Nonvolatile copolymer compositions for fabricating gel element microarrays.
By modifying polymer compositions and cross-linking reagents, we have developed a simple yet effective manufacturing strategy for copolymerized three-dimensional gel element arrays. A new gel-forming monomer, 2-(hydroxyethyl) methacrylamide (HEMAA), was used. HEMAA possesses low volatility and improves the stability of copolymerized gel element arrays to on-chip thermal cycling procedures relative to previously used monomers. Probe immobilization efficiency within the new polymer was 55%, equivalent to that obtained with acrylamide (AA) and methacrylamide (MA) monomers. Nonspecific binding of single-stranded targets was equivalent for all monomers. Increasing cross-linker chain length improved hybridization kinetics and end-point signal intensities relative to N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (Bis). The new copolymer formulation was successfully applied to a model orthopox array. Because HEMAA greatly simplifies gel element array manufacture, we expect it (in combination with new cross-linkers described here) to find widespread application in microarray science.
Akonni Biosystems, Frederick, MD 21701, USA. jgolova@akonni.com
Julia B
JB
Golova
Boris K
BK
Chernov
Alexander N
AN
Perov
Jennifer
J
Reynolds
Yvonne L
YL
Linger
Alexander
A
Kukhtin
Darrell P
DP
Chandler
D001483:Base Sequence; D005782:Gels; D007700:Kinetics; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000737:chemistry*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014835:Volatilization
D005782:Gels; D008689:Methacrylates; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; C005044:hydroxyethyl methacrylate