Lab-on-glass system for DNA treatments

This paper presents the fabrication and testing of a lab-on-chip system suitable for treatment of DNA. It includes two main modules: a system-on-glass (SoG) and a disposable microfuidic chip. The SoG integrates, on the same glass substrate, thin film metal heaters and amorphous silicon temperature sensors to achieve a uniform temperature distribution (within 1°C) in the heated area. Two polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic chips have been developed: a PCR-Chip for DNA amplification and a dsDNA-Chip for separation and selective isolation of a ssDNA from a dsDNA. The proposed system aims therefore to develop compact, low-cost devices that can implement multiple functions in biochemical procedures. In particular, the tested bioanalytical procedures are well suited for carrying-out an on-chip SELEX process, a combinatorial chemistry technique for the selection of aptamers.