Abstract: Method includes positioning a first carrier assembly on a system stage. The carrier assembly includes a support frame having an inner frame edge that defines a window of the support frame. The first carrier assembly includes a first substrate that is positioned within the window and surrounded by the inner frame edge. The first substrate has a sample thereon. The method includes detecting optical signals from the sample of the first substrate. The method also includes replacing the first carrier assembly on the system stage with a second carrier assembly on the system stage. The second carrier assembly includes the support frame and an adapter plate held by the support frame. The second carrier assembly has a second substrate held by the adapter plate that has a sample thereon. The method also includes detecting optical signals from the sample of the second substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sensor for sensing nucleic acid-protein interactions, comprising a noble metal nanoparticle (NP), a double stranded nucleic acid molecule capable of binding with a protein in an aqueous solution and a fluorescent conjugated polymer (CP). The present invention also provides a method for sensing nucleic acid-protein interactions with the sensor as defined above.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present invention provide devices and methods for preparing oligonucleotides and for assembling nucleic acid molecules using microfluidic devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new method of sequencing a double stranded target polynucleotide. The two strands of the double stranded target polynucleotide are linked by a bridging moiety. The two strands of the target polynucleotide are separated using a polynucleotide binding protein and the target polynucleotide is sequenced using a transmembrane pore.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods and systems for performing automated assays, and particularly to performing sequential assays on a sample on an automated instrument.

Abstract: Surface chemistries for the visualization of labeled single molecules (analytes) with improved signal-to-noise properties are provided. To be observed, analyte molecules are bound to surface attachment features that are spaced apart on the surface such that when the analytes are labeled adjacent analytes are optically resolvable from each other. One way to express this concept is that binding elements should be spaced apart such that the Guassian point spread functions of adjacent labels do not overlap. Another way of expressing this concept is that the surface binding elements should be spaced apart by a distance equal to at least the diffraction limit for an optical label attached to the bound analytes.

Abstract: A combination of surface plasmon field enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy (SPFS) and isotachophoresis (ITP) technologies for detecting biomolecules is disclosed. It uses ITP to preconcentrate the reactants and accelerate the reaction, and then delivers the reacted sample to an SPFS sensor for detection. A microfluidic device with a T-junction is provided, which has two reservoirs respectively containing a low-mobility trailing electrolyte buffer and a high-mobility leading electrolyte buffer, and a main fluid channel between the two reservoirs, where the SPFS sensor is located on a side channel joined to the main channel. A two-step technique is employed, including a step of sample loading and ITP extraction, and a step of delivery of concentrated sample to the detector chamber by pressure-driven flow. In another embodiment, the SPFS sensor is located on the main fluid channel between the two reservoirs. In a particular example, the technique is used in a DNAzyme assay.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for detecting DNA or RNA using single molecules array or other techniques. DNA or RNA from the sample may be fragmented and exposed to a first type of binding ligand and a second type of binding ligand that comprise nucleic acid sequences complimentary at least a portion of a sequence contained in the target DNA or RNA. At least a portion of the fragmented DNA or RNA associates with at least one of the first type of binding ligand and/or the second type of binding ligand, wherein the first type of binding ligand and second type of binding ligand comprises nucleic acid sequences complimentary to a different portions of a sequence contained in the DNA or RNA. A portion of the sample exposed to the binding ligands is analyzed to determine the number of fragmented DNA or RNA sequences.

Abstract: A fluid identification system comprising a plurality of particles, each particle encapsulating therein at least one tracer material having an identifiable DNA, the at least one tracer material being encapsulated by an encapsulation material, wherein the particles are adapted to retain the at least one tracer material in an encapsulated form after exposure of the particles to a temperature of at least 75° C. and/or a pressure of at least 1000 psi (6.9×106 N/m2).

Abstract: The invention describes a method for isolating one or more genetic elements encoding a gene product having a desired activity, comprising the steps of: (a) compartmentalising genetic elements into microcapsules; and (b) sorting the genetic elements which express the gene product having the desired activity; wherein at least one step is under microfluidic control. The invention enables the in vitro evolution of nucleic acids and proteins by repeated mutagenesis and iterative applications of the method of the invention.

Abstract: The invention describes a method for isolating one or more genetic elements encoding a gene product having a desired activity, comprising the steps of: (a) compartmentalising genetic elements into microcapsules; and (b) sorting the genetic elements which express the gene product having the desired activity; wherein at least one step is under microfluidic control. The invention enables the in vitro evolution of nucleic acids and proteins by repeated mutagenesis and iterative applications of the method of the invention.

Abstract: A method of sequencing nucleic acids by probe hybridization and/or ligation is provided using DNA origami as a barcode for a nucleic acid probe.

Abstract: This invention provides methods for pyrosequencing and compositions comprising 3?-O-modified deoxynucleoside triphosphates.

Abstract: A detection device detects an analyte that may be contained in a specimen. The detection device includes a plurality of gold nanoparticles, an optical trapping light source, an illumination light source, an objective lens, an image pick-up device, and a computation unit. The plurality of gold nanoparticles are each modified with a probe DNA allowing the analyte to specifically adhere thereto. The optical trapping light source emits polarized light for assembling the plurality of gold nanoparticles together. The objective lens focuses and introduces the polarized light into a liquid containing a specimen and the plurality of gold nanoparticles. The image pick-up device receives light from the liquid. The computation unit detects an analyte based on a signal received from the image pick-up device.

Abstract: A method for detecting at least one nucleic acid in a solution, comprising the steps of: providing at least one dye, wherein the solution and/or a reaction vessel, wherein the solution is present, comprises the dye and wherein the at least one dye is adapted to emit emission light due to an optical excitation by excitation light; providing at least one absorber in the solution, wherein the absorber is adapted to cause an attenuation of the emission light and/or the excitation light and wherein the attenuation is influenced by a bonding of the at least one absorber to the nucleic acid; and radiating excitation light into the solution and measuring an intensity of the emission light; wherein the attenuation of the emission light and/or the excitation light by the at least one absorber occurs independently of a quantum yield of the at least one dye.

Abstract: A system for detecting one or more biomarkers is provided, the system comprising: an inlet region for receiving a sample; a channel connected with the inlet region, wherein the channel allows the sample to move along thereof; multiple functional zones arranged along the channel in a designated distribution; and a driving mechanism to force the sample to move along the channel.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and assay systems for use in spatially encoded biological assays, including assays to determine a spatial pattern of abundance, expression, and/or activity of one or more biological targets across multiple sites in a sample. In particular, the biological targets comprise proteins, and the methods and assay systems do not depend on imaging techniques for the spatial information of the targets. The present disclosure provides methods and assay systems capable of high levels of multiplexing where reagents are provided to a biological sample in order to address tag the sites to which reagents are delivered; instrumentation capable of controlled delivery of reagents; and a decoding scheme providing a readout that is digital in nature.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and assay systems for use in spatially encoded biological assays, including assays to determine a spatial pattern of abundance, expression, and/or activity of one or more biological targets across multiple sites in a sample. In particular, the present disclosure provides methods and assay systems capable of high levels of multiplexing where reagents are provided to a biological sample in order to address tag the sites to which reagents are delivered; instrumentation capable of controlled delivery of reagents, in particular, microfluidic device based instrumentation; and a decoding scheme providing a readout that is digital in nature.

Abstract: Various molecular barcoded bi-stable switches are provided that can be used to detect various analytes. An electrical current is provided through a pore to electrophoretically draw at least a portion of one or more molecular barcoded bi-stable switches from one volume through one or more pores to another volume. Each molecular barcoded bi-stable switch includes a status identifier that provides an indication when a binding material is bound to the analyte. Each molecular barcoded bi-stable switch also includes a barcode that can be read as it passes through the pore to ascertain the identity of the particular molecular barcoded bi-stable switch.

Abstract: In order to decode arbitrary sequence regions for a large number of genes in a large number of cells, it is necessary to fragment the nucleic acids and introduced a sequence, which differs for each the cell, in the respective fragments. However, in conventional constructions for analyzing large numbers of cells, there was the problem that the cleaved fragments of different regions were intermingled before a tag sequence unique to each region could be introduced. The present invention is constructed to also comprise a genetic analysis system, when trapping nucleic acids extracted from a cell in multiple regions on a substrate and synthesizing and fragmenting the complementary DNA strands (cDNA) of the nucleic acids for each individual region, for immediately introducing a tag sequence unique to each of the regions into said fragments.