A high efficiency microfluidic biobarrier platform, system, and method permit an in vitro examination of a biobarrier under physiological flow conditions. The platform comprises an inlet, a first member, and an outlet. The inlet receives an influx of fluid. The first member retains the biobarrier, and the member includes a channel in fluid communication with the inlet to receive the fluid and to pass the fluid adjacent to the biobarrier. The outlet directs an outflux of the fluid. The microfluidic platform features built-in plastic electrodes to assess changes in biobarrier impedance in real-time. A system includes the platform, a pump to provide the fluid, a media collecting reservoir to receive the fluid from the platform, and an impedance analyzer to measure changes in biobarrier impedance. A method uses the platform in the system to determine the integrity of the biobarrier and its permeability across the cell barrier.

Provided herein are devices for monitoring nucleic acid amplification, nucleic acid amplification monitors, methods of quantifying nucleic acid amplification, methods of identifying an unknown nucleic acid molecule, and systems for monitoring nucleic acid amplification. The disclosed devices, methods, and systems comprise at least one nuclemeter, comprising at least one sample chamber and at least one reaction-diffusion conduit in fluid communication with the chamber.

The application relates to a sample holder (110) and a system (100). The application also relates to a method for processing a biological sample (S) and use of the sample holder or of the system in an analytical method or a diagnostic method. The sample holder (110) comprises a tubular member (111) with a wall that is at least locally transparent and at least locally permeable for reagents, wherein the tubular member consists at least partially of a transparent material.

Provided herein are devices for monitoring nucleic acid amplification, nucleic acid amplification monitors, methods of quantifying nucleic acid amplification, methods of identifying an unknown nucleic acid molecule, and systems for monitoring nucleic acid amplification. The disclosed devices, methods, and systems comprise at least one nuclemeter, comprising at least one sample chamber and at least one reaction-diffusion conduit in fluid communication with the chamber.

The invention provides an improved method for sensitive and specific detection of target molecules, cells, or viruses. The inventive method uses large area imaging to detect individual labeled targets complexed with a target-specific selection moiety. The invention eliminates wash steps through the use of target-specific selection through one or more liquid layers that can contain optical dye and density agents. By eliminating washes the invention simplifies instrumentation engineering and minimizes user steps and costs. The invention uses sensitive image analysis to enumerate individual targets in a large area, is scalable, and can be deployed in systems ranging in complexity from manual to highly automated.

The present disclosure relates to devices and systems for separating motile pathogenic bacterial cells from samples. The disclosure also provides for methods of determining whether a sample is contaminated by pathogenic bacteria. The devices and systems disclosed herein are useful for screening water sources, environmental testing sites, food sources, and bodily fluids for the presence, absence, or quantity of bacterial cells in a sample representative of the screened sources.

Engineered reaction containers that can be physically and chemically defined to control the flux of molecules of different sizes and charge are disclosed. Methods for constructing small volume reaction containers through a combination of etching and deposition are also disclosed. The methods allow for the fabrication of multiple devices that possess features on multiple length scales, specifically small volume containers with controlled porosity on the nanoscale.

A method for analyzing a component is provided. The method includes the steps of: (iii) providing the electrophoretic or thermophoretic movement of the component into a second fluid flow; (iv) diverting a part of a first fluid flow, a part of the second fluid flow, or parts of the first fluid flow and the second fluid flow, wherein the diverted part is a third fluid flow which includes, the component; (v) contacting the third fluid flow with a fourth fluid flow, such as to form a laminar flow; (vi) providing the diffusion of the component into the fourth fluid flows.

Apparatus and methods for determining whether a test compound induces cell activity, changes cell activity, prevents cell activity, or inhibits cell activity. An embodiment comprises placing a test compound solution in contact with a cell suspension media containing cells, diffusing the test compound solution into the cell suspension from one or more sides, and detecting activity in the cells with respect to their distance from the side from which the test compound is diffusing. Embodiments may provide an apparatus that allows a side source, a point source, or both, from which a test compound solution diffuses into a cell suspension media and contacts cells. Detecting cell activity may involve detecting activity in a first cell group proximate to the side from which the test compound is diffusing, and detecting activity in a second cell group farther than the first cell group from the side from which the test compound is diffusing.

A nanofluidic analysis device allowing for spontaneous flow of molecules and method for the analysis of DNA molecules, the device comprising a detection nanochannel, a supply channel in fluid communication with an inlet for the detection nanochannel and a discharge channel in fluid communication with an outlet for the detection nanochannel, so that a fluid comprising DNA molecules introduced into the supply channel may flow along a flow direction through the supply channel, via the inlet into the detection nanochannel, through the detection nanochannel, and out of the outlet into the discharge channel, wherein a laser detector system is provided for analyzing the DNA molecules in the detection nanochannel, wherein both a width and a depth of the inlet and thereby a cross section of the inlet decrease along the flow direction and wherein both a width and a depth of the outlet and thereby a cross section of the outlet increase along the flow direction, wherein the detection nanochannel has a length of not more than 35 m.