Abstract: An apparatus and system having an optical integrated circuit (referred to herein as an OMTP) configured for power on during discovery and optically communicating with the OMTP reader for the purpose of extracting data.

Abstract: Provided among other things is a method of applying force to a macromolecule such as dsDNA to make an end more accessible, such as more accessible to ligation.

Abstract: Provided among other things is a method of affixing a small, single chip to a plastic item, the chip having a top surface having length and width dimensions, and having a height, the method comprising: (1) vacuum adhering a top-oriented surface of the chip to a probe of outer dimensions comparable to or smaller than those of the length and width; (2) conveying heat to the chip via the probe such that a bottom-oriented surface of the chip is sufficiently hot to melt the plastic; (3) applying via the probe the chip to the plastic such that the chip embeds in the plastic; and (4) releasing the chip from the probe, wherein the largest of the length and width is about 500 microns or less, and height is no more than about the smallest of length and width.

Abstract: Provided is a method of synthesis comprising: (I) providing separate reaction sequences to TABs; (II) utilizing reaction vessels configured to react a separate combinatorial building block with a moiety on a surface of a TAB; and (III) operating one or more TAB sorters comprising a TAB reader, a sorting tree comprising valves or switches and sorting nodes, and a monitor configured to detect TAB location, wherein the operating comprises serially conducting: (a) reacting distinct combinatorial building blocks in the reaction chambers with surfaces of TABs distributed in the reaction chambers; (b) operating a controller to operate the TAB sorters to segregate the TABs to allocations appropriate for the next assigned reaction, the operating including recycling TABs with ambiguous identity back through the sorter; and (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) as needed to complete 30% or more of the assigned sequences.

Abstract: Provided herewith, among other things, is an assembly comprising a test tube with an affixed very small, light-triggered transponder (“MTP”).

Abstract: Provided among other things is a tagging system for identifying closely proximate stacked items (e.g., thin and flat closely spaced items) each of which is tagged with an electronic radiation emitting chip with a built-in antenna incorporated therein. The tagging system comprises: (1) the tagged, closely spaced items, wherein the electronic radiation emitting chips are affixed on, and within the width of, thin side edges of the items; and (2) an ID reader capable of reading the IDs (identifiers) stored electronically on the chips, wherein the electronic radiation emitting chips are sufficiently aligned on the items such that the chips can be serially read with the ID reader.

Abstract: Provided herein, among other things, is an assembly consisting of a tissue cassette or slide and an affixed transponder.

Abstract: Provided herein, among other things, is an assembly comprising a pin or a piece of jewelry and a transponder affixed thereto. The transponder can be a very small, light-triggered transponder (“MTP”).

Abstract: Provided, among other things, is a multiplex assay comprising: conducting a fluorescence-developing assay on microtabs having at least one surface that shows plasmonic enhancement, wherein a plurality of the microtabs have unique probes affixed to their plasmonically enhanced surfaces; and measuring the fluorescence associated with the substrates and identifying the correlated probe by for the microtab. The microtabs can be, for example, MTPs that send a unique identifier, and the correlated probe can be identified by querying the MTPs for their identifier.

Abstract: Provided among other things is an analyzer for use with tabs placed in a vessel comprising: a stochastic sampling device adapted to receive the vessel; a light beam source adapted to enter the moving vessel and selectively illuminate tabs; an analytical signal receiver adapted to receive a signal indicative of an analytical process occurring on the surface of the tab as the tab is selectively illuminated; a tab ID receiver adapted to collect ID data from the tabs in coordination with their selective illumination; and a controller for associating identified tabs with analytical signals.

Abstract: Provided, among other things, is a multiplex assay comprising: conducting a fluorescence-developing assay on microtabs having at least one surface that shows plasmonic enhancement, wherein a plurality of the microtabs have unique probes affixed to their plasmonically enhanced surfaces; and measuring the fluorescence associated with the substrates and identifying the correlated probe by for the microtab. The microtabs can be, for example, MTPs that send a unique identifier, and the correlated probe can be identified by querying the MTPs for their identifier.

Abstract: Provided are methods and apparatus including an injector system adapted for injecting a microchip comprising: an inserter comprising a rod or tube having a proximal and distal end and having a point at the distal end that defines a skin-piercing side of the inserter; a means for engaging the microchip near the distal end of the inserter, but removed in the proximal direction from the distal tip of the inserter, which means prevents rotation of an engaged microchip in two or three axes of rotation; and means for releasing the microchip from the inserter once the inserter has been inserted into a perforatable substrate.

Abstract: Provided are methods and apparatus including an injector system adapted for injecting a microchip comprising: an inserter comprising a rod or tube having a proximal and distal end and having a point at the distal end that defines a skin-piercing side of the inserter; a means for engaging the microchip near the distal end of the inserter, but removed in the proximal direction from the distal tip of the inserter, which means prevents rotation of an engaged microchip in two or three axes of rotation; and means for releasing the microchip from the inserter once the inserter has been inserted into a perforatable substrate.

Abstract: A system and method for providing power to a light-powered transponder. In order to create a sufficient voltage differential, two different photovoltaic elements are used. The photovoltaic elements generate voltages of different polarities. Because the photovoltaic elements are used independently to generate voltages with different polarities, the present system can achieve a desired voltage differential despite the inherent difficulties presented by the use of a standard CMOS process.

Abstract: A method is described for determining the sequence of nucleic acids. The method employs small solid phase particles having transponders, with a primary layer of an oligonucleotide of known sequence attached to the outer surface of the particle. A read/write scanner device is used to encode and decode data on the transponder. The stored data includes the sequence of the oligonucleotide immobilized on the transponder. The sequence of sample nucleic acids is determined by detecting annealing to an oligonucleotide bound to a particle, followed by decoding the transponder to determine the sequence of the oligonucleotide.

Abstract: A system and method for providing power to a light-powered transponder. In order to create a sufficient voltage differential, two different photovoltaic elements are used. The photovoltaic elements generate voltages of different polarities. Because the photovoltaic elements are used independently to generate voltages with different polarities, the present system can achieve a desired voltage differential despite the inherent difficulties presented by the use of a standard CMOS process.

Abstract: Materials and methods are disclosed for identifying chemical compounds having desired binding properties towards a binding partner of pharmaceutical interest. The method employs transponders associated with the solid phase material used in the assay and a scanner to encode and decode data stored electronically on the transponder. The data stored on the transponder identifies the monomeric building blocks added during the synthesis. The structural identification of synthesized compounds bound to the solid phase is done by decoding the transponder.

Abstract: Disclosed are materials and methods for detecting biomolecules in samples employing transponders associated with the bead(s) used as the solid phase in the assay, and information pertinent to the assay is encoded on the transponders memory elements. A dedicated read/write device is used remotely to encode or remotely to read the information. The invention can be used in direct or competitive ELISA-type assays, or in multiplex assays for the simultaneous assay of several analytes.

Abstract: Disclosed are materials and methods for performing multiplex assays for nucleic acids, in which a transponder is associated with the bead(s) forming the solid phase used in the assay, nucleic acid probes are bound to the surface of the particles, and data concerning the assay is encoded on the transponder. A dedicated read/write device is used to remotely encode or read the data.

Abstract: Disclosed are materials and methods for detecting biomolecules in samples employing transponders associated with the bead(s) used as the solid phase in the assay, and information pertinent to the assay is encoded on the transponders memory elements. A dedicated read/write device is used remotely to encode or remotely to read the information. The invention can be used in direct or competitive ELISA-type assays, or in multiplex assays for the simultaneous assay of several analytes.