A sample processing station includes two or more container holders on a platform that is rotatable about a central axis of rotation. Each holder is configured to rotate about a secondary axis of rotation. The station includes a capping/decapping mechanism to cap or decap a container held in one of the container holders and an elevator with a chuck guide that contact the container holder as the chuck is lowered by the elevator to positon the chuck with respect to the cap of the container held in the holder and to hold jaws of the container holder in a closed position. In embodiment, the chuck guide includes a yoke with opposed arms and spindles located near distal ends of the arms that engage beveled shoulders of the container holder.

A biosensor device for detecting biological particles, the biosensor device comprising a substrate, a regular pattern of pores formed in the substrate, and a plurality of sensor active structures each of which being arranged on a surface of a corresponding one of the pores, wherein each of the plurality of sensor active structures is sensitive to specific biological particles and is adapted to modify electromagnetic radiation interaction properties in the event of the presence of the respective biological particles.

The present invention is useful in screening for biomarkers associated with any other disease or condition. Such diseases and conditions range from the neurological diseases, autoimmune diseases and cancers identified above as well as any other disease or condition that has a biomarker such as an antibody or other characterizing protein or biomolecule associated with the disease or progression of the disease. The large ligand libraries of the invention can be used directly in biological fluid, under the appropriate experimental conditions and according to the processes recited herein, to screen for such markers and without the need to use fewer support members (e.g. about 100,000 or less) or without the need to transfer such peptoids or ligands to a microarray before screening the biological fluid. In addition, the ligand libraries may also be used to screen for cell based receptors that specifically relate to a particular cell surface marker.

The present invention is useful in screening for biomarkers associated with any other disease or condition. Such diseases and conditions range from the neurological diseases, autoimmune diseases and cancers identified above as well as any other disease or condition that has a biomarker such as an antibody or other characterizing protein or biomolecule associated with the disease or progression of the disease. The large ligand libraries of the invention can be used directly in biological fluid, under the appropriate experimental conditions and according to the processes recited herein, to screen for such markers and without the need to use fewer support members (e.g. about 100,000 or less) or without the need to transfer such peptoids or ligands to a microarray before screening the biological fluid. In addition, the ligand libraries may also be used to screen for cell based receptors that specifically relate to a particular cell surface marker.

A microstructured chip (3; 33; 43; 53; 63) for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis, taking the form of a solid formed by: a base (5; 77); an upper surface (4; 44), at least part of which is covered with a metal layer (2; 22; 42; 52; 62); and at least one side surface (55; 66). The chip is characterized in that the aforementioned upper surface is provided with micrometric zones intended to receive species to be analyzed and selected from among n protrusions and m cavities, and in that when n+m≧2 the zones are separated from one another by planar surfaces, with n varying between 1 and j, m varying between 0 and i, and j and i being integers.

A microstructured chip (3; 33; 43; 53; 63) for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis, taking the form of a solid formed by: a base (5; 77); an upper surface (4; 44), at least part of which is covered with a metal layer (2; 22; 42; 52; 62); and at least one side surface (55; 66). The chip is characterized in that the aforementioned upper surface is provided with micrometric zones intended to receive species to be analyzed and selected from among n protrusions and m cavities, and in that when n+m≧2 the zones are separated from one another by planar surfaces, with n varying between 1 and j, m varying between 0 and i, and j and i being integers.

A microarray analysis method, in which a microarray obtained by arranging probes on a substrate surface having an irregular shape is irradiated with excitation light and fluorescence amounts of the probes excited by the excitation light are obtained as numerical data, includes a step (a) of measuring the fluorescence amounts of the probes to acquire fluorescence image data, a step (b) of receiving reflected light and/or scattered light from the substrate surface to acquire the irregular shape of the substrate surface of the microarray as alignment image data based on the light receiving intensities of the light, and a step (c) of determining positions of the probes on the fluorescence image data based on the alignment image data.

A continuous throughput microfluidic system includes an input system configured to provide a sequential stream of sample plugs; a droplet generator arranged in fluid connection with the input system to receive the sequential stream of sample plugs and configured to provide an output stream of droplets; a droplet treatment system arranged in fluid connection with the droplet generator to receive the output stream of droplets in a sequential order and configured to provide a stream of treated droplets in the sequential order; a detection system arranged to obtain detection signals from the treated droplets in the sequential order; a control system configured to communicate with the input system, the droplet generator, and the droplet treatment system; and a data processing and storage system configured to communicate with the control system and the detection system.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a structure includes: a substrate having a patterned surface of one or more binding sites; and a molecular shape made by a polynucleotide platform having a shape corresponding to a shape of a binding site of the one or more binding sites, the molecular shape being bound to one of the one or more binding sites.

Biomolecule arrays on a substrate are described which contain a plurality of biomolecules, such as coding nucleic acids and/or isolated polypeptides, at a plurality of discrete, isolated, locations. The arrays can be used, for example, in high throughput genomics and proteomics for specific uses including, but not limited molecular diagnostics for early detection, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, monitoring clinical response, and protein crystallography.