A microscope slide staining system has a chamber, a plurality of slide support elements, a plurality of spreading devices positionable in association with microscope slides supported on the slide support elements so the spreading devices define a gap between the spreading device and the microscope slide and so the spreading device and the microscope slide are movable relative to one another to spread at least one reagent on the microscope slide independent of the other spreading devices and microscope slides.

Some embodiments described herein relate to a substrate with a surface comprising a silane or a silane derivative covalently attached to optionally substituted cycloalkene or optionally substituted heterocycloalkene for direct conjugation with a functionalized molecule of interest, such as a polymer, a hydrogel, an amino acid, a nucleoside, a nucleotide, a peptide, a polynucleotide, or a protein. In some embodiments, the silane or silane derivative contains optionally substituted norbornene or norbornene derivatives. Method for preparing a functionalized surface and the use in DNA sequencing and other diagnostic applications are also disclosed.

A microscope slide staining system has a chamber, a plurality of slide support elements, a plurality of spreading devices positionable in association with microscope slides supported on the slide support elements so the spreading devices define a gap between the spreading device and the microscope slide and so the spreading device and the microscope slide are movable relative to one another to spread at least one reagent on the microscope slide independent of the other spreading devices and microscope slides.

An apparatus for synthesizing nucleic acids and a method for synthesizing nucleic acids using the same. The apparatus includes a first substrate including a surface on which the nucleic acids are synthesized, a second substrate including a deprotection solution, a transporter configured to move the first substrate or the second substrate, and a transporter controller in operable communication with the transporter.