Ultra-high-throughput microarray generation and liquid dispensing using multiple disposable piezoelectric ejectors.
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Date
2004-03-09
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Abstract
The authors have constructed an array of 12 piezoelectric ejectors for printing biological materials A single ejector footprint is 8 mm in diameter standing 4 mm high with 2 reservoirs totaling 76 micro L These ejectors have been tested by dispensing various fluids in several environmental conditions Reliable drop ejection can be expected in both humidity controlled and ambient environments over extended periods of time and in hot and cold room temperatures In a prototype system 12 ejectors are arranged in a rack together with an X Y stage to allow printing any pattern desired Printed arrays of features are created with a biological solution containing bovine serum albumin conjugated oligonucleotides dye and salty buffer This ejector system is designed for the ultra high throughput generation of arrays on a variety of surfaces These single or racked ejectors could be used as long term storage vessels for materials such as small molecules nucleic acids proteins or cell libraries which would allow for efficient preprogrammed selection of individual clones and greatly reduce the chance of cross contamination and loss due to transfer A new generation of design ideas includes plastic injection molded ejectors that are inexpensive and disposable and handheld personal pipettes for liquid transfer in the nanoliter regime