A deposition technique for the imaging and analysis of protein interactions with metal and semiconductor surfaces

A new technique for placing biological molecules on metal, insulator, and semiconductor surfaces is described. The procedure requires only 10 μl of solution containing molecules at a concentration of 0.1—10 μg/ml. The use of a buffer that does not affect metal substrates, the possibility of fixing the molecules in solution prior to deposition, and the ability to minimize surface tension forces during air drying are other features of the new protocol. Simultaneous deposition on TEM grids and highly curved substrates permits biomolecular adsorption on technologically interesting materials to be visualized in the transmission electron microscope.