Nanostructured separation and analysis devices for biological membranes

• US RE42,315 E1
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UNM Rainforest Innovations (f/k/a STC.UNM) (The University of New Mexico)
• Original Assignee: UNM Rainforest Innovations (f/k/a STC.UNM) (The University of New Mexico)
• Inventors: Brueck, Steven R. J., Ista, Linnea K., Lopez, Gabriel P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Drodge; Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US11/825,298
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 210/500.21, 210/263, 210/321.84, 210/511, 210/634, 210/638, 210/644, 210649-651, 210/198.2, 210/656, 210/660, 422/502, 422/503, 422/527, 422/534, 422/70, 422/100, 422/101, 436/161, 436/177, 436/178, 977702-705, 977713-717, 977/914, 977/920, 977/924, 977/DIG.1, 530412-414, 435/4, 435/6, 435/7.1, 435/7.2, 435/287.1, 435/287.2, 435/287.3, 204/450, 204/451
• US Class Current: 210/644
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/8813 biological materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44773 Multi-stage electrophoresis, e.g. two-dimensional electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/00 Investigating or analysing materials by separation into components using adsorption, absorption or similar phenomena or using ion-exchange, e.g. chromatography or field flow fractionation G01N3/00, G01N5/00, G01N7/00, G01N9/00, G01N11/00, G01N13/00, G01N15/00, G01N17/00, G01N19/00, G01N21/00, G01N22/00, G01N23/00, G01N24/00, G01N25/00, G01N27/00, G01N29/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/88 Integrated analysis systems specially adapted therefor, not covered by a single one of the groups G01N30/04 - G01N30/86
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/717 Lipid substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/845 Purification or separation of fullerenes or nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/255 including use of a solid sorbent, semipermeable membrane, or liquid extraction

Abstract

The present invention provides a nanostructured device comprising a substrate including nanotroughs therein; and a lipid bilayer suspended on or supported in the substrate. A separation method is also provided comprising the steps of supporting or suspending a lipid bilayer on a substrate; wherein the substrate comprises nanostructures and wherein the lipid bilayer comprises at least one membrane associated biomolecule; and applying a driving force to the lipid bilayer to separate the membrane associated biomolecule from the lipid bilayer and to drive the membrane associated biomolecule into the nanostructures.

Claims

1. A nanostructured device comprising:

a substrate including an upper face or surface and at least one elongate nanotrough therein extending downwardly into said substrate from said upper face or surface, said at least one elongate nanotrough having continuous or uninterrupted opposing walls along at least a substantial length thereof; and

a separation and analysis platform in the form of a singular continuous lipid bilayer in part disposed on said upper face or surface and in part suspended over or supported in said at least one elongate nanotrough, said lipid bilayer having sufficient fluidity to allow for mobility of biomolecules embedded within said lipid bilayer.

2. The nanostructured device of claim 1, wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a simple bilayer.

3. The nanostructured device of claim 1, wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a hybrid bilayer.

4. The nanostructured device of claim 3, wherein said hybrid bilayer comprises a self-assembled monolayer hybrid bilayer.

5. The nanostructured device of claim 1, wherein said nanostructured device further comprises an array of nanostructures arranged so that said arrayat least one nanotrough is filled with at least one fluid.

6. The nanostructured device of claim 1, wherein said nanostructured device further comprises an array of nanostructures arranged so that said arrayat least one elongate nanotrough has a gradient property.

7. The nanostructured device of claim 1, wherein said nanostructured device further comprises at least one nanostructured channel.

8. The nanostructured device of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises Si.

9. The nanostructured device of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a semiconductor chip.

10. The nanostructured device of claim 1, wherein said nanostructured device comprises a biochip.

48. The nanostructured device of claim 6, wherein said at least one elongate nanotrough has a varying width.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein said at least one elongate nanotrough has a continuously decreasing width.

11. A nanostructured device comprising:

a substrate including a nanostructured matrix with an upper face or surface and at least one elongate nanotrough thereinextending downwardly into said substrate from said upper face or surface; and

a separation and analysis platform in the form of at least one singular continuous lipid bilayer in part disposed on said upper face or surface and in part supported in or suspended over at least one ofsaid at least one elongate nanotroughs so as to allow biomolecules to pass from said at least one lipid bilayer into said at least one respective nanotrough,

said lipid bilayer having sufficient fluidity to allow for mobility of biomolecules embedded within said device so that said biomolecules are moveable to effectuate a separation of said biomolecules within said lipid bilayer.

12. The nanostructured device of claim 11, wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a simple bilayer.

13. The nanostructured device of claim 11, wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a hybrid bilayer.

14. The nanostructured device of claim 13, wherein said hybrid bilayer comprises a self-assembled monolayer hybrid bilayer.

15. The nanostructured device of claim 11, wherein said nanostructured device further comprises an array of nanostructures arranged so that said arraymatrix has a gradient property.

16. The nanostructured device of claim 11, wherein said nanostructured device further comprises at least one nanostructured channel.

17. The nanostructured device of claim 11, wherein said substrate comprises Si.

18. The nanostructured device of claim 11, wherein said substrate comprises a semiconductor chip.

19. The nanostructured device of claim 11, wherein said nanostructured device comprises a biochip.

50. The nanostructured device of claim 15, wherein said at least oen elongate nanotrough has a varying width.

51. The nanostructured device of claim 50, wherein said at least one elongate nanotrough has a continuously decreasing width.

20. A separation method comprising the steps of:

(a) supporting or suspending a separation and analysis platform in the form of a lipid bilayer on a substrate;

wherein said substrate comprises at least one nanostructureelongate nanotrough, said nanotrough having continuous or uninterrupted opposing walls along at least a substantial length thereof, and wherein said lipid bilayer comprises at least onehas sufficient fluidity to allow for mobility of membrane associated biomolecules embedded within said separation and analysis platform; and

(b) applying a driving force to said lipid bilayer to separate said at least onemembrane associated biomolecules from said lipid bilayereach other within said separation and analysis platform and to drive said at least onemembrane associated biomolecules within and parallel to or in a plane of said lipid bilayer intoseparation and analysis platform by virtue of the fluidity of said lipid bilayer, and guided by said at least one nanostructurenanotrough.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said at least one nanostructure comprises at least one nanotrough.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said at least one nanotrough is filled with at least one fluid.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said at least one nanostructurenanotrough comprises at least one channel.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said at least one nanostructurenanotrough further comprises at least onetwo elongate protrusions.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein said substrate comprises Si.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a simple bilayer.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a hybrid bilayer.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said hybrid bilayer 25 comprises a self-assembled monolayer hybrid bilayer.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein said at least onenanostructurenanotrough comprises an array of nanostructures arranged so that said arrayhas a gradient property.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of said at least onemembrane associated biomolecules comprises a transmembrane protein.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein said at least one membrane associated biomoleculesaid lipid bilayer principally comprises a one or more membrane phospholipids.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of said at least onemembrane associated biomolecules comprises a lipophilic biomolecule.

33. The method of claim 20, wherein said driving force comprises an electrophoresis.

34. The method of claim 20, wherein said driving force comprises an externally applied pressure.

35. The method of claim 20, wherein said driving force comprises capillarity.

36. The method of claim 20, wherein said driving force comprises diffusion.

37. The method of claim 20, wherein said driving force comprises osmosis.

52. The method of claim 29, wherein said at leat one elongate nanotrough has a varying width.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein said at least one elongate nanotrough has a continuously decreasing width.

38. A separation method comprising:

providing a nanostructured device comprising (i) a substrate including a nanostructured matrix with at least one elongate nanotrough therein, (ii) a separation and analysis platform in the form of a lipid bilayer suspended over or supported in said nanostructured matrix and said at least one elongate nanotrough, said lipid bilayer being derived from cell organelles, and (iii) a plurality of membrane-associated biomolecules occurring within said device and extending in said at least one elongate nanotrough, said lipid bilayer having sufficient fluidity to allow for mobility of biomolecules embedded within said device; and

applying a driving force to said lipid bilayer to drive said biomolecules within said device, by virtue of the fluidity of said lipid bilayer, and in said at least one elongate nanotrough, to separate said biomolecules from each other in said device under a screening action of said nanostructured matrix.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a simple bilayer.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a hybrid bilayer.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said hybrid bilayer comprises a self-assembled monolayer hybrid bilayer.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein said at least one elongate nanotrough is filled with at least one fluid.

43. The method of claim 38, wherein said at least one elongate nantrough has a gradient property.

44. The method of claim 38, wherein said nanostructured device further comprises at least one nanostructured channel.

45. The method of claim 38, wherein said substrate comprises Si.

46. The method of claim 38, wherein said substrate comprises a semiconductor chip.

47. The method of claim 38, wherein said nanostructured device comprises a biochip.

54. The method of claim 43, wherein said at least one elongate nanotrough has a varying width.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein said at least one elongate nanotrough has a continuously decreasing width.