Microchannel systems in titanium and silicon for structural and mechanical studies of aligned protein self-assemblies.
We report a technique for the alignment of self-assembled protein systems, such as F-actin bundles and microtubules, in a surface-modified titanium or silicon microfluidic device. Assembling filamentous protein systems in a confined geometry produces highly aligned samples for structural and mechanical studies. Biomolecular self-assembly can be investigated in a controlled fashion under different molecular concentration gradients and conditions along a channel length. We have shown that surface-modified devices produced via a high aspect ratio etch process in titanium and silicon can be used to confine and control such macromolecular assemblies and present examples of F-actin bundles and microtubules in this system.
Hirst
L S
LS
Materials Department, Physics Department and Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
Parker
E R
ER
Abu-Samah
Z
Z
Li
Y
Y
Pynn
R
R
MacDonald
N C
NC
Safinya
C R
CR
D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008832:Microchemistry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry*; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
D000199:Actins; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D014025:Titanium; D012825:Silicon