Microchannel systems in titanium and silicon for structural and mechanical studies of aligned protein self-assemblies |
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Authors: | Hirst L S Parker E R Abu-Samah Z Li Y Pynn R MacDonald N C Safinya C R |
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Institution: | Materials Department, Physics Department and Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. |
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Abstract: | 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. |
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