Devices, systems, and methods for trapping and manipulating portions of tissue are described. In an embodiment, the devices include an array of traps, wherein traps of the array of traps are shaped to trap a tissue sample; and a well is in registry and fluidic communication with a trap of the array of traps.

The invention relates to a substrate for testing samples, in particular cells or molecules, wherein the substrate comprises a fluid system comprising a sample chamber configured in the substrate for storing and testing samples and at least one liquid reservoir in fluid communication with the sample chamber, and wherein the substrate comprises a passive blocking element capable of assuming a closed position and an open position, wherein in the closed position a fluid exchange between the sample chamber and the liquid reservoir is blocked.

Methods and systems are provided for a sample holder for a multi-detector quantitative microscopy system. In one example, the sample holder includes a frame with a central opening, a pivotable arm positioned adjacent to the central opening and having a whippletree assembly at a first end of the pivotable arm, and a movable ram, in contact with a second end of the pivotable arm, the movable ram configured to pivot the pivotable arm.

A device for aggregating cells includes a cavity. The cavity includes a plurality of microwells for receiving at least one cell. Each of the microwells includes a vertical sidewall and a curved bottom. The microwells are made in a hydrogel layer. Each of said microwells has a diameter and an interwell distance between one microwell and another microwell, wherein a ratio for the interwell distance to the diameter is less than or equal to 1/10.

A thermal block assembly for use in a biological analysis system includes a sample block, a heating and cooling element, a heat sink including a surface, the surface including a plurality of projections for engaging the heating and cooling element to hold the heating and cooling element on the heat sink. A thermal block assembly for use in a biological analysis system includes a heating and cooling element, a sample block including a lower surface configured to be thermally coupled to the heating and cooling element, one or more temperature sensors configured to extend through the one or more slots of the lower surface of the sample block, and one or more thermal pads between the one or more temperature sensors and heating and cooling element.

An integrated nucleic acid processing apparatus includes a first operation area, a second operation area and a separation wall. The first operation area includes multiple carrying boards for placing objects and reagents for processing nucleic acids in samples, and multiple operation modules for performing operations of nucleic acid processing. The second operation area includes two extraction regions for respectively performing nucleic acid extractions. The separation wall separates the first operation area from the second operation area and includes two openable door sheets spatially corresponding to the two extraction regions. Nucleic acid extraction plates can be moved from the first operation area to the second operation area by means of the carrying boards as the two openable door sheets are opened, and be isolated in the second operation area for performing nucleic acid extractions as the two openable door sheets are closed.

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.

This application provides a bead with a covalently attached chemical compound and a covalently attached DNA barcode and methods for using such beads. The bead has many substantially identical copies of the chemical compound and many substantially identical copies of the DNA barcode. The compound consists of one or more chemical monomers, where the DNA barcode takes the form of barcode modules, where each module corresponds to and allows identification of a corresponding chemical monomer. The nucleic acid barcode can have a concatenated structure or an orthogonal structure. Provided are method for sequencing the bead-bound nucleic acid barcode, for cleaving the compound from the bead, and for assessing biological activity of the released compound.

Disclosed is a biogel nanosensor for detection of an analyte that includes an acryloyl or methacryloyl modified hydrogel and nucleic acid amplification reagents in picoliter or nanoliter volume in the form of microarray. Also disclosed are methods of making the disclosed biogel nanosensor, and methods of using the biogel nanosensors.

Systems, devices, compositions and methods for positioning and/or processing a target are provided. The invention includes systems, devices, methods and related compositions useful, for example, for the separation, isolation, purification, identification, detection and quantification of materials. Also provided are systems and methods for isolation, and/or detection and/or quantification of a target or analyte in a sample. Some systems, devices, compositions and methods comprise oil and aqueous phases stabilized in close proximity to each other. Some systems, devices and methods use a magnetic force to draw a target or carrier-bound through multiple layers. In some embodiments, systems and devices comprise reagents for detection of a target or analyte.