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Ink-Jet System for Protein Crystallization

Award Information
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Branch: National Institutes of Health
Contract: 1R43CA105883-01A2
Agency Tracking Number: CA105883
Amount: $108,500.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: PHS2005-2
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2005
Award Year: 2005
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
Microfab Technologies, Inc. 1104 Summit Ave, Ste 110
Plano, TX 75074
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 PATRICK COOLEY
 (972) 578-8076
 PCOOLEY@MICROFAB.COM
Business Contact
 DAVID WALLACE
Phone: (972) 578-8076
Email: DWALLACE@MICROFAB.COM
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In this project, MicroFab will develop a high throughput ink-jet based system to screen for the initial signs of crystallization of membrane proteins, while maximizing the conservation of limited protein samples. Investigators can then repeat successful crystallization experiments determined from the initial screens to grow larger well-ordered crystals for diffraction experiments. The structure of membrane proteins obtained by x-ray crystallography can provide information for computational and structure based drug development. Unfortunately, the crystallization of integral membrane proteins often fails to yield crystals useful for diffraction analysis. Membrane protein (MP) crystallization difficulties can be attributed to their very narrow metastable solubility regions and scarcity of material. The consensus solution to these problems is to decrease protein consumption and narrow the sampling of crystal growth conditions by using smaller screening volumes. Ink-jet dispensing is a technology capable of reliably delivering small volumes ranging from picoliter to microliter, the later through accretion. In Phase I MicroFab will determine the operational parameters required to dispense protein and detergent screening solutions using ink-jet devices. MicroFab will also determine the optimum process for coalescing and mixing of these solutions under oil. Finally, MicroFab will conduct initial crystallization condition screens of membrane proteins using ink-jet dispensing. We expect these experiments to provide critical information that will ultimately enable high throughput picoliter MP crystal growth assays as a mainstream technique.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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