of antibody microarrays, mainly because these devices afford simple data interpretation and easy interface with other assays. In recent years, the integration of microarrays into microchip scaffolds has provided the antibody microarray a new opportunity to thrive^4-7. For instance, the barcode microarray integrated into a s....

Protocol

Caution: Several chemicals used in this protocol are irritants and are hazardous in case of skin contact. Consult material safety data sheets (MSDS) and wear appropriate personal protective equipment before performing this protocol. The piranha solution used in Step (1.1.1) is highly corrosive and should be prepared by adding the peroxide slowly to the acid with agitation. Handle this solution with extreme caution in a fume hood. Use appropriate eye protection and acid-resistant gloves. Trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) is a corrosive, flammable chemical used in an optional step after (1.1.6). Handle this chemical in a fume hood.

Note: Perform t....

Results

The designs for the PDMS molds (Figure 1A-1B) were drawn using a CAD program (AutoCAD). Two designs shown feature channels for flow patterning, one horizontal and one vertical. The left and right parts of each design are symmetric; either of them could be inlets or outlets. Each of 20 channels is winding from one end all the way to the other end. Each design is printed on a chrome photomask (Figure 1C). The fabricated SU-8 master on a wafer is shown in

Discussion

Flow pattern design is the first critical step in fabricating the 2-D microarray. To generate two overlapping DNA patterns on a glass substrate, the channel features of the first design should be perpendicular to those of the second (Figure 1A-B). The designs also consider the downstream applications of the microarray. In the case of single cell analysis, the microarray is used to detect proteins from single cells enclosed in microchambers, therefore the channel dimensions are made compatible wi.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Sylgard 184 silicone elastomer base	Dow Corning	3097366-1004
Sylgard 184 silicone elastomer curing agent	Dow Corning	3097358-1004
SU-8 2025 photoresist	MicroChem	Y111069
Silicon wafers	University Wafers	452
Poly-L-lysine coated glass slides	Thermo Scientific	C40-5257-M20
Oligonucleotides	Integrated DNA Technologies		*Custom-ordered from Integrated DNA Technologies, see Table 2.
Poly-L-lysine adhesive stock solution	Newcomer Supply	1339
Bis (sulfosuccinimidyl) suberate  (BS3)	Thermo Scientific	21585
1x Phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.4	Quality Biological	114-058-101
Äkta Explorer 100 Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC) System	GE (Amersham Pharmacia)	18-1112-41
Superose 6 10/300 GL column	GE Healthcare Life Sciences	17-5172-01
Capture antibodies	various	various	*Antibody selection depends on application
Succinimidyl-6-hydrazino-nicotinamide (S-HyNic)	Solulink	S-1002
Succinimidyl-4-formylbenzamide (S-4FB)	Solulink	S-1004
N,N-dimethylformamide	Sigma-Aldrich	227056
Citric acid, anhydrous	Acros	42356
Sodium hydroxide	Fisher Scientific	S318
Amicon Ultra spin filter 10 kDa MWCO	EMD Millipore	UFC201024
Spin coater	Laurell Technologies	WS-650-MZ
Biopsy punch with plunger (1.0 mm diameter)	Ted Pella, Inc.	15110-10
Diamond scribe (Style 60)	SPI supplies	6004
Trimethylchlorosilane	Sigma Aldrich	92361