3-micron spheres assembled into the etched microwells of a fiber optic bundle
Target DNA strands binding to their complementary probe sequence on an individual 3-micron sphere (artist's illustration) Images courtesy of Illumina
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The Walt Laboratory at Tufts University is world-renowned for its pioneering work that applies micro- and nanotechnology to urgent biological problems such as the interrogation of single molecules, analysis of genetic variation, and investigations of the contents and behavior of single cells. The fiber optic bundles have been used for the practical applications of arrays to the detection of explosives, chemical warfare agents, and food and waterborne pathogens.
"Our laboratory investigates new ways to measure things," explains Prof. David R. Walt. "We create very small arrays containing thousands of features--ten thousand features can easily fit on the head of a pin. Researchers in the laboratory use these arrays to study fundamental aspects of biochemistry, genetics, cell biology, olfaction, and they also develop practical ways to measure such things as water and air contamination." |
