The invention provides apparatuses and methods for acoustically ejecting the fluid from a reservoir contained in or disposed on a substrate. The reservoir has a portion adapted to contain a fluid, and an acoustic radiation generator is positioned in acoustic coupling relationship to the reservoir. Acoustic radiation generated by the acoustic radiation generator is transmitted through at least the portion of the reservoir to an analyzer. The analyzer is capable of determining the energy level of the transmitted acoustic radiation and raising the energy level of subsequent pulses to a level sufficient to eject fluid droplets from the reservoir. The invention is particularly suited for delivering fluid from a plurality of reservoirs in an accurate and efficient manner.

Methods and compositions are disclosed relating to the localization of nucleic acids to arrays such as silane-free arrays, and of sequencing the nucleic acids localized thereby.

A substrate for biochips, in which carboxyl groups are immobilized on a substrate whose surface at least is composed of carbon; and a method for producing the substrate are disclosed. The substrate for biochips comprises a substrate whose surface at least is composed of carbon; and an acrylic polymer having free carboxyl groups in the molecular structure thereof, which acrylic polymer is immobilized on the surface of the substrate. The method for producing the substrate comprises irradiating the substrate whose surface at least is composed of carbon with ultraviolet light during the acrylic polymer having free carboxyl groups in the molecular structure thereof contacts the substrate.

Disclosed herein is a microfluidic device comprising a chip; a flow channel being disposed in the chip; the flow channel being in communication with an entry port and an exit port; the flow channel being operative to permit the flow of a library from the entry port to the exit port; a substrate; the substrate being disposed upon the chip; the substrate being operative to act as an upper wall for the flow channels; and a plurality of receptors; the plurality of receptors being disposed on the substrate; the plurality of receptors being operative to interact with an element from the library.

Methods to obtain expression systems and proteins in a high-throughput protocol by utilizing mixtures of cells cultured from those transformed with a desired nucleotide sequence permit rapid production of protein for use in arrays to assess activity. In one embodiment, the proteins (or peptides) in the array are assessed for their immunological activity with regard to an infectious agent.

Photon generating substrates for light-directed oligonucleotide synthesis are disclosed. Light is generated within a solid-state stack that supports growing oligonucleotides. The light may be generated by microLEDs, a pass-through liquid crystal panel, or an LCoS system. Light passes through a transmissive layer on which growing oligonucleotides are attached. Patterning of the light is controlled by selective activation of the microLEDs or by selective control of the transparency of a liquid crystal layer. Photolabile blocking groups are selectively removed by exposure to patterned light emitted from the photon generating substrate.

A substrate for biochips which has a high probe loading amounts and a uniform immobilization density, and which further has a high detection sensitivity and a high reproducibility by preventing a non-specific adsorption of proteins, when used as a substrate for biochips for immobilizing probes composed of biologically relevant substances such as proteins and nucleic acids, is disclosed. Amino groups can be bound to the surface of the substrate uniformly, at a high density and stably by covalently immobilizing an amino group-containing polymer on the surface of the substrate. The probe immobilization rate is high and immobilizing density was uniform by immobilizing a probe composed of a biologically relevant substance such as a protein or nucleic acid by utilizing the amino groups. Further, detection sensitivity and reproducibility are high by inhibiting non-specific adsorption of proteins.

A substrate for biochips, in which carboxyl groups are immobilized on a substrate whose surface at least is composed of carbon; and a method for producing the substrate are disclosed. The substrate for biochips comprises a substrate whose surface at least is composed of carbon; and an acrylic polymer having free carboxyl groups in the molecular structure thereof, which acrylic polymer is immobilized on the surface of the substrate. The method for producing the substrate comprises irradiating the substrate whose surface at least is composed of carbon with ultraviolet light during the acrylic polymer having free carboxyl groups in the molecular structure thereof contacts the substrate.

The present invention provides methods, systems, assemblies, and articles for capturing single cells with a capture chip. In certain embodiments, the capture chip comprises a substrate comprising a plurality of cell-sized dimples or wells that each allow a single cell to be captured from a cell suspension. In some embodiments, the dimples or wells of the capture chip align with the holes or wells of a multi-well through-hole chip, and/or a multi-well chip, such that the cell, or the contents of the single cell, may be transferred to a corresponding well of the multi-well chip. In particular embodiments, the bottom of each dimple or well of the capture chip has a positive electrical charge sufficient to attract cells from a cell suspension flowing over the dimples or wells.

This disclosure provides methods and devices for the label-free detection of target molecules of interest. The principles of the disclosure are particularly applicable to the detection of biological molecules (e.g., DNA, RNA, and protein) using tandard SiO.sub.2-based microarray technology.