Nucleic acid memory strands encoding digital data using a sequence of a homopolymer tracts of repeated nucleotides provides a cheaper and faster alternative to conventional digital DNA storage techniques. The use of homopolymer tracts allows for lower fidelity, high throughput sequencing techniques such as nanopore sequencing to read data encoded in the memory strands. Specialized synthesis techniques allow for synthesis of long memory strands capable of encoding large volumes of data despite the reduced data density afforded by homopolymer tracts as compared to conventional single nucleotide sequences.

The invention refers to a modular continuous flow device for automated chemical multistep synthesis under continuous flow conditions. The device comprises a plurality of different types of continuous flow modules and a valve assembly for connecting the continuous flow modules to each other in a parallel or radial manner. This arrangement allows conducting chemical reaction sequences by pre-synthesizing and intermediately storing or simultaneously synthesizing at least one intermediate product which is needed in the main synthetic reaction sequence in order to obtain the final product.

In an example, a flow cell includes a substrate, a selectively removable porous molecular network on the substrate and defining exposed substrate regions, and sequencing surface chemistry on at least some of the exposed regions. The sequencing surface chemistry is selected from the group consisting of i) an activated pad, a polymer layer attached to the activated pad, and a primer attached to the polymer layer; or ii) a nanostructure and an enzyme attached to the nanostructure.

A method for making on-flow cell three-dimensional polymer structures includes loading a polymer precursor solution onto a flow cell. The polymer precursor solution includes a monomer, a crosslinker, and a photoinitiator. The flow cell includes at least one channel for receiving the polymer precursor solution. The at least one channel has an upper interior surface and a lower interior surface. The method further includes illuminating the polymer precursor solution through a patterned photomask using a light at a wavelength sufficient to activate the photoinitiator. Activation of the photoinitiator polymerizes at least some of the polymer precursor solution underneath apertures in the patterned photomask and forms three-dimensional polymer structures that extend from the upper interior surface to the lower interior surface of the at least one channel.

A method for patterning flow cell substrates using photo-initiated chemical reactions that includes fabricating a planar waveguide flow cell by forming a layer of light coupling gratings on a glass substrate layer; depositing a core layer on the layer of light coupling gratings; depositing a cladding layer on the core layer; and forming nanowells in the cladding layer; silanizing the cladding layer; coating the silanized cladding layer and nanowells with a first group of reactants; introducing a second group of reactants into the nanowells, wherein the second group of reactants includes a target reactant and a light-sensitive photoinitiator system; coupling a light source to the light coupling gratings and directing light internally within the planar waveguide flow cell for photo-initiating a chemical reaction between the first and second groups of reactants, wherein the photo-initiated chemical reaction covalently binds the target reactant to only the bottom portion of each nanowell.

A fluidic network for carrying out, in parallel, a plurality of analyses of biological samples is disclosed. The network has a flow cell array with a plurality of reaction chambers. The reaction chambers each have a first channel connection and a second channel connection. The first channel connections are connected to a first supply channel and the second channel connections are connected to a second supply channel. The first supply channel and the second channel connection are interconnected by a circulation line. At least one component is connected to the circulation line so that component test reagents can be introduced into the reaction chambers of the flow cell array.

A continuous flow reactor, a method of performing a continuous flow reaction, and a method of controlling a moveable wall of a reaction chamber of a continuous flow reactor. The reactor comprising: an inlet; an outlet; and a reaction chamber, between the inlet and the outlet and providing a flow path therebetween, the reaction chamber having a moveable wall; the reactor further comprising: a pressure sensor configured to monitor a fluid pressure in the continuous flow reactor; and a controller, operable to adjust the position of the moveable wall, and thereby change a volume of the reaction chamber, based on the monitored fluid pressure.

Disclosed is a multi-channel peptide synthesizer, including a gas-bath thermotank, a plurality of reactor tubes, a motor, a rotating rack, a liquid-feeding tube, a feeding device, a vacuum tube and a nitrogen tube. The gas-bath thermotank body provides a desired constant temperature for reaction. The reactor tube provides a place for peptide synthesis and resin washing. The motor and the rotating rack are used to fully mix the reaction and cleaning solutions. Various liquid reagents required are fed to the reactor tube through the liquid-adding tube. Various materials required are prepared in advance in the feeding device and directly fed to the reactor tube. The reaction or washing solution in the reactor tube is pumped to a waste liquid tank through the vacuum tube. Nitrogen is introduced into each reactor tube through the nitrogen tube. This device can be applied in batch-wise peptide synthesis using solid-phase methods.

A peptide synthesis instrument can be used for small scale peptide synthesis. The instrument can include several unique features, including a compression style reaction vessel permitting quick setup of the reaction vessel, a double reaction vessel system permitting efficient mixing without loss of solvent or solvent-to-resin contact, gravity-fed heated reservoirs establishing a fixed volume for delivery to the reaction vessel, fume-free solvent addition permitting solvent addition to fixed bottles, and an improved amino acid manifold assembly which reduces the number of components and increases the ease of use of the instrument. Each of these features improve upon the current state of the art in solid phase automated peptide synthesizers.

Methods of preparing a crosslinked hydraulic fracturing fluid include combining a hydraulic fracturing fluid comprising a polyacrylamide polymer with a plurality of coated proppants. The plurality of coated proppants include a proppant particle and a resin proppant coating on the proppant particle. The resin proppant coating includes resin and a zirconium oxide crosslinker. The resin includes at least one of phenol, furan, epoxy, urethane, phenol-formaldehyde, polyester, vinyl ester, and urea aldehyde. Methods further include allowing the zirconium oxide crosslinker within the resin proppant coating to crosslink the polyacrylamide polymer within the hydraulic fracturing fluid at a pH of at least 10, thereby forming the crosslinked hydraulic fracturing fluid.