Photolithographic micropatterning is used to achieve topographic rather than chemical control of the static shape and position of microdrops on solid substrates in a gaseous ambient. Micrometer cross-section, millimeter-diameter circular rings with steep sidewalls strongly and robustly pin contact lines of nanoliter to 100 microliter liquid drops, increasing the maximum stable drop volume and eliminating contact line motion due to transient accelerations. Physical and chemical processes involving two-phase transport within these drops are more reproducible, and automated image analysis of the evolving drop contents is greatly simplified. This technique has particular promise for high-throughput protein solution screening in structural genomics and drug discovery.

中文翻译：

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使用微图案环控制生物技术的微滴形状和位置。

光刻微图案用于在气体环境中实现对微滴在固体基板上的静态形状和位置的形貌而非化学控制。微米截面、具有陡峭侧壁的毫米直径圆环强有力地将纳升接触线固定到 100 微升液滴，增加了最大稳定液滴体积并消除了由于瞬态加速度引起的接触线运动。涉及这些液滴内两相传输的物理和化学过程更具可重复性，并且大大简化了对不断演变的液滴内容的自动图像分析。该技术对于结构基因组学和药物发现中的高通量蛋白质溶液筛选具有特别的希望。