Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of utilizing force-modulated hybridization to determine the length of an analyte strand, to determine an unknown nucleic acid sequence, or to determine the binding of a nucleotide to an active agent. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to sample holder devices and methods of utilizing such devices. Further embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to detection devices.

Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for external control testing of an assay system.

The present disclosure provides an array substrate, a microfluidic device, a microfluidic system, and a fluorescence detection method. The array substrate includes at least one recess, the array substrate is located in a plane, and a ratio of an area of an orthographic projection of the at least one recess on the plane to an area of an orthographic projection of the array substrate on the plane is between 0.05 and 0.60.

The present disclosure provides a microfluidic substrate, a microfluidic chip and a manufacturing method thereof. The microfluidic substrate includes: a first substrate; a conductive layer on the first substrate; and a defining layer on a side of the conductive layer facing away from the first substrate, the defining layer defining a concave portion; wherein the conductive layer comprises a plurality of conductive patterns corresponding to the concave portion, the plurality of conductive patterns are arranged along a first direction, each conductive pattern extends along a second direction and comprises a first end and a second end, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and each conductive pattern has a maximum local resistance value at the first end and the second end of the conductive pattern.

Apparatus is provided including a tube and a plunger sized and shaped to be inserted into the tube. A distal end of the plunger is shaped to define one or more first passageways therethrough, and the plunger is shaped to define one or more compartments in fluid communication with the first passageways. A filter is coupled to the distal end of the plunger. The plunger is shaped to define a second passageway that passes through the plunger from a proximal end of the plunger to the distal end of the plunger, and is positioned to facilitate testing of the filter. The apparatus is configured such that while the plunger is advanced within the tube while fluid is within the tube, the fluid in the tube is pushed through the filter, through the first passageways, and into the one or more compartments. Other embodiments are also described.

Provided herein are devices, methods, and systems for polynucleotide synthesis comprising a thermocycler comprising a plurality of individual reaction chambers having a capability to control its own temperature setting. The devices, methods, and systems provided herein further comprise a detection module and a light source that are used to monitor the progress of the polynucleotide synthesis reaction in the individual reaction chambers and the quality and quantity of the synthesized polynucleotides.

A reaction processor is provided with a reaction processing vessel having a channel, a liquid feeding system, a temperature control system, and a fluorescence detector, and a CPU for controlling the liquid feeding system. When a sample moves from a low temperature region to a high temperature region, the CPU instructs the liquid feeding system to stop the sample when a predetermined first waiting time has passed from the time when the passage of the sample through a fluorescence detection region is detected by the fluorescence detector. When the sample moves from the high temperature region to the low temperature region, the CPU instructs the liquid feeding system to stop the sample when a predetermined second waiting time, which is set independently of the first waiting time, has passed from the time when the passage of the sample through the fluorescence detection region is detected by the fluorescence detector.

Disclosed are microfluidic flow-based electroporation systems that have a flow device, an electrical control module, a fluid delivery module, and a multi-well module. The systems can be used in methods of selecting an electroporation parameter, and in methods of electroporating cells using the selected parameters.

Air-matrix digital microfluidics (DMF) apparatuses and methods of using them to prevent or limit evaporation and surface fouling of the DMF apparatus. In particular, described herein are air-matrix DMF apparatuses and methods of using them including thermally controllable regions with a wax material that may be used to selectively encapsulate a reaction droplet in the air gap of the apparatus; additional aqueous droplets may be combined with the encapsulated droplet even after separating from the wax, despite residual wax coating, by merging with an aqueous droplet having a coating of a secondary material (e.g., an oil or other hydrophobic material) that may remove the wax from the droplet and/or allow combining of the droplets.

The present disclosure relates to a flow cell receiver. The flow cell receiver can include at least one platen, having a plurality of ports. The flow cell receiver can include magnets. The flow cell receiver can be configured to automatically align, secure, and retain a flow cell carrier containing a flow cell.