Combinati Incorporated

Megan Dueck

David Cox

Ju-Sung Hung

Andrew Zayac

Howard Gregg King

The present disclose provides methods and systems for amplifying and quantifying nucleic acids and for detecting the presence or absence of a target in a sample. The methods and systems provided herein may utilize a device comprising a plurality of partitions separated from an external environment by a gas-permeable barrier. Certain methods disclosed herein involve subjecting nucleic acid molecules in the plurality of partitions to conditions sufficient to conduct nucleic acid amplification reactions. The nucleic acid molecules may be subjected to controlled heating in the plurality of partitions to generate data indicative of a melting point(s) of the nucleic acid molecules.

Methods and systems for nucleic acid analysis and quantification

In some aspects, the present disclose provides methods for amplifying and quantifying nucleic acids. Methods for amplifying and quantifying nucleic acids comprise isolating a sample comprising nucleic acid molecules into a plurality of microchambers, performing a polymerase chain reaction on the plurality of microchambers, and analyzing the results of the polymerase chain reaction. In some aspects, the present disclosure provides devices consistent with the methods herein.

Microfluidic siphoning array for nucleic acid quantification

A microfluidic device can have a plurality of microchambers connected to a microchannel via siphon apertures. The microfluidic device may be formed from a thermoplastic and capped by a thermoplastic thin film. The microfluidic device may be used for digital polymerase chain reactions by forcing reagent into the microchambers at low pressure via an inlet, forcing any gas trapped in the microfluidic device to outgas through the thin film by applying high pressure to the microfluidic device via inlets and outlets of the microfluidic device, and applying air at low pressure to the inlets in order to digitize the chambers such that the reagent in each chamber is isolated from the reagent in other chambers by an air gap. After digitization, the device may be used to run a digital polymerase chain reaction process.

Growing community of inventors

Brisbane, CA, United States of America

Megan Dueck