NanoInk's NScriptor DPNWriter is an example of dip-pen nanolithography (DPN), a technology that was developed by Chad Mirken of the Northwester University Nanotechnology Institute. The direct-write patterning technique is based on scanning probe technology. A molecule-coated probe tip, which then acts as a pen, is used for deposition of 'ink' material onto a chemically engineered surface. DPN is compatible with various ink-substrate combos, including small organic molecules or biological polymers patterned on metals or insulators. DPN is compatible with soft matter, says Mirkin, which makes it highly useful for high- throughput drug discovery and medical diagnostics with massive multiplexing abilities and small sample-volume needs. Mirken says the resolution of DPN is like that of e-beam lithography, but, while e-beam needs ultrahigh-vacuum and clean-room environments for operation, DPN can be 'carried out by personnel with minimal training under ambient conditions.' The scanning probe tech is the basis for the DPNWriter system, the first tool from NanoInk that permits dedicated DPN experimentation based on a full- fund, commercial scanning probe microscope system with both molecular writing and dependable image acquisition. NanoInk recently received a two-phase, $1.3-million Small Business Innovation Research grant from the NIH to support development of DPN for ultra- miniaturization of DNA arrays, which may hold promise for point-of- care diagnostics and biodefense commercialization.