Abstract:
Systems and methods for patterning biological and non-biological material at specific sites on a plate, as well as growing three dimensional structures. Preferred embodiments comprise a plate (6) with regions (16) that will trap gas, usually in the form of bubbles (10), when the plate (6) is submerged in liquid. Other embodiments of the present invention include a method for placing materials on the plate (6) at predetermined locations through the use of trapped gas to prevent materials from collecting at unwante regions. The plate (6) has great utility for plating cells and tissues (5) at specific sites, such as on an array. The disclosed method can also be used to coat the surface of a plate (6) at specific locations for patterned coating applications and to build up materials to produce three dimensional structures, including micromechanical structures where the structures may be formed from living or nonliving material, organic or inorganic, and the like.
Abstract:
A plate manufactured to enable samples of cells, micro-organisms, proteins, DNA, biomolecules and other biological media to be positioned at specific locations or sites on the plate for the purpose of performing addressable analyses on the samples. Preferably, some or all of the sites are built from a removable material or as pallets so that a subset of the samples of interest can be readily isolated from the plate for further processing or analysis. The plate can contain structures or chemical treatments that enhance or promote the attachment and/or function of the samples, and that promote or assist in their analyses.
Abstract:
The activity of encogenic intercellular chemical reactions of molecules is measured by the use of fluorescently labeled substrate molecules that underdo a change in electrophoretic mobility upon a chemical reaction such as that catalyzed by an enzyme or kinase. Specificity is achieved by using labeled substrate molecules that can be acted upon only by specific oncogenic enzymes can be determined. Measurements are made with the intercellular presence of such substrate molecules, at some time of interest. To ensure accuracy, measurements must be made in a timely manner so as to minimize chemical reactions occuring subsequent to the time of interest. Fast controllable laser lysis is used to obtain the contents of said cell or cells into which reporter substrate molecules have been introduced. The cell contents are then subjected to capillary electrophoresis and oncogenic enzymatic activity is determined by comparing amounts of unaltered substrate molecules to the amounts of altered substrate molecules which are separated by the electrophoresis and identified by the presence of a fluorescent label.
Abstract:
The invention provides apparatus and methods for subsecond lysis of selected cells (58) in a cell chamber (10) using a voltage pulse of 10 ms to 10 µs in duration followed by nearly simultaneous collection of the lysed cellular contents (59) into a capillary electrophoresis tube (42) or other suitable micro-collection device (15). Cell chambers (10) and capillary electrophoresis (42) tubes configured with electrodes (18, 19) for performing the electrical lysis are described. The influence of variables that govern the rate of cell lysis, such as the inter-electrode distance, pulse duration, and pulse strength are also described. The methods are illustrated using fluorophores that are loaded into a cell (10) and then collected following electrical lysis, separated by electrophoresis, and then detected by laser-induced fluorescence detection in a capillary electrophoresis system.
Abstract:
A plate manufactured to enable samples of cells, micro-organisms, proteins, DNA, biomolecules and other biological media to be positioned at specific locations or sites on the plate for the purpose of performing addressable analyses on the samples. Preferably, some or all of the sites are built from a removable material or as pallets so that a subset of the samples of interest can be readily isolated from the plate for further processing or analysis. The plate can contain structures or chemical treatments that enhance or promote the attachment and/or function of the samples, and that promote or assist in their analyses.
Abstract:
The activity of encogenic intercellular chemical reactions of molecules is measured by the use of fluorescently labeled substrate molecules that underdo a change in electrophoretic mobility upon a chemical reaction such as that catalyzed by an enzyme or kinase. Specificity is achieved by using labeled substrate molecules that can be acted upon only by specific oncogenic enzymes can be determined. Measurements are made with the intercellular presence of such substrate molecules, at some time of interest. To ensure accuracy, measurements must be made in a timely manner so as to minimize chemical reactions occuring subsequent to the time of interest. Fast controllable laser lysis is used to obtain the contents of said cell or cells into which reporter substrate molecules have been introduced. The cell contents are then subjected to capillary electrophoresis and oncogenic enzymatic activity is determined by comparing amounts of unaltered substrate molecules to the amounts of altered substrate molecules which are separated by the electrophoresis and identified by the presence of a fluorescent label.