Drosophila as an unconventional substrate for microfabrication

Angela J. Shum; Babak A. Parviz

doi:10.1117/12.699414

8 February 2007 Drosophila as an unconventional substrate for microfabrication

Angela J. Shum, Babak A. Parviz

Proceedings Volume 6464, MEMS/MOEMS Components and Their Applications IV; 646403 (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.699414
Event: MOEMS-MEMS 2007 Micro and Nanofabrication, 2007, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

We present the application of Drosophila fruit flies as an unconventional substrate for microfabrication. Drosophila by itself represents a complex system capable of many functions not attainable with current microfabrication technology. By using Drosophila as a substrate, we are able to capitalize on these natural functions while incorporating additional functionality into a superior hybrid system. In the following, development of microfabrication processes for Drosophila substrates is discussed. In particular, results of a study on Drosophila tolerance to vacuum pressure during multiple stages of development are given. A remarkable finding that adult Drosophila may withstand up to 3 hours of exposure to vacuum with measurable survival is noted. This finding opens a number of new opportunities for performing fabrication processes, similar to the ones performed on a silicon wafer, on a fruit fly as a live substrate. As a model microfabrication process, it is shown how a collection of Drosophila can be made to self-assemble into an array of microfabricated recesses on a silicon wafer and how a shadow mask can be used to thermally evaporate 100 nm of indium on flies. The procedure resulted in the production of a number of live flies with a pre-designed metal micropattern on their wings. This demonstration of vacuum microfabrication on a live organism provides the first step towards the development of a hybrid biological/solid-state manufacturing process for complex microsystems.

Citation Download Citation

Angela J. Shum and Babak A. Parviz "Drosophila as an unconventional substrate for microfabrication", Proc. SPIE 6464, MEMS/MOEMS Components and Their Applications IV, 646403 (8 February 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.699414

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