Abstract: A system featuring a textured surface having elements, such as a plurality of microfeatures and/or microstructures, that increase the surface area as compared to a surface without the elements, wherein a non-volatile solvent is disposed in at least a portion of the elements of the textured surface. The non-volatile solvent may be used for retaining biomolecules, such as but not limited to biomolecules that may benefit from an environment that protects conformational structure, for example proteins.

Abstract: An activated textured surface comprising a plurality of energetic moieties adapted to bind biomolecules on microfeatures and/or microstructures of the activated textured surface. The microfeatures and/or microstructures provide an increase in surface area. The activated textured surface may comprise microstructures without microfeatures, or in some cases, microstructures are disposed in and/or between at least a portion of the microfeatures. The activated textured surface may be a part of a microarray substrate. Activation of the surface molecules of the microfeatures and/or microstructures using electromagnetic radiation or plasma may be used to create the energetic moieties on the activated textured surface.

Abstract: This invention has application in a variety of biological and biochemical fields. The invention describes a thin sheet or sheets of flexible material with surface characteristics that provide an environment for retaining biological molecules. The flexible nature of the thin sheet of material permits the use of continuous preparation, processing and analysis techniques involving more compact and less complex equipment. The invention also describes a lamination of a thin sheet of flexible material to a substantially rigid second substrate so that the combination can be processed by existing equipment. The thin sheet of flexible material may be perforated prior to lamination in order to establish distinct wells in the surface of the lamination.

Abstract: This invention describes the advantages of forming integrated biochips including microarrays comprised of tiled assemblies. For a given biochip of this invention, the tiles may have similar or dissimilar properties. Novel, high-speed manufacturing processes are described to assemble such biochips. A preferred embodiment is the use of micro-machined feeders for placing the tiles in the assembly process.