PRINTING PATTERNS OF PROTEINS

Microcontact printing of proteins proves to be an excellent means of d irectly patterning biomolecules on solid substrates. Monolayer quantit ies of protein equilibrated on the surface of a hydrophobic, elastomer ic stamp are immobilized there to rinses with buffer. These biomolecul es can nevertheless transfer with > 99% efficiency from the stamp to a substrate after just 1 s of contact. This capability allows the simpl e creation of functional patterns of proteins at scales that involve t he placement of < 1000 molecules in well-defined locations on a surfac e. The method is suited for the transfer of proteins of many different types onto hydrophilic or hydrophobic substrates.