DAH5: Bioassay Based on Magnetic Recording Technology

This project aims to develop a magnetic scanning probe microscope based on a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensor for the detection of magnetically-labeled biomolecules. Paramagnetic particles are employed as markers and incorporated with commercial DNA microarray technology to produce magnetically labeled DNA microarrays. An external magnetic tunnel junction is mechanically scanned across these arrays to detect and map out the localized magnetic fields from these particles. This new approach offers the potential to image centimeter-scale arrays of thousands of DNA spots while still achieving the micron-scale spatial resolution required to image individual magnetic markers.

Project end date: 01/29/10