Micro-manufacturing : research, technology outcomes and development issues

Besides continuing effort in developing MEMS-based manufacturing techniques, latest effort in Micro-manufacturing is also in Non-MEMS-based manufacturing. Research and technological development (RTD) in this field is encouraged by the increased demand on micro-components as well as promised development in the scaling down of the traditional macro-manufacturing processes for micro-length-scale manufacturing. This paper highlights some EU funded research activities in micro/nano-manufacturing, and gives examples of the latest development in micro-manufacturing methods/techniques, process chains, hybrid-processes, manufacturing equipment and supporting technologies/device, etc., which is followed by a summary of the achievements of the EU MASMICRO project. Finally, concluding remarks are given, which raise several issues concerning further development in micro-manufacturing

Mu2e Technical Design Report

The Mu2e experiment at Fermilab will search for charged lepton flavor violation via the coherent conversion process mu- N --> e- N with a sensitivity approximately four orders of magnitude better than the current world's best limits for this process. The experiment's sensitivity offers discovery potential over a wide array of new physics models and probes mass scales well beyond the reach of the LHC. We describe herein the preliminary design of the proposed Mu2e experiment. This document was created in partial fulfillment of the requirements necessary to obtain DOE CD-2 approval.Comment: compressed file, 888 pages, 621 figures, 126 tables; full resolution available at http://mu2e.fnal.gov; corrected typo in background summary, Table 3.

WIPI-1alpha (WIPI49), a member of the novel 7-bladed WIPI protein family, is aberrantly expressed in human cancer and is linked to starvation-induced autophagy.

WD-repeat proteins are regulatory beta-propeller platforms that enable the assembly of multiprotein complexes. Here, we report the functional and bioinformatic analysis of human WD-repeat protein Interacting with PhosphoInosides (WIPI)-1alpha (WIPI49/Atg18), a member of a novel WD-repeat protein family with autophagic capacity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Caenorhabditis elegans, recently identified as phospholipid-binding effectors. Our phylogenetic analysis divides the WIPI protein family into two paralogous groups that fold into 7-bladed beta-propellers. Structural modeling identified two evolutionary conserved interaction sites in WIPI propellers, one of which may bind phospholipids. Human WIPI-1alpha has LXXLL signature motifs for nuclear receptor interactions and binds androgen and estrogen receptors in vitro. Strikingly, human WIPI genes were found aberrantly expressed in a variety of matched tumor tissues including kidney, pancreatic and skin cancer. We found that endogenous hWIPI-1 protein colocalizes in part with the autophagosomal marker LC3 at punctate cytoplasmic structures in human melanoma cells. In addition, hWIPI-1 accumulated in large vesicular and cup-shaped structures in the cytoplasm when autophagy was induced by amino-acid deprivation. These cytoplasmic formations were blocked by wortmannin, a classic inhibitor of PI-3 kinase-mediated autophagy. Our data suggest that WIPI proteins share an evolutionary conserved function in autophagy and that autophagic capacity may be compromised in human cancers

Peristaltische Mikropumpe Abschlussbericht

Over recent years there has been an increasing trend towards smaller and more sensitive components and products in the fields of information, communications, medical and precision technology. Subsequent to increasing component miniaturization and integration densities, especially the rapid developments in the cross-sectional field of micro electronics have led more and more to demands for conductive dots with diameters of <200#mu#m punctiform micro-dispensing volumes in the picoliter range. Due to the results obtained from the peristaltic micro pump project, decisive advances could be made in the production of micro dispensing geometries in dot form using electrically-conductive adhesives implemented in a new micro dispensing technique. The new peristaltic dispensing process treats the media gently and enables isotropic conductive dots with tiny diameters of 130#mu#m to be reproduced by implementing for the first time an unpressurized adhesive cartouche. The micro dispensing system utilized possesses a dispensing head (disposable/re-usable types available) with an adapted 3-chamber geometry and a buna N membrane, integrated micro magnetic valves, pneumatic connections and a quick-action lock. The micro dispensing system developed forms a sound basis for the flexible manufacture of microelectronic products in the future with three-dimensional substrates, multi-stage fitting processes, various bonding materials and a wide range of micro dispensing geometries and sequences. The developments achieved during the project support the industrial implementation of micro products and therefore represent and important contribution towards advancing micro system technology in Germany. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F04B197 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

Automated Detection of Autophagy Response Using Single Cell-Based Microscopy Assays

The fluorescence microscopy-based detection of intracellular LC3, p62, and/or WIPI punctate structures is a robust tool to monitor and assess macroautophagy/autophagy in single cells. This method was established for automated high-throughput/content analysis to reliably detect narrow differences in autophagy activity/capacity and to provide screening opportunities for biological and chemical libraries