Provided herein is a method of concentrating a tethering complex in a region of an amphiphilic layer, such as a lipid membrane. Also provided herein are methods of assembling a tethering complex; methods of concentrating an analyte in the region of a detector; amphiphilic layers; and arrays and devices for use in the disclosed methods.

An object separator may include a substrate, a fluid channel supported by the substrate, a pair of electrodes along the fluid channel to form a dielectrophoretic force to interact with an object entrained in a fluid and an inertial pump supported by the substrate to move the fluid along the fluid channel.

A microfluidic device comprising: (a) a plate comprising a substrate, a plurality of electrodes, and a first layer of hydrophobic material applied over the plurality of electrodes; (b) a processing unit operably programmed to perform a method of pinning an aqueous droplet within the microfluidic device; and (c) a controller operably connected to a power source, the processing unit, and the plurality of electrodes. The method of pinning an aqueous droplet comprises: applying an electric field of a first polarity to an aqueous droplet located on the surface of the layer of hydrophobic material and having a first contact angle, to cause the droplet to maintain a second contact angle in the absence of the electric field, wherein the aqueous droplet contains a surfactant and the second contact angle is less than the first contact angle.

An example apparatus comprises a thermal cell lysis chamber, including a substrate and a lid coupled to the substrate to form a microfluidic channel therethrough. The apparatus includes cell detection circuitry to detect presence of a cell within the microfluidic channel and to detect lysis of the cell. The apparatus also includes a thermal lysing element disposed in the lid to apply heat to a cell detected by the cell detection circuitry, and lysis control circuitry. The lysis control circuitry is to regulate a temperature applied by the thermal lysing element, based on detection by the cell detection circuitry of a cell within the microfluidic channel and based on detection by the cell detection circuitry of a lysis event, and record the temperature applied by the thermal lysing element at which the lysis event occurred.

An apparatus includes a fluidic coupler including an opening. A first port is in fluid communication with the opening and is to interface with an inlet of a flow cell of a sensor device. A second port is to interface with an outlet of the flow cell of the sensor device. A third port is in fluidic communication with the second port. The apparatus further includes a mechanical assembly moveable between a first position and a second position. The fluidic coupler is secured to the flow cell of the sensor device in the first position. The fluidic coupler is disengaged from the flow cell of the sensor device in the second position.

Transfer of genetic and other materials to cells is conducted in a hands-free, automated and continuous process that includes flowing the cells between electroporation electrodes to facilitate delivery of a payload into the cells, while acoustophoretically focusing the cells. Also described is a control method for the acoustophoretic focusing of cells that includes detecting locations of cells flowing through a channel, such as with an image analytics system, and modulating a drive signal to an acoustic transducer to change the locations of the cells flowing in the channel. Finally, an electroporation driver module is described that uses a digital to analog converter for generating an electroporation waveform and an amplifier for amplifying the electroporation waveform for application to electroporation electrodes.

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for controlled ejection of desired material onto surfaces including in single cells using nanopipettes, as well as ejection onto and into cells. Some embodiments are directed to a method and system comprising nanopipettes combined with an xyz controller for depositing a user defined pattern on an arbitrary substrate for the purpose of controlled cell adhesion and growth. Alternate embodiments are directed to a method and system comprising nanopipettes combined with an xyz controller and electronic control of a voltage differential in a bore of the nanopipette electroosmotically injecting material into a cell in a high-throughput manner and with minimal damage to the cell. Yet other embodiments are directed to method and system comprising functionalized nanopipettes combined with scanning ion conductance microscopy for studying molecular interactions and detection of biomolecules inside a single living cell.

A device including a microfluidic channel structure formed on a substrate and including a first channel and a fluid actuator within the microfluidic channel structure. A sense region within the first channel is to receive a fluid flow of target biologic particles for counting in a single file pattern, with the sense region having a volume on a same order of magnitude as a volume of a single one of the target biologic particles.

A fluidic device includes: a first flow path in which two or more solutions are mixed; and a second circulation flow path in which a solution mixed in the first flow path is circulated and which has a capture part configured to capture a sample substance included in the solution and/or a detection part configured to detect a sample substance included in the solution.

Devices and methods for characterization of analyte mixtures are provided. Some methods described herein include performing enrichment steps on a device before expelling enriched analyte fractions from the device for subsequent analysis. Also included are devices for performing these enrichment steps.