Selectively controllable cleavable linkers include electrochemically-cleavable linkers, photolabile linkers, thermolabile linkers, chemically-labile linkers, and enzymatically-cleavable linkers. Selective cleavage of individual linkers may be controlled by changing local conditions. Local conditions may be changed by activating electrodes in proximity to the linkers, exposing the linkers to light, heating the linkers, or applying chemicals. Selective cleaving of enzymatically-cleavable linkers may be controlled by designing the sequences of different sets of the individual linkers to respond to different enzymes. Cleavable linkers may be used to attach polymers to a solid substrate. Selective cleavage of the linkers enables release of specific polymers from the solid substrate. Cleavable linkers may also be used to attach protecting groups to the ends of growing polymers. The protecting groups may be selectively removed by cleavage of the linkers to enable growth of specific polymers.

Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a probe carrier comprising: a substrate comprising with holes through a thickness of the substrate and a transparent window across an opening of each of the holes, wherein the transparent window closes the opening, wherein one or more locations on the transparent window are configured to have probes attached thereto, wherein interaction between the probes and an analyte generates a signal; an optical system comprising a plurality of collimators; a sensor configured to detect the signal; wherein the collimators can essentially prevent light from passing if a deviation of a propagation direction of the light from an optical axis of the collimators is greater than a threshold. Because the probe carrier is separate and independent from the microarray, the probe carrier may be assembled with a pre-existing microarray prior to its use, and be detached from the microarray and disposed after its use.

A method of combinatorial material screening comprising causing first and second precursors to travel through a mixing channel to form a first mixture, depositing the first mixture onto a substrate to form a first thin film in a first pattern, causing more of the first and second precursors to travel through the mixing channel to form a second mixture, depositing the second mixture onto the substrate to form a second thin film in a second pattern comparing one or more characteristics of the first and second thin films.

A microdeposition pin having a contact surface with at least one concave edge for creating microarrays and the like. The microdeposition pin may be used either alone or with a plurality of microdeposition pins in conjunction with a holder. The concave edge of the pin is especially adapted for helping to control the spreading of a deposited material. By selectively controlling the spread of the reagent composition from the microdeposition pin, the flow of the reagent composition from the deposition target area may be reduced. Sensor strips having raised substrate features with limited or no spreading of the reagent composition beyond the target area are disclosed.

A high-throughput combinatorial materials experimental apparatus for in-situ synthesis and real-time characterization includes a composition spread device to prepare continuous or discrete composition distribution as precursor of the high-throughput experimental samples library, a low temperature diffusion mixing device to thoroughly mix the composition spread in the thickness direction through diffusion at a relatively low temperature to form an amorphous precursor, and an integrated synthesis-characterization unit for heat treatment of the material library precursor in either a parallel or point-by-point scanning mode at different thermodynamic conditions for phase formation and to characterize features or properties of the materials of interest in an in-situ and real-time manner. The integrated synthesis-characterization unit includes a chamber maintained at desired vacuum and atmosphere, a micro-heating source, an excitation source, a signal collector, and a sample holder.

Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a probe carrier comprising: a substrate comprising with holes through a thickness of the substrate and a transparent window across an opening of each of the holes, wherein the transparent window closes the opening, wherein one or more locations on the transparent window are configured to have probes attached thereto, wherein interaction between the probes and an analyte generates a signal; an optical system comprising a plurality of collimators; a sensor configured to detect the signal; wherein the collimators can essentially prevent light from passing if a deviation of a propagation direction of the light from an optical axis of the collimators is greater than a threshold. Because the probe carrier is separate and independent from the microarray, the probe carrier may be assembled with a pre-existing microarray prior to its use, and be detached from the microarray and disposed after its use.

The invention relates to a method for producing polymers, in particular synthetic nucleic acid double strands of optional sequence, comprising the steps: (a) provision of a support having a surface area which contains a plurality of individual reaction areas, (b) location-resolved synthesis of nucleic acid fragments having in each case different base sequences in several of the individual reaction areas, and (c) detachment of the nucleic acid fragments from individual reaction areas.

Selectively controllable cleavable linkers include electrochemically-cleavable linkers, photolabile linkers, thermolabile linkers, chemically-labile linkers, and enzymatically-cleavable linkers. Selective cleavage of individual linkers may be controlled by changing local conditions. Local conditions may be changed by activating electrodes in proximity to the linkers, exposing the linkers to light, heating the linkers, or applying chemicals. Selective cleaving of enzymatically-cleavable linkers may be controlled by designing the sequences of different sets of the individual linkers to respond to different enzymes. Cleavable linkers may be used to attach polymers to a solid substrate. Selective cleavage of the linkers enables release of specific polymers from the solid substrate. Cleavable linkers may also be used to attach protecting groups to the ends of growing polymers. The protecting groups may be selectively removed by cleavage of the linkers to enable growth of specific polymers.

Selectively controllable cleavable linkers include electrochemically-cleavable linkers, photolabile linkers, thermolabile linkers, chemically-labile linkers, and enzymatically-cleavable linkers. Selective cleavage of individual linkers may be controlled by changing local conditions. Local conditions may be changed by activating electrodes in proximity to the linkers, exposing the linkers to light, heating the linkers, or applying chemicals. Selective cleaving of enzymatically-cleavable linkers may be controlled by designing the sequences of different sets of the individual linkers to respond to different enzymes. Cleavable linkers may be used to attach polymers to a solid substrate. Selective cleavage of the linkers enables release of specific polymers from the solid substrate. Cleavable linkers may also be used to attach protecting groups to the ends of growing polymers. The protecting groups may be selectively removed by cleavage of the linkers to enable growth of specific polymers.

The invention relates to a method for producing polymers, in particular synthetic nucleic acid double strands of optional sequence, comprising the steps: (a) provision of a support having a surface area which contains a plurality of individual reaction areas, (b) location-resolved synthesis of nucleic acid fragments having in each case different base sequences in several of the individual reaction areas, and (c) detachment of the nucleic acid fragments from individual reaction areas.