ABSTRACT
The portability and disposability aspects of biomicroelectromechanical systems (BioMEMS) devices have contributed tremendously to the development of diagnostic biochips for point-of-care testing and point-of-need applications. The application areas of BioMEMS expand into bioterrorism, defense, diagnosis, drug discovery and delivery, pharmaceuticals, nutrition, public health, agriculture, and other life science areas. BioMEMS devices have their established relevance to biosensing, diagnosis, drug delivery, and therapeutic applications. Applications at the molecular level include microarrays for diagnosis, microreactors, micro-mixers, and enzymatic assays. A microarray is a collection of spatially addressable probes, immobilized as spots on a surface or substrate. Microarray studies and other genomic techniques are also stimulating for the discovery of new targets for the treatment of disease, immunotherapeutics, and gene therapy. Protein microarrays are emerging as a follow-up technology that offers high-throughput profiling of cellular proteins. Protein and nucleic acid microarrays are similar in some aspects, but important differences are found in the physical properties and stability of proteins and DNA at interfaces.
