Neutravidin micropatterning by deep UV irradiation

We describe a novel approach for directly patterning neutravidin protein by exposure to deep UV irradiation. Neutravidin is physically absorbed onto the glass or quartz substrate, dehydrated in acetone and air-dried. Dry neutravidin-coated samples are patterned either by top-side or back-side exposure to 185 nm UV. Subsequent introduction of fluorescent biotinylated proteins clearly demonstrates binding to the masked neutravidin regions and no binding to exposed areas. Patterned samples retain their protein affinity for at least three months of storage at room temperature.