The use of micro and nanotechnology in the development of ultra-sensitive bioanalytical systems

Summary form only given. Both micro- and nanotechnology has the potential to deliver high throughput sensors for biological analysis, evidenced by the recent focus world-wide on exploring the impact of lab-on-a-chip technologies in drug-discovery and diagnostics. In this context, the talk will outline the techniques used for making ultra-small bioanalytical systems and will emphasise the fundamental advantages that result from miniaturisation, including for example, improved signal to noise, faster response times and better manufacturability. Within our laboratories there has been a recent focus on the delivery of new tools for drug-discovery, including those for DNA analysis, proteomics and cell screening, and examples of each technology will be used to illustrate the diversity of novel formats that are now available. The talk will also focus on one particular aspect of our work, which involves the development of nanocalorimeters, for use with pL-scale biological samples (including, for example, single and isolated cells, cell fragments, ligand-binding and enzyme assays) as well as analysis of biopsy materials.