Fabrication of Biomolecular Nanopatterns

Site-specifically patterning of biomolecules, such as DNA, peptides, proteins and virus at the submicron or nanometer resolution has been of increasing interest these years, from both scientific and technological perspectives. Such patterns with biological features and activity hold enormous promise for biological and medical applications, including high-sensitive diagnostics, genomics, proteomics, integrated biomaterials and fundamental studies of molecular and cell biology. With the development of nanofabrication technology, the past decade has witnessed the advent of a variety of promising strategies for immobilizing biomolecules. Numerous strategies with properties of well-defined feature size, high throughput, high speed, heterogeneous array, low cost and high-reserved bioactivity have been pursued. These include top-down lithographic-assisted techniques, such as nanocontact printing, nanoimprinting, dip-pen nanolithography, nanografting and electron beam lithography; and self assembly based bottom-up techniques, such as DNA-templated chemistry, colloidal lithography and block-copolymer lithography. In this chapter, research status and recent advances of the biomolecular nanopatterning are reviewed. Advantages and limitations of current approaches, as well as future opportunities and challenges are discussed.