A system for determining the number of target nucleotide molecules in a sample includes a sample holder, an excitation optical system, an optical sensor, and an emission optical system. The sample holder is configured to receive an article comprising at least 20,000 separate reaction sites. The excitation optical system comprises a light source configured to simultaneously illuminate the at least 20,000 separate reaction sites. The optical sensor comprises a predetermined number of pixels, the predetermined number of pixels being at least 20 times the number of separate reaction sites. The emission optical system comprises a system working distance from the sample holder, wherein the working distance is less than or equal to 60 millimeters.

According to an aspect of some embodiments, an apparatus for isolation and cytometric analysis of cells from a liquid medium is provided. The apparatus comprises a cell reservoir, for receiving a liquid medium containing a suspension of cells. The apparatus further comprises a cell cage array between the cell reservoir and an enclosed reservoir, each cell cage comprising a large opening adjacent to the first cell reservoir, a cell cage, and one or more small opening adjacent to the enclosed reservoir. A connected liquid medium pump may move the suspended cells into cell cages by flowing the liquid medium from the cell reservoir to the enclosed reservoir. The apparatus further comprises a mechanical element which when actuated, pushes the cell cage array against a gel layer, forming a contiguous barrier to isolate each cell in a cell cage, and allowing cytometric analysis of isolated cells.

The disclosure provides methods and apparatus for high speed and sterile sorting of heterogeneous populations of cells to isolate homogenous populations. In embodiments, the disclosure provides a micropore array and collection tray situated within a sterile, closed cartridge.

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.

A system for processing a plurality of biological samples contains a support and a temperature controller. The suppose is configured to hold a case that includes an inner chamber and a substrate located within the inner chamber, the substrate containing a plurality of isolated reaction sites containing one or more biological samples. The temperature controller is configured to maintain or control a temperature of at least one of the support, the case, or the one or more biological samples during an assay or reaction on the one or more biological samples. The support is also configured to maintain at least one of the surfaces of substrate at a positive angle relative to a horizontal plane during the assay or reaction.

Provided is a microscope-observation-sample preparation base material including: a base material body that includes: a flow path in which a medium solution is made to flow; a solution injection section that opens at one end of the flow path and into which the medium solution is injected; and a droplet supporting section that opens at the other end of the flow path and that supports a droplet of the medium solution injected from the solution injection section, in a hanging state, with a surface of the droplet being partially exposed, and an outside-air entry preventing member that prevents entry of outside air from the solution injection section into the droplet supporting section, in the flow path of the base material body.

A biological analysis system is provided. The system comprises an interchangeable assembly configured to accommodate any one of a plurality of sample holders, each respective sample holder configured to receive a plurality of samples. The system also includes a control system configured to cycle the plurality of samples through a series of temperatures. The system further includes an optical system configured to detect fluorescent signals emitted from the plurality of samples. The optical system, in particular, can comprise a single field lens, an excitation source, an optical sensor, and a plurality of filter components. The excitation source can be one or more light emitting diodes. The field lens can be a bi-convex lens.

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.

High-throughput methods for screening large populations of variant proteins are provided. The methods utilize large-scale arrays of microcapillaries, where each microcapillary comprises a solution containing a variant protein, an immobilized target molecule, and a reporter element. Immobilized target molecules may include any molecule of interest, including proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and other biomolecules. The association of a variant protein with a molecular target is assessed by measuring a signal from the reporter element. The contents of microcapillaries identified in the assays as containing variant proteins of interest can be isolated, and cells expressing the variant proteins of interest can be characterized. Also provided are systems for performing the disclosed screening methods.

An interface is provided for storing microfluidic samples in a nanoliter sample chip. A fluid access structure provides a fluid access region to a selected subset of sample wells from an array of sample wells. A fluid introduction mechanism introduces a sample fluid to the fluid access region so that the sample wells in the selected subset are populated with the sample fluid without the unselected sample wells being populated with the sample fluid.