Harvard College

Microlytic North America Inc.

Microlytic Aps

Morten Sommer

George M Church

Gautam Dantas

Jeremy Agresti

Amy Rowat

Jin-Woong Kim

Liang-Yin Chu

David A Weitz

The present invention generally relates to droplets and/or emulsions, such as multiple emulsions. In some cases, the droplets and/or emulsions may be used in assays, and in certain embodiments, the droplet or emulsion may be hardened to form a gel. In some aspects, a heterogeneous assay can be performed using a gel. For example, a droplet may be hardened to form a gel, where the droplet contains a cell, DNA, or other suitable species. The gel may be exposed to a reactant, and the reactant may interact with the gel and/or with the cell, DNA, etc., in some fashion. For example, the reactant may diffuse through the gel, or the hardened particle may liquefy to form a liquid state, allowing the reactant to interact with the cell. As a specific example, DNA contained within a gel particle may be subject to PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification, e.g., by using PCR primers able to bind to the gel as it forms. As the DNA is amplified using PCR, some of the DNA will be bound to the gel via the PCR primer. After the PCR reaction, unbound DNA may be removed from the gel, e.g., via diffusion or washing. Thus, a gel particle having bound DNA may be formed in one embodiment of the invention.

Assays and other reactions involving droplets

The present invention generally relates to droplets and/or emulsions, such as multiple emulsions. In some cases, the droplets and/or emulsions may be used in assays, and in certain embodiments, the droplet or emulsion may be hardened to form a gel. For example, a droplet may be hardened to form a gel, where the droplet contains a cell, DNA, or other suitable species. The gel may be exposed to a reactant, and the reactant may interact with the gel and/or with the cell, DNA, etc., in some fashion. For example, the reactant may diffuse through the gel, or the hardened particle may liquefy to form a liquid state, allowing the reactant to interact with the cell. As the DNA is amplified using PCR, some of the DNA will be bound to the gel via the PCR primer.

The present invention generally relates to droplets and/or emulsions, such as multiple emulsions. In some cases, the droplets and/or emulsions may be used in assays, and in certain embodiments, the droplet or emulsion may be hardened to form a gel. In some aspects, a heterogeneous assay can be performed using a gel. For example, a droplet may be hardened to form a gel, where the droplet contains a cell, DNA, or other suitable species. The gel may be exposed to a reactant, and the reactant may interact with the gel and/or with the cell, DNA, etc., in some fashion. For example, the reactant may diffuse through the gel, or the hardened particle may liquefy to form a liquid state, allowing the reactant to interact with the cell. As a specific example, DNA contained within a gel particle may be subjected to PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification, e.g., by using PCR primers able to bind to the gel as it forms. As the DNA is amplified using PCR, some of the DNA will be bound to the gel via the PCR primer. After the PCR reaction, unbound DNA may be removed from the gel, e.g., via diffusion or washing. Thus, a gel particle having bound DNA may be formed in one embodiment of the invention.

Assay and other reactions involving droplets

The invention relates to a microfluidic device for promoting crystallization of target molecules, such as proteins. The device comprises a solid structure with a top face and an opposite bottom face and with a least one liquid channel. The liquid channel comprises a target molecule solution inlet and at least two precipitant inlets. The target molecule solution inlet is in liquid communication with each of the precipitant inlets through the liquid channel. The liquid channel comprises a branching channel section adjacent to the target molecule solution inlet, crystallization channel sections adjacent to the respective precipitant inlets and flow break channel sections arranged between the branching channel section and each of the crystallization channel sections. The liquid channel is branched from 1 to X in the branching channel section, wherein X is the number of crystallization channel sections, and the flow break channel sections comprise a flow break arrangement capable of breaking up the liquid communication between said respective branching channel section and crystallization channel sections.

Device and a method for promoting crystallisation

Methods are provided for reducing a level of one or more antibiotics from an antibiotic-contaminated substance. An organism that can utilize the one or more antibiotics as a carbon source is cultured in the presence of the antibiotic-contaminated substance for a sufficient amount of time to reduce the level of one or more antibiotics from the antibiotic-contaminated substance.

Toxin-eating bacteria and bioremediation

A set of crystallization solutions includes a plurality of crystallization solutions of Crystallization Solution Set I, a plurality of crystallization solutions of Crystallization Solution Set II or a plurality of crystallization solutions of Crystallization Solution Set III.

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Boston, MA, United States of America

Morten Sommer