Abstract: Apparatus and methods of using the apparatus for inducing movement and interaction of molecules in an electric field of an electrophoretic device that is circular in configuration to mimic a living cell. The circular electrophoretic device supports an isoelectric focusing medium, such as a gel on a gel plate with one charged circular pole at the center and an oppositely charged concentric pole at the perimeter of the plate whereupon molecular substances having electronegative or electropositive charges placed in the gel will tend to migrate toward the oppositely charged pole to their isoelectric points, allowing researchers to devise experiments with multiple substances to track pathways of interaction during osmotic diffusion and polar directed migration through the medium that parallel pathways in a biological cell, the device having a thermal control for regulating the temperature of the analytical experiments using the device.

Abstract: A self-contained assembly for assaying an analyte in a liquid sample. The pair of disc-like rotatable plates forming the assembly are relatively rotatable to align reagent reservoirs in one plate with a reaction well in the other plate, for sequential addition of multiple reagents, either in liquid or solid form, to the reaction well. In one embodiment, the reaction well includes solid-phase particles which can be transferred from the reaction well to spaced wells in the assembly by a combination of relative movement of the plate, and rotation of the entire assembly.