This technology is a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based calorimeter for measuring the thermodynamic properties of chemical and biochemical reactions at microliter scale.
Current calorimetric methods rely on large, complex instruments that typically require large sample quantities for accurate measurement, reducing throughput and raising experimental costs. Additionally, most devices use direct current (DC) to modulate temperature at a constant rate, which prevents samples from reaching an equilibrium state at each temperature. This results in low signal-to-noise ratios and less accurate thermodynamic measurements.
This technology is a MEMS-based device that integrates heating elements and temperature sensors on a single chip for simple and accurate calorimetric measurements. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, this technology can determine thermodynamic properties such as enthalpy and entropy changes, binding constants, and reaction stoichiometry. The device features two isolated microchambers compatible with liquid samples that can be utilized for sample and reference comparisons of microliter-sized samples. In contrast to existing methods, this technology uses an alternating current (AC) approach that allows samples to reach quasi-equilibrium, which improves the accuracy of thermodynamic measurements and delivers a good signal-to-noise ratio. In sum, this technology provides a compact system for accurate thermodynamic characterization of chemical and biochemical reactions for high throughput analysis.
A prototype of the device has been used to characterize the thermodynamics of the binding of ribonuclease A with cytidine 2’-monophosphate.
IR M11-060, M11-112, CU12090, CU13356, CU15102
Licensing Contact: Richard Nguyen
