A method of characterizing candidate agents including steps of (a) providing a library of candidate agents attached to nucleic acid tags; (b) contacting the library with a solid support to attach the candidate agents to the solid support, whereby an array of candidate agents is formed; (c) contacting the array with a screening agent, wherein one or more candidate agents in the array react with the screening agent; (d) detecting the array to determine that at least one candidate agent in the array reacts with the screening agent; (e) sequencing the nucleic acid tag to determine the tag sequences attached to candidate agents in the array; and (f) identifying the at least one candidate agent in the array that reacts with the screening agent based on the tag sequence that is attached to the at least one candidate agent.

This disclosure provides methods for preparing a sequencing library including the steps of providing a template nucleic acid sequence, dNTPs, dUTP, a primer, a polymerase, a dUTP excising enzyme, and a plurality of beads including oligonucleotide adapter sequence segments; amplifying the template nucleic acid with the polymerase, dNTPs, dUTP and random hexamer to provide a complementary nucleic acid sequence including occasional dUTPs; and excising the incorporated dUTPs with the dUTP excising enzyme to provide nicks in the complementary nucleic acid sequence to provide a sequencing library.

A system for nucleic acid sequencing is provided. The system comprises a sequencing device configured to expose a tagged polynucleotide comprising a combinatorial barcode sequence and a sample polynucleotide to sequential nucleotide flows, each flow comprising one species of nucleotide and the sequential flows being in a predetermined order based on the species of nucleotide such that exposing of the tagged polynucleotide to the sequential nucleotide flows causes incorporations of nucleotides from the sequential nucleotide flows into the tagged polynucleotide over the barcode sequence The sequencing device is configured to detect a series of signals over the barcode sequence resulting from the incorporations, wherein the predetermined order of nucleotide flows comprises a repetition of a flow order motif that is based on a sequence motif. The system comprises a computing device configured to resolve the detected series of signals to determine the combinatorial barcode sequence.

Disclosed herein are methods for producing high density cellular arrays. In some embodiments, the methods comprise: providing a sample comprising a plurality of cells; and introducing the plurality of cells in the sample into microwells of a microwell array to produce a cellular array, wherein the microwell array comprises 500 or more microwells per inch.sup.2, and wherein 25% or more of the microwells of the cellular array comprise a single cell. The disclosed methods can be used for producing a high density synthetic particle array and a high density reagent array.

The present disclosure relates generally to devices and methods useful for generating high-density arrays of target features (e.g., beads) by a permanent magnet and a substrate comprising an array of trapping regions.

Fiducial markers are provided on patterned arrays of the type that may be used for molecular analysis, such as sequencing. The fiducials may have configurations and layouts that enhance their detection in image or detection data, that facilitate or improve processing, that provide encoding of useful information, and so forth. Examples of the fiducials may include offset layouts that may be useful in detecting the fiducials in different types and approaches in imaging, and that may help to distinguish regions of the array from one another in image data.

The invention is directed to methods for synthesizing oligonucleotides directly on biomolecules or cells living or fixed. In some embodiments, template-free enzymatic synthesis is implemented under biological conditions with successive cycles of (i) enzymatic addition of a 3′-O-blocked nucleoside triphosphate and (ii) enzymatic deblocking of the incorporated nucleotide to regenerate a free 3′ hydroxyl. The invention has applications in single-cell cDNA library construction and analysis.

A sector marker for placement over a tubesheet and defining an opening for performing maintenance on an open tube located below the sector marker, the sector marker positioned over the tubesheet by at least two pins extending below the sector marker and respectively received in tube openings below the sector marker. A device and a method for easily and accurately marking and identifying the location of the tubes in a reactor vessel and for keeping track, in real-time, of the tasks performed on the tubes.

Methods of generating a nucleic acid signature for identifying particles associated in a partition are provided. In one aspect, the method comprises: partitioning a sample into a plurality of partitions comprising a particle comprising a solid support surface, the solid support surface having a plurality of oligonucleotide primers conjugated thereon, wherein the oligonucleotide primers comprise a barcode sequence, and wherein the partitions have 0, 1, or more than 1 particles per partition; providing in a partition a substrate comprising a barcode sequence or repeating clonal barcode sequences; and in the partition, associating a first particle conjugated to oligonucleotide primers comprising a first barcode sequence and a second particle conjugated to oligonucleotide primers comprising a second barcode sequence to a barcode sequence from the substrate, thereby generating a nucleic acid signature for the particles in the partition.

Provided herein are devices, methods, and systems for polynucleotide synthesis comprising a thermocycler comprising a plurality of individual chambers having a capability to control its own temperature setting and a machine learning for generating a recommendation of a design of experiment for polynucleotide synthesis.