Preservation of the Biofunctionality of DNA and Protein during Microfabrication

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Abstract
Microfabrication processes, especially in silicon, are not compatible with biomolecules. Silicon and metal-based materials having crystalline structures are manipulated under harsh conditions with acids, bases, and organic solvents at high temperature. In comparison, organic biomolecules such as DNA and proteins have complex, three-dimensional structures and are sensitive to denaturation, oxidation, hydrolysis, and thermal destruction. Here, we report on the integration of DNA and the biotin-binding protein NeutrAvidin into microfabrication processes by using a novel approach based on a gold passivation mask. Our data show that this passivation method preserves ∼84% of the biofunctionality of DNA and ∼30% of that of NeutrAvidin under harsh process conditions. This novel technology enables the integration of DNA, proteins, and potentially other biological molecules into mass scalable microfabrication processes for biomedical devices, biochips, biosensors, and microelectromechanical systems with biomolecules (BioMEMS).

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