title: Ultra-smooth glass channels for bioassay with motor proteins.
abstract: Optically-flat glass channels were fabricated for the non-fluorescent observation of bio-molecules. Two bioassays of motor proteins were successfully performed, in which nanoscale beads and microtubules were clearly observed by a differential interference contrast (DIC) microscope and a dark-field microscope, respectively. The concentration of hydrofluoric acid (HF) was optimized to obtain an optically flat surface which was evaluated by AFM, SEM and dark-field microscopy. A glass channel was etched using a poly(dimethyl siloxane)(PDMS) microfluidic channel as a mask and sealed with a PDMS-coated coverslip. The channel volume of 2-3 microl realized the drastic reduction of proteins required per assay compared with a conventional flow cell method requiring 20 microl.
authors.affiliation: CIRMM/IIS, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1, Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan. ryuji@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yokokawa
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008853:Microscopy; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins