ALine's Laminate Fabrication Process provides Unique Solution for Small Angle X-Ray Scattering Sample Cells Used to Determine Protein Structure in Solution

Custom Protein Sample Cell, developed for Cornell researchers, combines improved throughput with ease of use. An important and new technique in protein structure determination is made possible with Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS).

Redondo Beach, CA (PRWEB) June 19, 2007 -- An important and new technique in protein structure determination is made possible with Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS). Its application is increasing exponentially, and provides a powerful tool which, when used in combination with other techniques, allows elucidation and correlation of the functional and structural domains of different classes of proteins and protein complexes in solution. The tedious task of filling and sealing precious samples of concentrated protein was simplified with an easy-to-use cell designed and developed by ALine (http://www.alineinc.com) in collaboration designed and developed by ALine in collaboration with Nozomi Ando, a graduate student in Sol Gruner's group at Cornell University.

"We had wonderful results with the SAXS cells you recently designed with Nozomi Ando; a paper has already been published," remarked Dr. Gillilan, staff scientist for the MacCHESS Facility at Cornell about the sample cell. Dr. Gillilan further noted, "Your adhesive laminate [used to bond the mica film is the main reason the cells have worked so well for us."

The paper, reporting results with ALine's " 'homemade' cuvette of a plastic micromachined disk" with its precision bio- micro-fluidic technology, was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, and is referenced here. J Biol Chem. 2006 December 15; 281(50): 38122-38126.
http://www.jbc.org/cgi/content/full/281/50/38122

Dr. Leanna Levine, CEO and Founder of ALine, commented, "These custom cells are another example of the advantage our fabrication platform has in providing researchers and product developers a unique bio micro solution that is either impossible or prohibitively expensive to accomplish any other way. In this case the added functionality of the pressure sensitive adhesive on the top and the bottom of the cell eliminated the messy and error-prone step of manually gluing a thin mica Xray window film to the cell. ALine's transparent polymer laminate layers also aided the research team in filling the devices with their protein solution samples."

The custom bio micro cell fabricated using ALine 's unique laminate manufacturing platform, pictured here, is about the size of a dime. The channel leading from the outer edge to the center is used for sample introduction, and the notches on either side facilitate insertion into synchrotron.

Using ALine's batch fabrication process, 500 cells were manufactured in a single run. The up-coming fabrication run will incorporate design changes to make sample introduction easier, highlighting the flexibility of ALine's unique laser patterned, polymer laminate fabrication platform that naturally accommodates further customization without additional investments in unnecessarily expensive re-tooling, common to other manufacturing methods.

About ALine:
Aline is a leading supplier of high functionality bio micro solutions to biological, healthcare, chemical, environmental, instrumentation and research markets. ALines's website is http://www.alineinc.com

Press Contact:
Dr. Leanna Levine
310-707-8575

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