The first Russian maskless optical lithograph, developed by specialists from the company "Abisense", has appeared at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. According to Maxim Nikitin, Head of the Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology at MIPT, the device will open up new opportunities for biomedicine, agriculture and other high-tech industries.
The maskless lithograph allows complex microscopic structures to be applied to silicon chips without the use of traditional masks, which simplifies the production of single and small-scale samples. This makes the device particularly in demand for the creation of DNA chips, gene synthesis systems, sequencers and other modern technologies.
The new lithograph is already being used in MIPT projects to develop domestic DNA microchips. Such technologies are widely used for genotyping animals, identifying useful or dangerous genome variations, and increasing the efficiency of selection in animal husbandry.
Previously, Russian scientists purchased DNA chips abroad, but the emergence of domestic equipment allows building a complete infrastructure for their production, including a lithograph, scanners for reading signals, and software. The availability of such devices will accelerate scientific research and the introduction of technologies in biology and biotechnology, creating a competitive advantage for Russian developers.
