Back to results
US 8,501,668 B2Granted
Drug screening via nanopore silicon filters
AssigneeUniversity of Rochester
InventorsJames L. McGrath, Harold C. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides a porous nanoscale membrane. In one embodiment, the membrane can be used as a filtration device to screen agents that disrupt or prevent molecular interactions. In one embodiment, the membrane allows for screening agents that disrupt or prevent molecular interactions using a small sample volume with efficient high-throughput screening applications.
Claims16
A method of identifying an agent that inhibits binding of a first molecule to a second molecule, the method comprising:
- contacting a mixture comprising a first molecule and a second molecule with a test agent;
- attempting to pass said mixture across a nanoporous membrane comprising silicon, said membrane having an average thickness of less than about 100 nm and a surface roughness of less than 1 nm on both sides thereof whereby a complex between said first molecule and said second molecule is substantially precluded from passing through said membrane to generate a test filtrate;
- detecting the amount of said first molecule in said test filtrate, wherein an increased amount of said first molecule in said test filtrate compared to the amount of first molecule in a reference filtrate derived from an otherwise identical mixture in the presence of a control agent, is an indication that said test agent is an agent that inhibits binding of said first molecule to said second molecule.
A method of identifying an agent that disrupts a pre-formed complex, the method comprising:
- contacting a mixture comprising a pre-formed complex with a test agent;
- attempting to pass said mixture across a nanoporous membrane comprising silicon, said membrane having an average thickness of less than about 100 nm and a surface roughness of less than 1 nm on both sides thereof whereby the pre-formed complex is substantially precluded from passing through said membrane to generate a test filtrate;
- detecting the amount of a component of the pre-formed complex in said test filtrate, wherein detection of said component in said test filtrate compared to the amount of said component in a reference filtrate derived from an otherwise identical mixture in the presence of a control agent, is an indication that said test compound is a compound that disrupts a pre-formed complex.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.