Premium
Neurotransmitter analog tethered to a silicon platform for neuro‐bioMEMS applications
Author(s) -
Nehilla Barrett J.,
Popat Ketul C.,
Vu Tania Q.,
Chowdhury Sarwat,
Standaert Robert F.,
Pepperberg David R.,
Desai Tejal A.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.20171
Subject(s) - muscimol , neurotransmitter , biotinylation , chemistry , postsynaptic potential , neurotransmitter receptor , biophysics , nanotechnology , materials science , biochemistry , agonist , receptor , biology
The design of chemically well‐defined, machinable surfaces containing neuroactive molecules offers potential for fundamental neuroscience and clinical neural engineering applications. Here we report the assembly and characterization of silicon platforms containing a tethered form of muscimol. Muscimol, an analog of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA), is a potent agonist at postsynaptic GABA A and GABA C receptors. Surfaces were assembled using covalent avidin conjugation to silanized silicon followed by high‐affinity avidin‐biotin binding of a biotinylated derivative of muscimol (muscimol‐biotin). Contact angle measurements, ellipsometry, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were conducted to characterize the wettability, thickness, and chemical composition of progressively deposited surface layers. The data demonstrate successful incorporation of a neurotransmitter analog as part of a layered, silicon‐based structure possessing robust and specific biomolecular composition. These findings represent a step toward the design of platforms for applications involving control and modulation of neural signaling. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.