Abstract: The invention provides a protein linker system for conjugating oligonucleotides to the surface of a substrate. Subjecting the protein linker system to a protease releases conjugated oligonucleotides from the surface of the substrate. The inventive protein linker system avoids the use of chemical-cleavable and photo-cleavable oligonucleotide linkers, and permits the use of plastic substrates which maintain their shape and size during changes in salt and detergent concentrations in the substrate environment.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of barcoding microparticles with fluorescent moieties. The fluorescent moieties are linked to the microparticles by variable cleavable linkers. The combination of fluorescent moieties and variable cleavable linkers provides microparticles having an exponentially expandable number of fluorescent barcodes that can be manufactured and decoded in a sequential manner. The fluorescent barcodes can be used to identify microwells, cells, chemicals and oligonucleotides in wide variety of high throughput assay applications.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods, systems and kits for performing microwell analysis in sealed small volumes. The microwells of the invention are sealed through the pairing of microwell and bead geometry wherein the diameter of the beads is greater than the diameter of the bottom of the microwells. Loading the beads into the microwells seals samples within an analytical space between the bottom of a nested bead and the bottom of the subject microwell.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods, systems and kits for performing microwell analysis in sealed small volumes. The microwells of the invention are sealed through the pairing of microwell and bead geometry wherein the diameter of the beads is greater than the diameter of the bottom of the microwells. Loading the beads into the microwells seals samples within an analytical space between the bottom of a nested bead and the bottom of the subject microwell.