Fabrication of microarray of gel-immobilized compounds on a chip by copolymerization

The manufacturing of microchips containing oligonucleotides and proteins im mobilized within gel pads, ranging in size from 10 x 10 to 100 X 100 mu m, is described. The microchips are produced by photo- or persulfate-induced c opolymerization of unsaturated derivatives of biomolecules with acrylamide- bisacrylamide mixture. Oligonucleotides containing 5'-allyl or 5'-butene-di ol units were synthesized using standard phosphoramidite chemistry. Acryloy l residues were attached to a protein by a two-step procedure. Photopolymer ization was induced by illumination of the monomer solution containing init iator with UV light through the mask. The mask was applied directly over th e monomer solution or projected through a microscope. Alternatively copolym erization was carried out in drops of aqueous solution of monomers containi ng ammonium persulfate. Drops with different allyl-oligonucleotides were di stributed on a glass slide, and the polymerization was induced by diffusion of N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED) from a hexane solution tha t covered the aqueous drops.