title: Effects of microbead surface chemistry on DNA loading and hybridization efficiency.
abstract: Polymer microbeads are witnessing renewed interest for performing biomolecule recognition assays with distinct advantages over planar microarray technology. In this study, DNA hybridization assays are performed on the surfaces of 1-microm-diameter, synthetically modified polystyrene microbeads. The microbead surfaces contain varying amounts of poly(acrylic acid) as a source of carboxylate groups to which a DNA capture strand may bind. Through a series of controlled experiments in which the microbead carboxylate density and DNA:surface area ratios are systematically altered, we find that the density of carboxylate groups on the microbead surface may be the most important parameter affecting not only the total number of DNA strands that may bind to the microbead surface but, surprisingly, also the efficiency of DNA hybridization with complementary strands. These studies are aimed directly at understanding the physical interactions between DNA strands and an anionic microbead surface.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, Terrence Donnelly Center for Cellular and Biomoecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada.
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Jennings
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fournier-Bidoz
authors.forename: W C W
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D008863:Microspheres; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods*; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D011137:Polystyrenes; C006903:carbopol 940; D004247:DNA