Aclara Biosciences, Inc.

Ann K Wainright

Sharat Singh

Torleif Ove Bjornson

Irene Visser

A method for performing an electrophoretic separation on a microfluidic device includes applying an electric field to electrokinetically move a sample along a channel towards a location. The sample may be concentrated by application of the electric field. The method further comprises optically monitoring the location for at least a portion of the sample. Once the sample is detected, the electric field is automatically changed to further manipulate the sample. The sample may be spatially separated along a separation channel or channel portion. The closed-loop control of electric fields may be performed using a control unit adapted to apply a voltage potential between electrodes and an optical detector such as an LIF detector.

Closed-loop control of electrokinetic processes in microfluidic devices based on optical readings

A method is disclosed for controlling the direction and transport of a material on a microfluidic device formed from an acrylic polymer, by electrokinetic flow of a fluid containing the material. The method comprises providing an electrokinesis buffer containing a charged hydrophilic polymer, wherein charges on the polymer are randomly distributed. The method has applications for improved transport of proteins and transport of materials comprising differentially charged chemical species. A preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises use of the disclosed method for electrokinetic separations of a mixture of polypeptides having both positive and negative charges. Another preferred embodiment concerns use of the disclosed method for performing an assay involving mixing of two or more reagents, wherein a first reagent comprises an enzyme and a second reagent comprises species having an opposite charge to the enzyme.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Ann K Wainright