NanoInk Applications

Protein Analysis

NanoInk's Nano BioDiscovery Division provides a new generation of array-based instrument systems, assay kits, and contract services for nanoscale protein detection. Our platforms combine patented Dip Pen Nanolithography® (DPN®) nanofabrication technology with optimized substrates and ultra-sensitive protein detection to miniaturize and multiplex protein analysis. As the only true nanoscale protein analysis company, we help our customers address major proteomic challenges.

Traditional protein array technologies that use pin spotting often print inconsistent features, leading to poor sensitivity and reproducibility. The Ink jet printing process is known to aerosolize the reagents during the protein array printing process which can cause splattering, higher localized backgrounds and lower signal to noise ratios in assays. Other protein detection techniques often require large amounts of sample material and reagents and exhibit prohibitively slow reaction kinetics.

Biomaterials

NanoInk's NanoFabrication Systems Division provides a new generation of Dip Pen Nanolithography® (DPN®) instrument systems for biomaterials and cell biology applications.

Printing of biomaterials at sub-cellular scales holds immense promise for studies in life sciences. The ability to create nanoscale patterns of DNA, proteins, lipids, biocompatible polymers and other biomaterials has the potential to revolutionize many areas of biological research and discovery, but until now the technology available to create these patterns has been overly complex, unacceptably slow, and unreliable.

NanoInk offers a new paradigm in nanoscale patterning systems for biomaterials studies. Recent advances in Dip Pen Nanolithography technology make possible the direct deposition of biologically relevant molecules onto a variety of surfaces. NanoInk’s DPN systems can reliably print features ranging in size from tens of nanometers to ten microns with nanoscale registry, all under ambient conditions. These capabilities make the NanoInk platform an indispensable tool for biomaterials research in the life sciences area.

Nanoengineering

NanoInk’s NanoFabrication Systems Division provides a new generation of Dip Pen Nanolithography® (DPN®) instrument systems for nanofabrication and nanoengineering applications.

Versatility is the core advantage of NanoInk’s DPN platform. DPN systems can directly write a wide range of feature sizes (from 50 nm up to 10 microns) to existing surfaces in “bottom-up” nanofabrication applications or they can deliver etch resists or etchant materials in “top-down” lithography applications.

Capable of using either molecular diffusion or liquid deposition transport mechanisms to nanopattern a wide variety of array materials, DPN is flexible enough to print self-assembled monolayer molecules, polymers, biomolecules or nanoparticles.