Surface analytical characterization of carbohydrate microarrays

Microarrays are a versatile platform for diagnostics and high-throughput analysis. Carbohydrate microarrays are valuable tools to investigate interactions with other molecules since many glycans are involved in fundamental biological processes. A combined X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) surface analysis was used to investigate the basic steps in the production of carbohydrate microarrays. The preparation included coupling of a thiol-terminated mannoside to maleimide-functionalized glass surfaces derived from gamma-aminopropyl silane ( GAPS) slides. XPS results clearly demonstrate successful chemical modification in each fabrication step, and ToF-SIMS imaging revealed immobilized carbohydrates in the spotted regions of the final microarray. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.