Ut-Battelle, Inc.

Other

Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation

Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc.

Robert S Foote

J Michael Ramsey

Stephen C Jacobson

William B Whitten

Christopher T Culbertson

Richard A Sachleben

A method and apparatus are provided for performing light-directed reactions in spatially addressable channels within a plurality of channels. One aspect of the invention employs photoactivatable reagents in solutions disposed into spatially addressable flow streams to control the parallel synthesis of molecules immobilized within the channels. The reagents may be photoactivated within a subset of channels at the site of immobilized substrate molecules or at a light-addressable site upstream from the substrate molecules. The method and apparatus of the invention find particularly utility in the synthesis of biopolymer arrays, e.g., oligonucleotides, peptides and carbohydrates, and in the combinatorial synthesis of small molecule arrays for drug discovery.

Method and apparatus for combinatorial chemistry

A microfabricated device employing a bridging membrane and methods for electrokinetic transport of a liquid phase biological or chemical material using the same are described. The bridging membrane is deployed in or adjacent to a microchannel and permits either ionic current flow or the transport of gas species, while inhibiting the bulk flow of material. The use of bridging membranes in accordance with this invention is applicable to a variety of processes, including electrokinetically induced pressure flow in a region of a microchannel that is not influenced by an electric field, sample concentration enhancement and injection, as well as improving the analysis of materials where it is desired to eliminate electrophoretic bias. Other applications of the bridging membranes according to this invention include the separation of species from a sample material, valving of fluids in a microchannel network, mixing of different materials in a microchannel, and the pumping of fluids.

Methods for forming small-volume electrical contacts and material manipulations with fluid microchannels

A microfabricated device employing a bridging membrane and methods for electrokinetic transport of a liquid phase biological or chemical material using the same are described. The bridging membrane is deployed in or adjacent to a microchannel and permits either ionic current flow or the transport of gas species, while inhibiting the bulk flow of material. The use of bridging membranes in accordance with this invention is applicable to a variety of processes, including electrokinetically induced pressure flow in a region of a microehannel that is not influenced by an electric field, sample concentration enhancement and injection, as well as improving the analysis of materials where it is desired to eliminate electrophoretic bias. Other applications of the bridging membranes according to this invention include the separation of species from a sample material, valving of fluids in a microchannel network, mixing of different materials in a microchannel, and the pumping of fluids.

Methods for forming small-volume electrical contacts and material manipulations with fluidic microchannels

A method and apparatus for analyzing nucleic acids includes immobilizing nucleic probes at specific sites within a microchannel structure and moving target nucleic acids into proximity to the probes in order to allow hybridization and fluorescence detection of specific target sequences.

Method for analyzing nucleic acids by means of a substrate having a microchannel structure containing immobilized nucleic acid probes

A method of performing a lower temperature bonding technique to bond together two mating pieces of glass includes applying a sodium silicate aqueous solution between the two pieces.

Low temperature material bonding technique

A method for staining immobilized nucleic acids includes the steps of affixing DNA probes to a solid substrate, moving target DNA material into proximity with the DNA probes, whereby the target DNA hybridized with specific ones of the DNA probes, and moving a fluorescent dye into proximity with the hybridized target DNA, whereby the fluorescent dye binds to the hybridized DNA to enable subsequent detection of fluorescence.

Method and apparatus for staining immobilized nucleic acids

A microminiature sequencing apparatus and method provide means for simultaneously obtaining sequences of plural polynucleotide strands. The apparatus comprises a microchip into which plural channels have been etched using standard lithographic procedures and chemical wet etching. The channels include a reaction well and a separating section. Enclosing the channels is accomplished by bonding a transparent cover plate over the apparatus. A first oligonucleotide strand is chemically affixed to the apparatus through an alkyl chain. Subsequent nucleotides are selected by complementary base pair bonding. A target nucleotide strand is used to produce a family of labelled sequencing strands in each channel which are separated in the separating section. During or following separation the sequences are determined using appropriate detection means.

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Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America

Robert S Foote