An apparatus includes a flow cell body, a plurality of electrodes, an imaging assembly, and one or more barrier features. The flow cell body defines one or more flow channels and a plurality of wells defined as recesses in the floor of each flow channel. Each well is fluidically coupled with the corresponding flow channel. The flow cell body further defines interstitial surfaces between adjacent wells. Each well defines a corresponding depth. Each electrode is positioned in a corresponding well of the plurality of wells. The electrodes are to effect writing of polynucleotides in the wells. The imaging assembly is to capture images of polynucleotides written in the wells. The one or more barrier features are positioned in the wells, between the wells, or above the wells. The one or more barrier features contain reactions in each well, reduce diffusion between the wells, or reduce optical cross-talk between the wells.

We describe instruments, and cartridges therefor, for processing droplets of water in oil-in-water emulsions, the droplets containing biological entities such as cells. In one embodiment a method of such processing comprises: providing a plurality of the entities in a fluid: preparing a droplet from said fluid: determining whether said droplet contains one or more entities of said plurality of entities, or whether said droplet does not contain a said entity; sorting said droplet dependent on an outcome of said determination; and dispensing said sorted droplet into a reservoir, wherein said dispensing comprises: identifying said sorted droplet for dispensing; extracting said sorted droplet from a first fluidic flow path of said fluid by transferring said sorted droplet from said first fluidic flow path into a second fluidic flow path; and ejecting said sorted droplet from said second fluidic flow path into said reservoir by applying pressure to said second fluidic flow path. In preferred embodiments the droplet contents are tracked so that the contents of an individual droplet can be sorted, selectively dispensed, and afterwards retrieved for further processing or analysis, or for subsequent use, for example in fermenting or the like.

A system for testing a treatment agent for a biologic material includes an input for receiving a biologic sample. A plurality of micro-pumps pump a portion of the biologic sample from the first reservoir into a connected module. A first module includes a first plurality of testing pathways for testing a first portion of the biologic sample. A first module connector removeably connects the first module to the distributor module. A second module includes a second plurality of testing pathways for testing a second portion of the biologic sample. The selected pathway applies at least one dosage level of a treatment agent to the second portion of the biologic sample. A second module connector removeably connects the second module to the distributor module, wherein treatment agent and the plurality of dosage levels tested by the system may be selected by selecting the second module associated with the second module connector.

Apparatus and techniques for electrokinetic loading of samples of interest into sub-micron-scale reaction chambers are described. Embodiments include an integrated device and related apparatus for analyzing samples in parallel. The integrated device may include at least one reaction chamber formed through a surface of the integrated device and configured to receive a sample of interest, such as a molecule of nucleic acid. The integrated device may further include electrodes patterned adjacent to the reaction chamber that produce one or more electric fields that assist loading the sample into the reaction chamber. The apparatus may further include a sample reservoir having a fluid seal with the surface of the integrated device and configured to hold a suspension containing the samples.

Microfluidic devices, kits systems and methods are provided for high throughput phenotypic separation of magnetically labelled cell samples. The devices and methods can be used for example to sort cells based on level of target marker and to sort screen cells, such as CRISPR screen cells and other screens with a large number of target cells, to isolate target cells and putative genetic modifiers.

An integrated system for processing and preparing samples for analysis may include a microfluidic device including a plurality of parallel channel networks for partitioning the samples including various fluids, and connected to a plurality of inlet and outlet reservoirs, at least a portion of the fluids comprising reagents, a holder including a closeable lid hingedly coupled thereto, in which in a closed configuration, the lid secures the microfluidic device in the holder, and in an open configuration, the lid is a stand orienting the microfluidic device at a desired angle to facilitate recovery of partitions or droplets from the partitioned samples generated within the microfluidic device, and an instrument configured to receive the holder and apply a pressure differential between the plurality of inlet and outlet reservoirs to drive fluid movement within the channel networks.

A device for manipulating microdroplets using optically-mediated electrowetting comprising: a first composite wall comprising: a first transparent substrate; a first transparent conductor layer on the substrate having a thickness of 70 to 250 nm; a photoactive layer activated by electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range 400-1000 nm on the conductor layer having a thickness of 300-1000 nm; and a first dielectric layer on the conductor layer having a thickness of 120-160 nm; a second composite wall comprised of: a second substrate; a second conductor layer on the substrate having a thickness of 70 to 250 nm; and an A/C source to provide a voltage across the first and second composite walls connecting the first and second conductor layers; at least one source of electromagnetic radiation having an energy higher than the bandgap of the photoexcitable layer; and means for manipulating the points of impingement of the electromagnetic radiation on the photoactive layer.

Methods for the detection of components from biological samples are provided. In certain aspects, the methods may be used to detect and/or quantify specific components in a biological sample, such as tumor cells (e.g., circulating tumor cells). Systems and devices for practicing the subject methods are also provided.

A microfluidic device for particle analysis, such as immunophenotyping, includes a plurality of microfluidic channels for the passage of a particle-laden fluid flow, a plurality of dedicated impedance sensors for generating impedance signals relative to each microfluidic sensor. The impedance sensors are CODES Coulter sensors, each having a distinct coded sequence for generating mutually orthogonal signals. The system uses a multi-frequency excitation signal for driving the Coulter sensors, such that the Coulter sensors generate multi-frequency impedance signals. The system outputs the multi-frequency signals of the plurality of impedance sensors as a single multi-frequency multiplexed signal, which is subsequently separated into a plurality of single-frequency multiplexed signals, which are then demodulated into single-frequency component signals corresponding to each of the Coulter sensors.