Technion Research & Development Foundation Limited

International Business Machines Corporation

Moran Bercovici

Govind V Kaigala

Nadya Ostromohov

Federico Paratore

Ortal Schwartz

Xander Frank Van Kooten

Valeri Frumkin

Merav Karsenty

Robert Dean Lovchik

Carmel Rotschild

Onur Gökçe

Amit Meller

Joshua Spitzberg

Daniel Widerker

Xander Van Kooten

Shimon Rubin

Tally Rosenfeld

A fabrication system comprising a chamber containing an immersion liquid, a reservoir comprising a curable liquid being immiscible with said immersion liquid, the reservoir in fluid communication with a port configured for transferring the curable liquid into said chamber; an actuator configured for being in operable communication with said reservoir; a support configured for binding said curable liquid and in operable communication with said port. Further, a method for manufacturing a cured article with a predetermined shape is provided.

System and methods for fabrication of cured articles

Patterning a substrate can be provided. A substrate is covered by an immersion liquid and a microfluidic probe head is positioned in proximity with the surface of the substrate, so as to immerse a processing surface of the probe head in the immersion liquid. Liquid flows are generated between the processing surface of the probe head and the surface of the substrate, via the probe head. The liquid flows generated include an etching flow of an etching liquid (e.g., an acid or solvent) and a processing flow of a processing liquid (e.g., a solution or suspension).

Subtractive microfabrication and functionalization of substrates by hydrodynamic flow confinements

A fluidic optical device comprising a housing comprising a wall defining a lumen, wherein the wall is in fluid communication with a reservoir comprising a liquid, and a control unit for forming a fluidic lens bounded by the wall, under microgravity conditions. Further, a method for fabricating the fluidic optical device of the invention, and a system comprising the fluidic optical device, are provided.

Systems and methods for manufacturing articles in space

Devices for detecting a molecule of interest comprising an electrokinetic focusing apparatus and a nanopore apparatus are provided. Kits and systems comprising the apparatus are also provided; as are methods of detecting molecules of interest comprising running the molecules through the electrokinetic focusing apparatus and then detecting the focused molecules as they pass through the nanopore.

Devices and methods for improved single-molecule detection

Disclosed herein is a device comprised of: i) at least one substrate; (ii) a ceiling; (iii) one or more flow channels disposed between said substrate and said ceiling and configured to contain an actuation liquid; and (iv) one or more recesses distributed throughout at least said substrate and open to said flow channel and configured to contain a fluid; wherein 50% to 80% of the flow channel liquid-substrate interface, interfaces with said fluid within said recesses; and (v) at least one heating element, configured to heat one or more portions of the actuation liquid and generate a pressure and/or temperature gradient within said actuation liquid. Systems and uses of the device are further disclosed.

Thermally-actuated devices and use thereof

The present invention provides, in some embodiments, an isotachophoresis (ITP) apparatus, a kit comprising same and method of use thereof for the focusing analytes of interest from large sample volumes.

Device and method for isotachophoretic focusing large sample volumes

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of separating and encapsulating an analyte on a microfluidic device in order to extract the analyte. A microfluidic device is provided having a main microchannel and a set of one or more auxiliary microchannels, each branching to the main microchannel at respective junctions therewith. A mixture is introduced as a single phase in the main microchannel in order to electrokinetically separate an analyte from the introduced mixture, and in order to confine the separated analyte in a microchannel portion of the main microchannel. The microchannel portion adjoins one of the junctions. One or more encapsulating volumes of an encapsulating phase are injected in the main microchannel via one or more of the auxiliary microchannels. The encapsulating phase is immiscible with said single phase. The encapsulated analyte is extracted from the main microchannel via one or more of the auxiliary microchannels.

Electrokinetically separating, encapsulating and extracting analytes on a microfluidic device

An ITP-based system and a method are provided. ITP is used to focus a sample of interest and deliver a high concentration target to a pre-functionalized surface comprising immobilized probes, thus enabling rapid reaction at the sensor site.

Method and device for accelerated surface-based reactions

A scanning micro-fluid device for an exchange of species with a surface and with an intermediate immersion liquid is disclosed. The device comprises a first and a second micro-channel comprising a fluid. The first micro-channel comprises a first aperture and the second micro-channel comprises a second aperture. They have a distance to each other in an apex area in proximity of the surface of a substrate. The surface, the apex area is immersed with the intermediate immersion liquid. The device also comprises a first electrode reaching into the fluid on the first micro-channel and a second electrode reaching into the fluid on the second micro-channel, and an apex electrode. Different voltage levels are applicable to the first, the second and the apex electrode such that species are interacting at surface of the substrate.

Electro-kinectic device for species exchange

Methods and systems are provided for characterizing responses of a ligand-functionalized surface, which rely on dispensing a segmented liquid flow including liquid sequences, each including: an analyte segment including biomolecules of analyte; a spacer segment; and a wash segment including a washing liquid, whereby spacer segments separate wash segments from analyte segments in the dispensed segmented liquid flow. A measurement cycle is performed for each of the liquid sequences of the segmented liquid flow being dispensed. A measurement cycle includes: ejecting an analyte segment of each liquid sequence toward the ligand-functionalized surface and extracting, from each liquid sequence, a spacer segment succeeding the analyte segment as the latter is being ejected; ejecting a wash segment succeeding the extracted spacer segment in each liquid sequence to flush unbound and/or weakly bound biomolecules of analytes from the surface; and reading out a signal of bound biomolecules of analytes on the surface.

Characterizing kinetic responses of a ligand-functionalized surface

A system comprising a protein and a channel. The channel has a domain that binds a membranal component. The channel is configured to carry a liquid sample to an isotachophoresis (ITP) apparatus. The liquid sample comprising or suspected of comprising a cell, a cell membrane or a fraction of a cell membrane. The ITP apparatus comprises a first zone and a second zone. The first zone is configured to contain a solution of high effective mobility leading electrolyte (LE) ion. The second zone is configured to contain a solution of low effective mobility trailing electrolyte (TE) ion. The first zone and the second zone are configured to be operably connected to at least one anode and at least one cathode.

Continuous cell detection by isotachophoresis

A method for sequence-specifically detecting a nucleic acid molecule. The method requires: a) contacting in an absence of an electric field, a mixture of nucleic acid molecules with a base pairing hybridizing molecule (BPHM) having a sequence of interest in a first solution and obtaining a hybrid consisting the nucleic acid molecule and the BPHM; b) introducing the first solution from step (a) into an ITP system, the ITP system comprises a second solution of high effective mobility leading electrolyte (LE) ions and a third solution of low effective mobility trailing electrolyte (TE); and c) applying the electric field across the second solution and the third solution. The hybrid focus at the sharp LE-TE interface in the ITP system. The TE has a higher mobility than the BPHM and the TE has a lower mobility than the hybrid. Sequence-specifically the detecting nucleic acid molecule by a signal from a label.

Detection of genetic sequences using PNA probes and Isotachophoresis

An isotachophoresis (ITP) apparatus, a kit comprising same and method of use thereof for the detection and/or separation of analytes of interest.

Methods of isotachophoresis detection

The present invention provides a system including: a protein having a domain that binds a membranal component; an inlet for sample flow, an Isotachophoresis (ITP) system and a flow generating means connected or coupled to the aqueous parts of the ITP. The invention also provides a method for detecting and or sorting cells with this system.

The present invention provides a system including: a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) molecule; a DNA molecule, an RNA molecule, or a combination thereof; and an Isotachophoresis (ITP) system. Furthermore, the invention provides a method for sequence-specifically separating and/or identifying a nucleic acid molecule of interest by utilizing the system of the invention to separate and possibly label and/or detect a nucleic acid molecule of interest.

Growing community of inventors

Haifa, Israel

Moran Bercovici