Embodiments relate to methods and compositions useful for routing and tracking multiple mobile units within a microfluidic device. Mobile units may be routed through a plurality of chemical environments, and the mobile units may be tracked to determine the path and/or environments that the mobile units have routed through. Mobile units may be routed in accordance with a predetermined algorithm. Mobile units may be routed through microfluidic devices in ordered flow. Mobile units routed through the microfluidic device can be used to perform various chemical reactions uniquely associated to the units, including without limitation peptide synthesis, enzymatic gene synthesis and gene assembly.

Technology for a pillar structure for a biochip is disclosed. The pillar structure for a biochip includes: a substrate portion having a plate structure; an insertion pillar portion formed in one piece with the substrate portion and protruding downward from a lower surface of the substrate portion so as to be inserted into a well; and a compensation pillar portion formed in one piece with the substrate portion, the compensation pillar portion corresponding to the insertion pillar portion and protruding upward from an upper surface of the substrate portion. Therefore, when the pillar structure is cooled during an injection molding process, the substrate portion is prevented from being partially recessed, and when samples are analyzed using microscopic images, accuracy and reliability may be improved.

Multi-stage sample-recovery systems, including automated 2-stage and 3-stage sample-recovery systems, are provided. Such systems enable the rapid screening and recovery of samples, including viable cell-based samples, from high-throughput screening systems, including systems utilizing large-scale arrays of microcapillaries. In specific screening systems, 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 identified and recovered using the multi-stage systems disclosed herein.

A method for making a microfluidic device having one or more different patterned polymeric hydrogel nanostructure is provided. The method includes: providing a first substrate having a first patterned array of polymeric hydrogel nanostructures on a first interior surface and a peripheral surface portion; providing a second substrate having a second interior surface and a side wall with an end surface; and bonding the end surface of the second substrate to the peripheral surface portion of the first substrate such that the first and second interior surfaces define a hermetic cavity within the bonded first and second substrate. The microfluidic device can be designed to include a variety of different patterned array of polymeric hydrogel nanostructures depending on the desired application and properties for the device.

Methods and devices are provided for preparing a protein array having a plurality of proteins. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a plurality of nucleic acids each having a predefined sequence and expressing in vitro a plurality of proteins from the plurality of nucleic acids. In another embodiment, protein arrays having a solid surface and a microvolume are also provided. The solid surface can have a plurality of anchor oligonucleotides capable of hybridizing with a plurality of nucleic acids. The microvolume can cover each of the plurality of anchor oligonucleotides and can be configured to produce a polypeptide from each of the plurality of nucleic acids.

Disclosed herein are methods, tools, pillar plates, and tool assemblies for biomolecular analysis using microarrays that reduces the likelihood of air bubbles being trapped by the microarrays. Embodiments of the tools include two clamps that have a tool mount portion and a grasping portion. The tool mount portion is configured to engage a lifting mechanism of a plate handling robot for moving a pillar plate that include microarrays. The grasping portion is configured to freely suspend the pillar plate at an inclination of a non-zero tilt angle relative to a plane normal to the tool mount portion. Embodiments of pillar plates include two protruding edges on opposite sides of the pillar plate and a plurality of pillars with one or more affixed microarrays. Embodiments of the tool assembly include the tool and the pillar plate, wherein the protruding edges are configured to engage with the gasping portions.

Methods and devices are provided for preparing a protein array having a plurality of proteins. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a plurality of nucleic acids each having a predefined sequence and expressing in vitro a plurality of proteins from the plurality of nucleic acids. In another embodiment, protein arrays having a solid surface and a microvolume are also provided. The solid surface can have a plurality of anchor oligonucleotides capable of hybridizing with a plurality of nucleic acids. The microvolume can cover each of the plurality of anchor oligonucleotides and can be configured to produce a polypeptide from each of the plurality of nucleic acids.

An apparatus and method for performing analysis and identification of molecules have been presented. In one embodiment, a portable molecule analyzer includes a sample input/output connection to receive a sample, a nanopore-based sequencing chip to perform analysis on the sample substantially in real-time, and an output interface to output result of the analysis.

Devices for the manufacturing of high-quality building blocks, such as oligonucleotides, are described herein. Nano-scale devices allow for selective control over reaction conditions. Further, methods and devices described herein allow for the rapid construction of large libraries of highly accurate nucleic acids.

The present invention relates to a pillar structure for a biochip and includes a substrate which has a plate-shaped structure, and pillar members, each of which has one side detachably coupled to the substrate and the other side on which a sample is disposed.