Diversa Corporation

Syngenta Participations Ag

Life Technologies Corporation

William Michael Lafferty

Jay Milton Short

Martin Keller

Scott Beaver

Charles Wilson Tweedy

Daniel Steven Kline

Anthony David Barghini

Scott Wayne Beaver

Walter James Frandsen, Jr

Elizabeth Ann George

Jonathan Marc Rothberg

Keith Glen Fife

James Coleman Lee

Shane Scott Swamer

Daniel Kline

A device including a transparent layer defining a surface exposed to a flow volume and to secure a target polynucleotide template and a detector structure secured to the transparent layer and including a plurality of detectors to detect a signal emitted during nucleotide incorporation along the target polynucleotide template.

Systems and methods for genetic sequencing

A system and method for processing, i.e., sampling and tracking, plant material requires the ability to identify each plant in a plurality of plants. Initially, samples are taken from selected plants and are collected in respective storage locations in a magazine. During sampling, the identity of the plant source for each plant sample is stored. Further, the identity of each storage location receiving a plant sample is stored. Subsequently, the samples are transferred from the storage locations and are placed in respective wells of a receiving member for further downstream processing. Again, the identity of each well receiving a plant sample is stored. As a result, a plant sample in a well can be traced back to its plant source.

System for sampling and tracking plant material

Systems and methods for processing plant material samples and a transfer station designed for use in such systems and methods. In one embodiment, the system includes a controller, a plant-material sampling device, and a transfer station. The plant-material sampling device is configured to communicate with the controller and to read an identifier of a plant. The sampling device also has a removable magazine, and is designed to take at least one plant sample from multiple plants, place such samples in the magazine, and track the identity of the plant from which each sample is taken. The transfer station is configured to hold, at multiple positions, multiple magazines and multiple trays such that the positions of the magazines are mirrored by the positions of the trays, read an identifier of each magazine, read an identifier of each tray, map storage locations for each one of the magazines to storage locations of one of the trays, and sequentially unload plant samples from the magazines to the trays.

Transfer station for plant material sampling and tracking system

A device for collecting plant samples includes a punch and die mechanism for taking leaf plugs from plants. The punch itself includes a punch rod coaxially mounted inside a punch tube. In use, the punch tube has a distal end with two, diametrically opposed projections that interact with the formed aperture to cut a plug from a plant leaf. The punch rod then follows to remove a cut leaf plug from the formed aperture. Also included is a hydraulic subsystem for periodically delivering liquid on the punch and die mechanism to prevent plant debris from clogging the device.

Device for sampling plant material

A GigaMatrix plate for holding a large number of small-volume fluid samples includes a base for supporting a plurality of substantially parallel, elongated capillary tubes. Each tube defines a lumen that extends through the base, and each lumen has an aspect ratio greater than about 5:1. Dimensionally, each lumen has an inner diameter that is less than approximately five hundred microns and it has a length greater than about five millimeters. Further, each tube acts to optically distinguish light that is directed toward it from the sample whenever the sample fluoresces inside the tube lumen. Also, however, light from the sample that is directed axially through the tube is emitted therefrom for optical detection of the tube and the sample therein.

GigaMatrix holding tray having through-hole wells

A process for screening an expression library to identify clones expressing enzymes having a desired activity is provided. The process involves first generating from genomic DNA samples of one or more microorganisms an expression library comprising a plurality of recombinant cell clones, and then introducing into capillaries in a capillary array a substrate and at least a subset of the clones, either individually or as a mixture. Interaction of the substrate and a clone expressing an enzyme having the desired activity produces an optically detectable signal, which can then be spatially detected to identify capillaries containing clones producing such a signal. The signal-producing clones can then be recovered from the identified capillaries.

Capillary array-based enzyme screening

A holding plate includes a flat base member with a surface that is formed with a plurality of stations (wells or depressions) for holding specimens. A panel extends downwardly from the edge of the surface to create a concavity for receiving a lid member therein. The panel also has a flange extending outwardly from the concavity. The flat lid member has a skirt with a rim that extends from the edge of the lid member to create a hollow for receiving a base member therein. In operation, a robot or mechanical device selectively engages the flange of the base member and the rim of the lid member to engage or disengage the base and lid members. This allows for individual movement of either the base member or the lid member. This also allows for collective movement of the engaged base and lid members for stacking and storage.

Stackable sample holding plate with robot removable lid

Provided are methods of screening and identification of bioactivities and bioactive molecules of interest using a capillary array system. More specifically, disclosed are methods of using optical detection and capillary array-based techniques for screening libraries and recovering bioactive molecules having a desired activity or a nucleic acid sequence encoding such bioactive molecules.

Capillary array-based sample screening

A system and method for optically detecting samples held in a solution requires the use of a holding plate that has as many as one-thousand through-hole wells, or more. The solution is suspended in these through-hole wells under surface tension between opposed surfaces of the holding plate. A pneumatic pump is then engaged with the plate to establish a differential pressure (&Dgr;p) between the upper and lower surfaces of the solution that is equal to approximately two tenths of a pound per square inch (0.2 psi). The result is the formation of a convex meniscus on a surface of the solution that causes light passing into the solution to converge and concentrate. This concentration of light, in turn, facilitates optical detection of samples in the solution.

Method for intensifying the optical detection of samples that are held in solution in the through-hole wells of a holding tray

Provided are methods of screening and identification of bio activities and bioactive molecules of interest using a capillary array system. More specifically, disclosed are methods of using optical detection and capillary array-based techniques for screening libraries and recovering bioactive molecules having a desired activity or a nucleic acid sequence encoding such bioactive molecules.

A holding plate for selectively heating and cooling samples in a solution has two opposing surfaces, and a plurality of cylindrically-shaped through-hole wells for holding the samples. Each well extends between the two surfaces of the holding plate, and has an aspect ratio of greater than 5:1, and a diameter less than approximately 500 microns. A metallic coating is applied by vapor deposition techniques on a surface of the holding plate. Importantly, this coating extends into each well through a distance of approximately one and a half well diameters for contact with the solution and the samples. A heat transfer device is thermally connected to the metallic coating for selectively heating and cooling the samples in the wells of the holding plate.

Growing community of inventors

Encinitas, CA, United States of America

William Michael Lafferty