DNA chip technology to identify viruses and other long genetic sequences

Biotechnology Center Director Michael Sussman and Center for NanoTechnology Director Franco Cerrina will adapt their DNA Micro Array Synthesizer (MAS) for the study of long genetic sequences of up to 10,000 base pairs. A three-year, $2.7 million dollar grant from the U.S. Navy will help the team develop new exposure tools and photochemistry needed to achieve their goal.

"Suppose you have a very long strand of DNA. Currently, you can select maybe 20 or 25 short strands that are unique to the DNA and then you look for those. The ability to quickly detect long genetic sequences could lead to a portable tool that could identify viruses and other biological agents in real time," says Cerrina. "But even more important will be the associated diagnostic capabilities. This will be useful in research from stem cells to corn hybridization."

The Micro Array Synthesizer (MAS) will allow virtually any research scientist to make customized DNA chips. Current technology depends on mask-based photolithography, a process that requires shining ultraviolet light through a series of masks onto a glass chip resulting in the synthesis of DNA molecules of interest. MAS technology sidesteps the need for delicate and expensive masks by relying on an array of 480,000 tiny aluminum mirrors arranged on a computer chip. By manipulating the mirrors, the team found they could synthesize DNA by shining light in very specific patterns.

Cerrina says the programmability of the mirror arrays will be key to successfully developing a tool for longer sequences.