The present disclosure generally relates to devices and methods for effecting epitachophoresis. Epitachophoresis may be used to effect sample analysis, such as by selective separation, detection, extraction, and/or pre-concentration of target analytes such as, for example, DNA, RNA, and/or other biological molecules. Said target analytes may be collected following epitachophoresis and used for desired downstream applications and further analysis.

A system for assaying a biological sample for a presence of a target analyte includes an assaying device and a computer controller. The assaying device includes a housing, a receptacle disposed in the housing, and a source of activation energy. The receptacle is configured to accept an electrophoresis cell. The electrophoresis cell has a recess area configured to accept a chip configured to accept the biological sample. The chip includes a polymeric separation medium with activatable functional groups that covalently bond to the target analyte when activated. The source of activation energy is configured to supply activation energy to activate the activatable functional groups. The computer controller is operably coupled to the source of activation energy and is configured to activate the source of activation energy to direct an application of activation energy to the polymeric separation medium to activate the activatable functional groups.

A method for recovering a biological substance and a device for recovering a biological substance capable of improving a recovery rate of a target biological substance with a simple configuration are provided. The method for recovering a biological substance uses an electrophoresis device having a gel 13 and recovery holes 11 and 111. The method for recovering a biological substance includes a step of starting application of a voltage for moving a target biological substance toward the recovery hole, after that, a step of removing buffer solution in the recovery hole before the target biological substance reaches the recovery hole, after that, a step of injecting a solvent into the recovery hole, and, after that, a step of recovering the target biological substance that reaches the recovery hole.

A method of filtering ions according to their ion mobility using a device is disclosed, the method comprising a plurality of electrodes and one or more voltage source(s) arranged and adapted to apply voltages to the plurality of electrodes, the method comprising, generating using the one or more voltage source(s) one or more local separation region(s), wherein ions can be separated within each local separation region according to their ion mobility, and moving each local separation region axially along the device with a certain velocity such that, for each local separation region, ions having a value of their ion mobility falling within a selected range are transmitted axially along the device with that local separation region whereas ions having higher and/or lower ion mobility falling outside that range escape the local separation region, wherein any ions that escape the local separation region(s) are removed from within the device and/or otherwise kept apart from those ions falling within the selected range(s).

A multilayered microfluidic chip integrating separation channels and a common piezoelectric pump dispensing to a blotting membrane is described. A top layer with separation channels is connected with vias through a middle layer to a nozzle area in a bottom layer that has a piezoelectric pump. Because each via is very near a separate orifice in the bottom layer, the buffer fluid in the bottom layer will quickly dispense analyte emerging from the via. The analyte is pumped out of the orifice carried by the buffer fluid. A common reservoir of buffer fluid, connected with the pump membrane, is used. Electrodes may be placed near the entrance of each separation channel and share a terminating electrode in the common reservoir.

A method of filtering ions according to their ion mobility using a device is disclosed, the method comprising a plurality of electrodes and one or more voltage source(s) arranged and adapted to apply voltages to the plurality of electrodes, the method comprising, generating using the one or more voltage source(s) one or more local separation region(s), wherein ions can be separated within each local separation region according to their ion mobility, and moving each local separation region axially along the device with a certain velocity such that, for each local separation region, ions having a value of their ion mobility falling within a selected range are transmitted axially along the device with that local separation region whereas ions having higher and/or lower ion mobility falling outside that range escape the local separation region, wherein any ions that escape the local separation region(s) are removed from within the device and/or otherwise kept apart from those ions falling within the selected range(s).

Devices and methods are provided for the separation and dispensing of material using a microfluidic separation column connected via an exit channel to one or more sheath flow channels. The flow of separated material through the separation column is at least partially driven by a voltage potential between a first electrode within the separation column and a terminating electrode within at least one of the sheath flow channels. The separation column, exit channel, sheath flow channels, and electrodes are all within a single monolithic chip. The presence of an on-chip terminating electrode allows for separated material to be entrained in the sheath fluids and ejected onto a surface that can be non-conductive. The presence of multiple sheath flows allows for sheath flow fluids to have different compositions from one another, while reducing the occurrence of sheath flow fluids entering the separation column.

An electrophoretic separation device includes an anode and a cathode, a porous scaffold material, and a liquid separation medium, wherein the separation medium is located inside the porous scaffold material, is in contact with the cathode and the anode, and has been applied to the porous scaffold material in form of a custom-made geometrical shape defining a migration path for a biomolecule-containing sample, wherein the sample is enclosed by the separation medium. A method for electrophoretic separation of biomolecules includes the electrophoretic separation device, a biomolecule-containing sample, wherein the sample is applied to the porous scaffold material prior to the application of the separation medium, or the sample is applied to the separation medium located inside the porous scaffold material, resulting in enclosure of the sample by the separation medium, and applying a voltage to the separation medium by means of the anode and the cathode leading to the migration of the biomolecules inside the separation medium.

A method for producing a detection system for biomolecules in a medium involves providing a first detector section having a first channel region and a second detector section having a second channel region. A membrane having at least one pore is provided and the first detector section and the second detector section are arranged on opposite sides of the membrane, such that at least part of the first channel region and the second channel region are separated by the membrane and the first channel region and the second channel region are connected to each another to form a channel system, in order to form a flow path for the medium through the at least one pore of the membrane. Along the flow path, through the membrane, bioreceptors are bound and/or coupled to the membrane in order to determine a concentration of the biomolecules in the medium by means of a measurement of the flow along the flow path.

The present disclosure provides an in-channel filtration device for capturing one or more macromolecules from an electrophoretic gel, and methods for manufacturing and using same.