An array of membranes comprising amphipathic molecules is formed using an apparatus comprising a support defining an array of compartments. Volumes comprising polar medium are provided within respective compartments and a layer comprising apolar medium is provided extending across the openings with the volumes. Polar medium is flowed across the support to displace apolar medium and form a layer in contact with the volumes, forming membranes comprising amphipathic molecules at the interfaces. In one construction of the apparatus, the support that comprises partitions which comprise inner portions and outer portions. The inner portions define inner recesses without gaps therebetween that are capable of constraining the volumes comprising polar medium contained in neighbouring inner recesses from contacting each other. The outer portions extend outwardly from the inner portions and have gaps allowing the flow of an apolar medium across the substrate.

A high-density micro-chamber array has a translucent flat substrate, a hydrophobic layer in which a plurality of micro-chambers are provided, and a lipid bilayer membrane formed in each of the openings of the micro-chambers, wherein an electrode is provided in each of the micro-chambers, and when the side of the substrate on which the hydrophobic layer is provided is directed upward, the micro-chamber array is configured such that with at least one of the following A) and B) being met, light entering the substrate from below is transmitted through the substrate and penetrates into the micro-chambers' interiors, and light entering the substrate from the micro-chambers' interiors is transmitted through the substrate and escapes toward below the substrate. A) The electrode is provided on an inner side surface of each of the micro-chambers. B) The electrode is transparent and provided on a bottom surface of each of the micro-chambers.

An array of membranes comprising amphipathic molecules is formed using an apparatus comprising a support defining an array of compartments. Volumes comprising polar medium are provided within respective compartments and a layer comprising apolar medium is provided extending across the openings with the volumes. Polar medium is flowed across the support to displace apolar medium and form a layer in contact with the volumes, forming membranes comprising amphipathic molecules at the interfaces. In one construction of the apparatus, the support that comprises partitions which comprise inner portions and outer portions. The inner portions define inner recesses without gaps therebetween that are capable of constraining the volumes comprising polar medium contained in neighbouring inner recesses from contacting each other. The outer portions extend outwardly from the inner portions and have gaps allowing the flow of an apolar medium across the substrate.

An array of membranes comprising amphipathic molecules is formed using an apparatus comprising a support defining an array of compartments. Volumes comprising polar medium are provided within respective compartments and a layer comprising apolar medium is provided extending across the openings with the volumes. Polar medium is flowed across the support to displace apolar medium and form a layer in contact with the volumes, forming membranes comprising amphipathic molecules at the interfaces. In one construction of the apparatus, the support that comprises partitions which comprise inner portions and outer portions. The inner portions define inner recesses without gaps therebetween that are capable of constraining the volumes comprising polar medium contained in neighbouring inner recesses from contacting each other. The outer portions extend outwardly from the inner portions and have gaps allowing the flow of an apolar medium across the substrate.

A method for forming a lipid membrane vesicle includes: filling a chamber with a first aqueous solution by introducing it to a liquid flow path facing a microreactor chip hydrophobic layer main surface; forming a first lipid monolayer membrane in an opening part of the chamber filled with the solution; forming a second lipid monolayer membrane on a layer interface of the organic solvent formed on the main surface of the hydrophobic layer with a second aqueous solution by introducing the solution to the liquid flow path; allowing a first aqueous solution form in the chamber to alter to a spherical droplet covered with the first lipid monolayer membrane; and forming a lipid membrane vesicle by moving the droplet to a position of the second lipid monolayer membrane by applying a physical action, and by zipping the first lipid monolayer membrane covering the droplet and the second lipid monolayer membrane.

A material film is formed as a thin film having a thickness of 1 m on a surface of a glass substrate. A plurality of micro-chambers having a diameter of 5 m are formed in the material film to be arrayed at a high density. The respective chambers filled with an aqueous test solution have openings that are liquid-sealed by a lipid bilayer membrane to provide a high-density micro-chamber array. Significant downsizing of the micro-chambers enhances a change in concentration by a reaction of one biomolecule in the chamber and thereby increases the detection sensitivity. In the configuration that a large number of micro-chambers are formed at a high density, even in the case of an extremely slow reaction of the biomolecule, the reaction proceeds in any of the chambers. This configuration accordingly enables the reaction of the biomolecule to be detected with high sensitivity.

The present disclosure provides biochips and methods for making biochips. A biochip can comprise a nanopore in a membrane (e.g., lipid bilayer) adjacent or in proximity to an electrode. Methods are described for forming the membrane and insert-ing the nanopore into the membrane. The biochips and methods can be used for nucleic acid (e.g., DNA) sequencing. The present disclosure also describes methods for detecting, sorting, and binning molecules (e.g., proteins) using biochips.

Provided is a method for detecting a target molecule. The method includes providing a chip, the chip including a nanopore in a membrane that is disposed adjacent to or in proximity to a sensing electrode. A nucleic acid molecule is then directed through the nanopore, the nucleic acid molecule being associated with a reporter molecule. The nucleic acid molecule also includes an address region and a probe region, the reporter molecule being associated with the nucleic acid molecule at the probe region. The reporter molecule is also coupled to a target molecule. While the nucleic acid molecule is directed through the nanopore, the address region can be sequenced to determine a nucleic acid sequence of the address region. The target molecule can then be identified, with the aid of a computer processor, based upon the nucleic acid sequence of the address region.

The present disclosure provides fluidic devices and fluidic device assemblies, including microfluidic devices and cartridges comprising the same, that in illustrative embodiments, can be used to make particles or protein precipitates, or to monitor precipitate formation. The fluidic devices typically include channels that connect a reaction well to an inlet port and an outlet port, and a fluidic constriction channel that is configured to help retain fluids in the reaction well and/or promote mixing within the reaction well. In some aspect, fluidic devices are interconnected into fluidic assemblies that can be used in continuous process methods.

The present disclosure provides apparatuses, systems, and methods involving a spotter for depositing a substance on a submerged surface. The spotter comprises an outlet cavity defined at least in part by a spotting orifice, a first opening, and a second opening. The spotter also comprises a first conduit fluidly coupled to the first opening and a second conduit fluidly coupled to the second opening. The spotter is adapted so that fluid flowing through the first conduit and the second conduit is communicated among the first opening, the second opening, and a submerged deposition surface when the sealing orifice is sealed against the submerged deposition surface to form a deposition spot on the submerged deposition surface. The submerged deposition surface is within a liquid such that the liquid covers the deposition spot upon removal of the orifice from the deposition surface.