Vertical nanowire arrays as a versatile platform for protein detection and analysis.
Protein microarrays are valuable tools for protein assays. Reducing spot sizes from micro- to nano-scale facilitates miniaturization of platforms and consequently decreased material consumption, but faces inherent challenges in the reduction of fluorescent signals and compatibility with complex solutions. Here we show that vertical arrays of nanowires (NWs) can overcome several bottlenecks of using nanoarrays for extraction and analysis of proteins. The high aspect ratio of the NWs results in a large surface area available for protein immobilization and renders passivation of the surface between the NWs unnecessary. Fluorescence detection of proteins allows quantitative measurements and spatial resolution, enabling us to track individual NWs through several analytical steps, thereby allowing multiplexed detection of different proteins immobilized on different regions of the NW array. We use NW arrays for on-chip extraction, detection and functional analysis of proteins on a nano-scale platform that holds great promise for performing protein analysis on minute amounts of material. The demonstration made here on highly ordered arrays of indium arsenide (InAs) NWs is generic and can be extended to many high aspect ratio nanostructures.
Bio-Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Chemistry & Nano-Science Center, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. martinez@nano.ku.dk.
Katrine R
KR
Rostgaard
Rune S
RS
Frederiksen
Yi-Chi C
YC
Liu
Trine
T
Berthing
Morten H
MH
Madsen
Johannes
J
Holm
Jesper
J
Nygård
Karen L
KL
Martinez
D000818:Animals; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000737:chemistry; D001710:Biotin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D055767:Immobilized Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D007118:Immunoassay; D007204:Indium / Q000737:chemistry; D008301:Maleimides / Q000737:chemistry; D053770:Nanowires / Q000737:chemistry*; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry; D009571:Nitrilotriacetic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D040081:Protein Array Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000737:chemistry; D019809:Streptavidin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
C504424:Alexa Fluor 488 C5-maleimide; D001152:Arsenicals; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D055767:Immobilized Proteins; D008301:Maleimides; D011506:Proteins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D007204:Indium; D001710:Biotin; D009532:Nickel; D019809:Streptavidin; C076773:indium arsenide; D009571:Nitrilotriacetic Acid