The present disclosure provides methods and compositions for detecting polynucleotides in a sample and for quantifying polynucleotide load in a sample. The polynucleotides can be associated with a disease, disorder, or condition. In some applications, methylated DNA is quantified, e.g., in order to determine the load of polynucleotides in a sample. The present disclosure also provides methods and compositions for determining the load of fetal polynucleotides in a biological sample, e.g., the load of fetal polynucleotides (e.g., DNA, RNA) in maternal plasma. The present disclosure provides methods and compositions for detecting cellular processes such as cellular viability, growth rates, and infection rates. This disclosure also provides compositions and methods for detecting differences in copy number of a target polynucleotide. In some embodiments, the methods and compositions provided herein are useful for diagnosis of fetal genetic abnormalities, when the starting sample is maternal tissue (e.g., blood, plasma). The methods and materials described apply techniques for allowing detection of small, but statistically significant, differences in polynucleotide copy number.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for producing emulsions, and more specifically to methods that use ultrasonic rotating magnetic fields for producing emulsions. The systems and/or methods described herein can be used to produce emulsions without the use of surfactant.

A mixing unit comprising a frame, a rheology control portion, and a high-volume solids blending portion. The rheology control portion comprises means for receiving a first material from a first transfer mechanism, a dispersing/mixing system connected with the frame, and a first metering system to meter the first material from the first material receiving means to the dispersing/mixing system. The dispersing/mixing system disperses/mixes the metered first material with a fluid to form a first fluid mixture. The high-volume solids blending portion comprises means for receiving a second material from a second transfer mechanism, a solids blending system connected with the frame, and a second metering system to meter the second material from the second material receiving means to the solids blending system. The solids blending system blends the metered second material with the first fluid mixture to form a second fluid mixture.

An air-water current purifying device allows the size of the bubbles from the mixture to be reduced includes an inlet for the air-water mixture; a first filter occupying the cross-section of the device, with a plurality of holes; a first expansion chamber after the first filter; a second filter with the same characteristics and arrangement as the first filter and located after the first expansion chamber; a second expansion chamber after the second filter; a third filter after the second expansion chamber, with the same features and arrangement as the first and second filters; a third expansion chamber after the third filter; a pressure-regulating valve arranged at the outlet of the device; and a regulating flywheel that allows the valve to be closed and opened.

A mixing apparatus includes: a driving device configured to drive first liquid to flow into first transfer chamber and to drive second liquid to flow into second transfer chamber, a first transfer chamber configured to store inflowed first liquid, and a second transfer chamber configured to store inflowed second liquid; a premixing chamber communicating with liquid outlet of first transfer chamber and liquid outlet of second transfer chamber; and a monitor configured to monitor volume of liquid in first transfer chamber and volume of liquid in second transfer chamber, close liquid inlet of first transfer chamber and control first liquid to flow into premixing chamber when volume of first liquid is equal to first value, and close liquid inlet of second transfer chamber and control second liquid to flow into premixing chamber when volume of second liquid is equal to second value.

Methods of partition-based analysis. In an exemplary method, a device having a port fluidically connected to a chamber may be selected. A sample-containing fluid may be placed into the port. The sample-containing fluid may be moved from the port to the chamber. Partitions of the sample-containing fluid may be formed. A monolayer of the partitions in the chamber may be created. At least a portion of the monolayer may be imaged.

The present disclosure is directed towards improved systems and methods for large-scale production of nanoparticles used for delivery of therapeutic material. The apparatus can be used to manufacture a wide array of nanoparticles containing therapeutic material including, but not limited to, lipid nanoparticles and polymer nanoparticles. In certain embodiments, continuous flow operation and parallelization of microfluidic mixers contribute to increased nanoparticle production volume.

A system and method for pumping fluid using a set of interconnected pump cassettes is disclosed. Each of the pump cassettes can receive a first solution in a first pumping chamber and each of the pump cassettes can receive separate second solutions in respective second pumping chambers, so that the first solution can be mixed with the separate second solutions, each said mixture capable of being placed in separate containers. The system includes a control assembly for operating each pump cassette, each pump cassette having a flexible membrane to pump fluid into and out of the pumping chambers, and each pump cassette configured for mating with a base unit that provides positive or negative pneumatic pressure to the flexible membrane.

An apparatus for producing biobased carriers for dispersal of biological and chemical molecules includes a premixer having a first inlet, a first outlet, a cavity configured for receiving a wet coproduct and a binder through the first inlet, and a stirring apparatus within the cavity for premixing the wet coproduct and binder into a substantially homogeneous mixture; a high shear mixer having a housing, a drive apparatus and a high shear apparatus, the housing defining an opening, the drive apparatus being within the housing and for forcing the substantially homogeneous mixture from the premixer into the high shear apparatus, and the high shear apparatus including a rotor, a stator and a screen covering the opening and being for shear mixing the mixture including forcing the mixture through the screen and out of the housing in the form of nucleation enhanced particles; and an agglomerator having an interior chamber sized and configured to receive the nucleation enhanced particles from the high shear mixer and for transforming the nucleation enhanced particles into substantially spherical biomass pellets.

A method and a device for the production of graphene or graphene-like material are provided. The method can comprise the following steps: providing particles of a crystalline graphitic material; dispersing the particles in a solvent or surfactant mixture; submitting the mixture to a cavitation force such that cavitation bubbles are present; and submitting the mixture to high shear agitation. The cavitation and high shear agitation steps can be simultaneous, in particular in the same enclosed vessel. The device for the production of graphene or graphene-like material can comprise a reactor having an enclosed vessel for receiving a solvent or surfactant mixture with dispersed particles of a crystalline graphitic material. The reactor can be arranged for: submitting the mixture in the enclosed vessel to a cavitation force such that cavitation bubbles are present and, simultaneously in the same enclosed vessel, submitting the mixture to high shear agitation.