A nanowire molecular sensor, and a molecular detection system, comprising a nanowire waveguide (30), a nanowire sidewall (51) functionalized in order to attach a molecule (54), and light emissive point sources (52), wherein the amount of light emitted at an end (53) of the waveguide is dependent of the amount of specific molecules attached to the sidewall of the nanowire. A method employing said sensor may be used for single cell detection and analysis.

An example of a flow cell includes a substrate, which includes nano-depressions defined in a surface of the substrate, and interstitial regions separating the nano-depressions. A hydrophobic material layer has a surface that is at least substantially co-planar with the interstitial regions and is positioned to define a hydrophobic barrier around respective sub-sets of the nano-depressions.

For example, a flowcell includes: a nanowell layer having a first set of nanowells and a second set of nanowells to receive a sample; a first linear waveguide associated with the first set of nanowells, and a second linear waveguide associated with the second set of nanowells; and a first grating for the first linear waveguide, and a second grating for the second linear waveguide, the first and second gratings providing differential coupling of first light and second light.

Systems and methods for presenting nucleic acid molecules for analysis are provided. The nucleic acid molecules have a central portion that is contained within a nanoslit. The nanoslit contains an ionic buffer. The nucleic acid molecule has a contour length that is greater than a nanoslit length of the nanoslit. An ionic strength of the ionic buffer and electrostatic or hydrodynamic properties of the nanoslit and the nucleic acid molecule combining to provide a summed Debye length that is greater than or equal to the smallest physical dimension of the nanoslit.

Devices, systems, and methods for en masse patterning of nucleic acid molecule structures are disclosed. The devices can include microchannels and nanoslits. The microchannels and nanoslits can be connected by parking chambers. The systems and methods can utilize the geometry of the devices in coordination with a voltage application routine to park nucleic acid molecules in the parking chambers and subsequently inject the nucleic acid molecules into the nanoslits. The methods can be utilized to present nucleic acid molecules in a fashion suitable for genomic analysis. The methods can also be utilized to provide size selection of the nucleic acid molecules.

A method of manufacturing a device useable in DNA or genome sequencing comprises disposing pairs of electrodes on a substrate, the electrodes within each pair separated by a nanogap; depositing a resist layer over the electrodes; patterning the resist layer to create an exposed region on each electrode at or near each nanogap; roughening the electrode surface within each exposed region using various methods; and exposing the exposed regions to biomolecules, wherein one biomolecule bridges each nanogap of each electrode pair, with each end of each biomolecule bound to the electrodes at each exposed region.

An analyzing system comprises a multi-well sample carrier in which each well has a transparent bottom with a nanostructured surface inside the well. The sample carrier can be installed in a reader device so that each well of the sample carrier is aligned with a respective light guiding unit of the reader device. In use, each light guiding unit directs a beam of excitation light to the bottom of the respective well, and directs a beam of reflected light from the bottom of the respective well. The nanostructured surface acts as a plasmonic sensor to facilitate analysis of the contents of the wells. The system allows highly sensitive quantification and characterisation of biological interactions in real time across multiple wells, and with improvements in yields, quality and production times.

The present invention includes a device and a method of using the device, wherein the device is a microfluidic device for single or multicell capture comprising: a substrate; one or more microgrooves or microtubes disposed within the substrate, each N microgroove or microtube having a first end and a second end, wherein a width of the microgroove or microtube is a diameter of a target cell or a group of cells, wherein the microgroove or microtube comprises one or more chambers; a fluid input disposed within the substrate in fluid communication with the first end of the one or more microgrooves or microtube; and a fluid output disposed within the substrate in fluid communication with the second end of the one or more microgrooves or microtube, or the one or more chambers, wherein one or more cells that are captured in the microgroove can be analyzed as a single cell.

Methods and systems for generating a nanofluidic chip as a reservoir model are provided. In an example described herein, a nanofluidic chip for reservoir modeling includes a microfluidic chip that includes microchannels etched in a substrate. Silica spheres are assembled in the microchannels to form nanochannels. A carbonate coating is disposed over the surfaces of the nano channels and the silica spheres.

Provided herein are structures and methods for detecting one or more analyte molecules present in a sample. In some embodiments, the one or more analyte molecules are detected using one or more supramolecular structures. In some embodiments, the supramolecular structures facilitate binding of a single detector molecule. In some embodiments, the stable state supramolecular structures are configured to provide a signal for analyte molecule detection and quantification. In some embodiments, the signal correlates to a DNA signal, such that detection and quantification of an analyte molecule comprises converting the presence of the analyte molecule into a DNA signal.