A M 3 0 1997 CA to address the detection needs of a variety of government agencies (e.g., Department of Energy, Enviro E S X E i o n Sandia National Laboratories has recently opened the Chemical and Radiation Detection Laboratory (CRD Agency, Department of Agriculture) as well as provide a fertile environment for the cooperative development of new industrial technologies. This laboratory consolidates a variety of existing chemical and radiation detection efforts and enables Sandia to expand

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... the novel area of biochemically based sensors. One aspect of our biosensor effort is further development and optimization of enzyme modified field effect transistors (EnFETs). Recent work has focused upon covalent attachment of enzymes to silicon dioxide and silicon nitride surfaces for EnFET fabrication. We are also investigating methods to pattern immobilized proteins; a critical component for development of array-based sensor systems. Novel enzyme stabilization procedures are key to patterning immobilized enzyme layers while maintaining enzyme activity. Results related to maximized enzyme loading, optimized enzyme activity and fluorescent imaging of patterned surfaces will be presented.