Devices and methods for characterization of analyte mixtures are provided. Some methods described herein include performing enrichment steps on a device before expelling enriched analyte fractions from the device for subsequent analysis. Also included are devices for performing these enrichment steps.

Devices and methods for characterization of analyte mixtures are provided. Some methods described herein include performing enrichment steps on a device before expelling enriched analyte fractions from the device for subsequent analysis. Also included are devices for performing these enrichment steps.

Devices and methods for characterization of analyte mixtures are provided. Some methods described herein include performing enrichment steps on a device before expelling enriched analyte fractions from the device for subsequent analysis. Also included are devices for performing these enrichment steps.

Methods of detecting the presence of toxins in a sample using electrophoretic separations and of performing electrophoretic separation of complex samples are provided. The method of detecting the presence of toxins includes reacting a sample and a substrate with a signaling enzyme which converts the substrate to the product in a reaction medium, introducing a run buffer into a separation channel having an inlet end, selectively introducing at least one of the substrate and the product of the reaction medium into the inlet end of the separation channel, electrophoretically separating the substrate and the product, and determining the rate of conversion of the substrate to the product, wherein a change in the rate of conversion is indicative of the presence of toxins. The method of performing electrophoretic separations of complex samples having charged particulates and oppositely charged analytes comprising introducing a run buffer into a separation channel having an inlet end, selectively introducing the oppositely charged analytes in the complex sample into the separation channel, and electrophoretically separating the charged particulates and the oppositely charged analytes. Additionally, a device for varying with respect to time the bulk flow of a fluid in a separation channel of an electrophoretic device having a buffer reservoir in fluid contact with the separation channel is provided. The device includes a pressure sensor in fluid contact with a buffer reservoir, a high pressure reservoir in selective fluidic communication with the buffer reservoir, a low pressure reservoir in selective fluidic communication with the buffer reservoir and in fluidic communication with the high pressure reservoir, and a pumping device for pumping a gas from the low pressure reservoir to the high pressure reservoir.

Methods and kits for diagnosing the presence of and prognosing the appearance of tissue remodelling-associated conditions, involving the presence of enzyme complexes in a biological sample, are disclosed. In particular, the method pertains to diagnosing the presence of or prognosing appearance of metastatic cancer by the identification of high molecular weight enzyme complexes comprising MMPs.

A gel for protein electrophoresis includes a separating gel and a stacking gel disposed on the separating gel. The separating gel is a polyacrylamide gel including a surfactant, and is alkaline. The surfactant of the separating gel includes 0.025-0.1% (m/v) of sodium lauroyl sarcosinate. The ratio of the molar concentration of the surfactant to the mass concentration of a loading protein is between 0.04 mmol/g and 11.56 mmol/g.

Microfluidic devices and methods for using the same are provided. Aspects of the invention include microfluidic devices that include a separation medium and a pan-capture binding medium. The microfluidic devices are configured to subject a sample to two or more directionally distinct electric fields. Also provided are methods of using the devices as well as systems and kits that include the devices. The devices, systems and methods find use in a variety of different applications, including diagnostic and validation assays.

Electrophoretic separation methods and systems for performing the same are provided. The methods and systems find use in a variety of different electrophoretic separation applications, such as sub-cellular Western blotting of single cells.

A microchip electrophoresis method includes sequentially analyzing a plurality of samples by repeating an analysis process by electrophoresis separation in a microchip, executing a cleaning process of the microchip, and setting timing of the cleaning process of the microchip at arbitrary timing between a plurality of analysis processes.

A sample, which is a mixture of glycans, is fluorescently labeled (S2). The sample is subsequently separated by microchip electrophoresis under a buffer solution with no lectin added as well as under multiple kinds of buffer solutions with different lectins respectively added, and the separated components are fluorescently detected (S3). A high-concentration gel which can produce a molecular-sieving effect is used as the buffer solution. Multiple electropherograms are created from the detection results (S4). A glycan having a lectin specifically attached is delayed during its migration in the buffer solution, so that a peak corresponding to this glycan will effectively disappear. Accordingly, based on the kinds of lectins and the presence/absence of a peak on each of the electropherograms, the structure of each glycan in the sample is estimated and the glycan is identified (S5).