Leland Stanford Junior University

The General Hospital Corporation

Other

University of California

Michael Nicholas Mindrinos

Ronald W Davis

Frederick M Ausubel

Sujatha Krishnakumar

Guo-Liang Yu

Brian J Staskawicz

Douglas Dahlbeck

Fumiaki Katagiri

Andrew F Bent

Barbara N Kunkel

Mark M Davis

John M Salmeron

Janine Mok

R Fabian Pease

Mehdi Javanmard

Barbara J Baker

Jeffrey Ellis

Stefanie S Jeffrey

Chunlin Wang

Ashley Ann Powell

AmirAli Talasaz

Eliana Drenkard

Sam Emaminejad

Peidong Shen

Curt Scharfe

AmirAli Hajhossein Talasaz

The procedure of dielectric electrophoresis (dielectrophoresis or DEP) utilizes field-polarized particles that move under the application of positive (attractive) and/or negative (repulsive) applied forces. This invention uses negative dielectric electrophoresis (negative dielectrophoresis or nDEP) within a microchannel separation apparatus to make particles move (detached) or remain stationary (attached). In an embodiment of the present invention, the nDEP force generated was strong enough to detach Ag-Ab (antigen-antibody) bonds, which are in the order of 400 pN (piconewtons) while maintaining the integrity of the system components.

Negative dielectrophoresis for selective elution of immuno-bound particles

Methods are provided to determine the entire genomic region of a particular HLA locus including both intron and exons. The resultant consensus sequences provides linkage information between different exons, and produces the unique sequence from each of the two genes from the individual sample being typed. The sequence information in intron regions along with the exon sequences provides an accurate HLA haplotype.

Haplotying of HLA loci with ultra-deep shotgun sequencing

Described here is an automated robotic device that isolates circulating tumor cells (CTCs) or other biological structures with extremely high purity. The device uses powerful magnetic rods covered in removable plastic sleeves. These rods sweep through blood samples, capturing, e.g., cancer cells labeled with antibodies linked to magnetically responsive particles such as superparamagnetic beads. Upon completion of the capturing protocol, the magnetic rods undergo several rounds of washing, thereby removing all contaminating blood cells. The captured target cells are released into a final capture solution by removing the magnetic rods from the sleeves. Additionally, cells captured by this device show no reduced viability when cultured after capture. Cells are captured in a state suitable for genetic analysis. Also disclosed are methods for single cell analysis. Being robotic allows the device to be operated with high throughput.

Apparatus for magnetic separation of cells

A method for producing a single stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecule of a defined length and sequence is disclosed. This method enables the preparation of, inter alia, probes of greater length than can be chemically synthesized. The method starts with a double stranded molecule, such as genomic, double stranded DNA (dsDNA) from any organism. A fragment of the starting molecule (dsDNA) is amplified by specific primers engineered to introduce cleavage sites on either side of the desired sequence. Cleavage steps on the amplified, engineered fragment are combined with a phosphate removal step, thereby creating a construct that can be digested with an exonuclease without damage to the desired ssDNA. Probes, which hybridize with large gaps between the ends of the probes, are also disclosed.

Method to produce DNA of defined length and sequence and DNA probes produced thereby

Embodiments of the invention are related to microfluidic devices for detecting or determining the concentration of biomolecules in an analyte comprising: a channel, wherein a surface of said channel is fabricated to be functionalized with at least one molecule selected to interact with a biomolecule, said channel being configured to interact with a microsphere, wherein a surface of said microsphere is fabricated to be functionalized with at least one same or different molecule selected to interact with said biomolecule; a second channel in fluid communication with said first channel; a system to move fluid containing said microsphere through said first and second channels; and a system to measure a change in electrical impedance or optical microscopy across said second channel as said microsphere moves through said second channel. Other embodiments concern related devices, and methods of making and using.

Microfluidic method for measurement or detection involving cells or biomolecules

Methods and apparatus for magnetic separation of cells

Method to produce single stranded DNA of defined length and sequence and DNA probes produced thereby

The invention relates to a method of identifying a plant disease-resistance gene that includes the steps of (a) providing a plant tissue sample; (b)introducing by biolistic transformation into the plant tissue sample a candidate plant disease-resistance gene; (c) expressing the candidate plant disease-resistance gene within the plant tissue sample; and (d) determining whether the plant tissue sample exhibits a disease-resistance response, whereby a response identifies a plant disease-resistance gene.

Methods of identifying plant disease-resistance genes

Disclosed herein are methods and kits for determining whether a nucleic acid sequence includes a particular allele of a polymorphic sequence. These methods and kits focus on two sets of primers that are specific for an allele and are contacted with a nucleic acid sequence. One primer in each set is complementary to the polymorphic sequence at its 3&prime;-terminal nucleotide and contains one or more mismatches in the five nucleotide adjacent to the 3&prime; terminus. The two sets of primers preferentially amplify methods are used to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms, for example, for genomic mapping purpose.

Broad range PCR amplification techniques

Disclosed is substantially pure DNA encoding an,Rps2 polypeptide; substantially pure Rps2 polypeptide; and methods of using such DNA to express the Rps2 polypeptide in plant cells and whole plants to provide, in transgenic plants, disease resistance to pathogens. Also disclosed are conserved regions characteristic of the RPS family and primers and probes for the identification and isolation of additional RPS disease-resistance genes.

RPS gene family, primers, probes, and detection methods

Disclosed is a new plant resistance gene family, the members of which encode plant resistance polypeptides having P-loop and LRR structural motifs. Also disclosed are substantially pure plant DNAs encoding such polypeptides. The invention further involves transgenic plants and transformed host cells that express these DNAs and exhibit enhanced disease resistance to plant pathogens.

Plant resistance gene family encoding resistance polypeptides having

The invention features methods for detecting polymorphic restriction sites and single nucleotide polymorphisms in nucleic acid molecules and kits for carrying out these methods.

Cleaved amplified modified polymorphic sequence detection methods

Growing community of inventors

Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Michael Nicholas Mindrinos