A system for stretching a polynucleotide structure includes a first electrode configured to generate an electrostatic force perpendicular to a surface of the first electrode and to apply the electrostatic force to the polynucleotide structure to pin an end region of the polynucleotide structure near the surface of the first electrode, and a second electrode configured to generate an electric force along an axial direction of the polynucleotide structure to stretch the polynucleotide structure along the axial direction of the polynucleotide structure into a fully extended form.

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.

A flow cell includes: a first substrate; a second substrate; a first resin layer disposed over an inner surface of the first substrate; a second resin layer disposed over an inner surface of the second substrate; a first plurality of biological capture sites located at the first resin layer; a second plurality of biological capture sites located at the second resin layer; and a polymer layer interposed between the first resin layer and the second resin layer, such that the first substrate is attached to the second substrate via at least the first resin layer, the polymer layer, and the second resin layer, wherein the polymer layer defines a plurality of microfluidic channels that extend through polymer layer.

A method and system for improving throughput of a fluidic system such as a biopolymer analysis system by cleaning accumulated or clogging biopolymer from the fluidic system is disclosed. The method and system utilize a light energy source to photocleave the biopolymer molecules that may accumulate or aggregate in the fluidic system or clog a passageway. The accumulated biopolymer may be exposed to a light energy source for a sufficient period of time such that the biopolymer molecule is dosed with sufficient energy to photocleave the biopolymer molecules, thereby restoring the efficiency of and flow through the system.

A flow cell includes: a first substrate; a second substrate; a first resin layer disposed over an inner surface of the first substrate; a second resin layer disposed over an inner surface of the second substrate; a first plurality of biological capture sites located at the first resin layer; a second plurality of biological capture sites located at the second resin layer; and a polymer layer interposed between the first resin layer and the second resin layer, such that the first substrate is attached to the second substrate via at least the first resin layer, the polymer layer, and the second resin layer, wherein the polymer layer defines a plurality of microfluidic channels that extend through polymer layer.

The present disclosure provides methods of preparing tumor infiltrating cells engineered to express a pro-inflammatory polypeptide. The pro-inflammatory polypeptide is expressed from the tumor infiltrating cell to counter a generally immunosuppressive state in and around tumors resulting from an imbalance between the number and activation state of immune effector cells versus those of suppressor cells. Delivering the proinflammatory polypeptide via expression from the TICs, as distinct from systemic administration, reduces side effects from increased inflammation at sides remote from a tumor to be treated.

A method of manipulating microdroplets having an average volume in the range 0.5 femtolitres to 10 nanolitres comprised of at least one biological component and a first aqueous medium having a water activity of a.sub.w1 of less than 1 is provided. It is characterised by the step of maintaining the microdroplets in a water-immiscible carrier fluid which further includes secondary droplets having an average volume less than 25% of the average volume of the microdroplets up to and including a maximum of 4 femtolitres and wherein the volume ratio of carrier fluid to total volume of microdroplets per unit volume of the total is greater than 2:1. The method may be employed for example with microdroplets containing biological cells or with microdroplets containing single nucleoside phosphate such as are prepared in a droplet-based nucleic acid sequencer. The method is suitable for controlling for example cellular, chemical or enzymatic processes and/or microdroplet size in microdroplets or single nucleotide nucleic acid sequencing.

Sub-millimeter scale three-dimensional (3D) structures are disclosed with customizable chemical properties and/or functionality. The 3D structures are referred to as drop-carrier particles. The drop-carrier particles allow the selective association of one solution (i.e., a dispersed phased) with an interior portion of each of the drop-carrier particles, while a second non-miscible solution (i.e., a continuous phase) associates with an exterior portion of each of the drop-carrier particles due to the specific chemical and/or physical properties of the interior and exterior regions of the drop-carrier particles. The combined drop-carrier particle with the dispersed phase contained therein is referred to as a particle-drop. The selective association results in compartmentalization of the dispersed phase solution into sub-microliter-sized volumes contained in the drop-carrier particles. The compartmentalized volumes can be used for single-molecule assays as well as single-cell, and other single-entity assays.

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.

A disposable microfluidic cassette can include a substrate and an engagement feature associated with the substrate to removably join the cassette with a cassette-receiver of an analytical system. A microfluidic network can be carried by the substrate. The microfluidic network can include a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a sample manipulation portion fluidly coupling the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet. An ejector can be associated with the microfluidic network to move fluid out of the disposable microfluidic cassette via the fluid outlet.