Flavio Villa

Silicon Integrated Micro-Balances Array for DNA Hybridization Electronic Detection

A novel biosensor based on silicon integrated micro-balances array for DNA hybridization electronic detection is presented. The microbalances have been implemented on a silicon substrate putting together low cost silicon membranes and piezoelectric resonator made up of an AlN film sandwiched between two metal layers. The mass change, occurring during the DNA hybridization process, is converted into resonant frequency change that can be easily measured. Mass sensitivities around 75 Hz/pg for a 200 × 200 μm2 membrane area and 300 Hz/pg for 100 × 100 μm2 area are expected.

Microfluidic System for Real Time PCR Sample Preparation

The possibility to make fast analysis of DNA in order to determine the presence of mutations, or the amount of gene expression (RNA), or other DNA based information using PCR, is becoming more and more important in the clinical diagnostics methodology. As a consequence, an increase of the performances of diagnostics tools requires the use of very simple, robust and automatic instrumental technologies. Concerning the DNA analysis systems, they exist nowadays several technologies able to satisfy such kind of requirements; among them, perhaps, the more competitive one and destined to a rapid expansion and integration inside lab tools, is the “REAL TIME PCR” [1]. This technique, as well known, allows to quantify the PCR reaction (direct measurement) while the reaction is ongoing. In the Real Time PCR Lab On Chip microsystem the most limiting factor for the usage expansion of such sophisticated diagnostic tool is due to the manual and time consuming procedure for the sample preparation. In order to overcome this limitation STMicroelectronics is working on a complete integrated system able to reduce to a minimum the number of steps for the sample preparation, integrating it directly on a fast operating Lab On Chip for Real Time PCR. Here in the following an automatic microfluidic system for RT-PCR is described.