RSS Feeds

Earth Science

Space Science

Life Science

Fields of Scientific Study

Nanotechnology

Cancer

Definitions of The Fields of Scientific Study

Fishing biomolecules

March 18, 2004

Rapid substance identification is an indispensable tool for laboratories and process monitoring. An optical biochip developed as part of the EU-funded project BIOMIC is capable of simultaneously measuring the concentrations of eight different proteins or DNA fragments.

A modern automatic minilab has to be multifunctional: microfluidic components convey the solution being evaluated to tiny optical measuring cells. These selectively determine with the greatest possible accuracy the exact type and respective concentration of constituents to be found in the predefined sample. Photodetectors transmit these measurement signals to the data processing unit. The measurement values are then finally sent to an external computer - across a wireless connection if possible. Such type of minilab is currently being developed within BIOMIC project. Eight research teams in Greece, Denmark and Italy have joined forces with the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT to cooperate on this EU funded "Bioanalytical System Based on an Optical Biochip". The base material is silicon - and it remarkably is used to produce all key functions and the nine sensors that fit on a six-millimeter-square chip.

The chip should be ready for market sometime within the next few years; the current prototype is already capable of identifying eight different substances in quick succession. "For the most part we're analyzing proteins or genetic material fragments," explains Hans-Heinrich Ruf, head of the Biosensoric Microsystems Group at IBMT. "This makes the biochip ideally suited for various areas of biochemical analysis. The main targets are process monitoring in the pharmaceutical and food industries, for example, and for monitoring ecologically relevant materials. For testing in medical labs and doctor's offices, receiving results quickly is of particular importance for deciding on therapy."

Proteins or oligonucleotides are fixed onto the surface of the sensor elements - integrated light guides only two millimeters long made from silicon nitride. The immobilized "catchers" bind to substances in the liquid analyte to which they correspond, i.e. according to the lock-and-key principle. The molecule complexes that form affect the intensity of the red light inside the light guide; the change in light intensity is directly proportional to concentration. "The principle sounds simple enough, but a big challenge lies in the coating process," says Dr. Eva Ehrentreich-Förster of Molecular Bioanalytics and Bioelectronics, a department at the IBMT. "We have developed a new method to couple the catchers onto the light guides in lines."

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

Science Research Departments

	Scientific Explorer's Mind Blowing Science Kit for Young Scientists by Scientific Explorer Mind blowing experiments to delight and educate young scientists! Erupt a color changing volcano. Mix up magic ooze with a mind of its own. Play with sand that never gets wet. Mix safe chemicals and watch colors change before your eyes. You'll amaze yourself and your friends as you explore the science behind these truly remarkable reactions.
	The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity-Challenge the World Around You! (Everything Kids Series) by Tom Robinson (Author) Science has never been so easy - or so much fun! With The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book, all you need to do is gather a few household items and you can recreate dozens of mind-blowing, kid-tested science experiments. High school science teach Tom Robinson shows you how to expand your scientific horizons - from biology to chemistry to physics to outer space. You'll discover answers to questions like: Is it possible to blow up a balloon without actually blowing into it? What is inside coins? Can a magnet ever be "turned off"? Do toilets always flush in the same direction? Can a swimming pool be cleaned with just the breath of one person? Get ready to enter the laboratory and learn how to conduct cool experiments, understand scientific terms...
	Scientific Explorer's Disgusting Science - A Kit for Studying the Science of Revolting Things by Scientific Explorer Grow your own friendly germs and fuzzy molds. Mix up a batch of coagulating fake blood. Even make a stinky intestine. learn the science behind unmentionable bodily functions while doing some truly NASTY Experiments. Ages 8+
	The Science Book: Everything You Need to Know About the World and How It Works (National Geographic) by National Geographic (Author), Marshall Brain (Foreword) A delight for the casual reader, yet so complete and wide-ranging that science buffs and students will welcome it, The Science Book encapsulates centuries of scientific thought in one richly illustrated volume. Natural phenomena, revolutionary inventions, and the most up-to-date investigations are explained in detailed text, and 2,000 vivid illustrationsincluding 3-D graphics and pictogramsmake the information even more accessible and amazing to discover. The Science Book offers both a general overview of topics for the browsing reader and more specific information for those seeking deeper insight into a particular subject. Six major sections, ranging from the universe and planet Earth to biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, encompass everything from microscopic life...
	Scientific Explorer's The Magic Science Wizard's Kit by Scientific Explorer Cast real smoke from your fingertips, make a wizard wand, and whip up color-changing potions in your test tube laboratory. Also included are laminated cards with wizard facts, an instruction booklet with 11 activities, lab equipment, and mysterious wizard powders that will mix together to mystify you!
	Scientific Explorer's Tasty Science Chemistry in the Kitchen Kit by Scientific Explorer Who knew science could taste so good? With this kit, you’ll whip up cupcakes, cookies, candy, and more—all in the name of science! Learn what makes cakes rise, candy crystallize, and more real chemistry happen in the kitchen. Tasty Science is packed with ingredients, recipes, activity cards, a test tube laboratory, and lots more to explore the science of taste.
	The Complete Book of Science, Grades 5-6 by School Specialty Publishing (Author) The Complete Book of Science for grades 5 to 6 teaches children important science skills! Children complete a variety of exercises that help them develop a number of skills in this 352 page workbook. Including a complete answer key this workbook features a user-friendly format perfect for browsing, research, and review. Over 4 million in print! The best-selling Complete Book series offers a full complement of instruction, activities, and information about a single topic or subject area. Containing over 30 titles and encompassing preschool to grade 8 this series helps children succeed in every subject area! ...
	Magic School Bus Journey into the Human Body Science Kit by Young Scientist Club The Magic School Bus and Ms. Frizzle take Young Scientists on a wild ride into the human body with these breathtaking experiments. Young Scientists bend bones, make joints, map taste buds, expand lungs, build a stethoscope, measure lung capacities and heart rates, perform the iodine starch test, spin glitter, simulate synovial fluid, create a human body poster, and much, much more! This exciting kit includes a life-size poster with eight sheets of body part stickers. So put on your seat belts, students, and get ready to discover The Human Body!
	Scientific Explorer's Glow in the Dark Fun Lab Science Kit by Scientific Explorer You will love setting up your own Glow in the Dark Fun Lab. Create a light wand, make your own glow stick, and even generate a human-powered light.
	What Is the World Made Of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2) by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (Author), Paul Meisel (Author) Did you ever walk through a wall? Drink a glass of blocks? Have you ever played with a lemonade doll, or put on milk for socks? This latest addition to the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series introduces the youngest readers to an important science concept: the differences between solids, liquids, and gases. Any child who wants to know why he can't walk through a wall will enjoy Kathleen Zoehfeld's simple text and Paul Meisel's playful illustrations.