Click on the Image Above to Discover Platypus' Technology

TECHNOLOGY

Liquid Crystal Technology

Platypus Technologies is applying its expertise and patent portfolio in material sciences and nanotechnology to develop low-cost, innovative products to address unmet needs in the life sciences, environmental monitoring and human diagnostics market.

The Company is currently developing gas sensors and protein detection assays based on liquid crystal display technology to rapidly detect and report the presence of target molecules bound to specially designed surfaces. Liquid crystals (LCs) are formed by rod-shaped molecules with a strong tendency to align with each other. They possess a range of unusual optical properties that are exploited to create images in liquid crystal displays, such as in laptop computers or flat panel televisions. Platypus is commercializing discoveries from the University of Wisconsin laboratory of Dr. Nicholas Abbott, a Company co-Founder. Dr. Abbott's research explores a completely new application for LCs, that is, in the rapid detection of molecular interaction events. When LCs are placed into contact with appropriately designed surfaces, they can be used to detect the presence of a target molecule bound to the surface and convert the event into an optical or electrical signal that can then be quantified. The LC molecules recognize changes on the surface caused by the binding of the target, making it possible to use LCs for the detection of all types of molecules in vapor or liquid phase. Briefly, the LCs can be thought of as bowling pins (see Figure).

When the molecule of interest is absent the pins remain upright or aligned. However, when the molecule of interest (the bowling ball) is sensed, the pins fall over and realign on the surface generating a signal. The sensors shown here have been formatted such that they appear dark prior to exposure and appear bright following exposure to the target molecule. Platypus' core patented technology is the ability to fabricate and chemically prepare surfaces to control the orientation of liquid crystals in the presence and absence of specific target molecules. There are many advantages to this innovative use of liquid crystals as a detection technology. The LC-based products currently under development include gas sensors for monitoring asthma, pesticides and air quality as well antibody detection assays for influenza exposure in epidemiology studies.

Gold-Coated Substrates

Platypus Technologies has leveraged the design of specially engineered surfaces used in LC-based assays to provide tools to the emerging nanotechnology research field. The Platypus Gold Coated Substrates are thin films (100-1000 Angstroms) of gold over a titanium adhesion layer coated on top of glass, silicon or any vacuum compatible substrate. Varying the thickness of these films provides researchers with a variety of experimental options. Applications of these gold coated substrates include Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) studies, atomic force microscopy (AFM), microelectrode design, DNA/RNA or Protein Array development and more.

Cell-Based Assays

Platypus has developed a unique platform for performing cell migration assays. Using a 96-well microplate , Platypus scientists designed innovative, silicone stoppers that fit into each well. These patent pending, stoppers allow researchers to dispense cells into each well and create an exclusion zone with the tip of the stopper. After the cells adhere to the well surface, the stoppers are removed creating a 2 mm diameter circle where in the cells can then migrate. Researchers can then either take a photo (digital image) of the cells migrating into this central detection zone or quantify the results using microplate readers. This provides a dual detection approach to verifying if the cells have migrated or not. Researchers who study cancer metastasis can use the Oris™ Cell Migration Assay to screen for new drugs that can inhibit cancer cells from metastasizing. This unique surface design on the bottom of the microplate can also be used to design wound healing assays for Diabetes, Trauma and Tissue Regeneration research. This is just one more reason why Platypus Technologies is Bringing Science to the Surface™ .