Device and method for pressure-driven plug transport and reaction
AssigneeThe University of Chicago
InventorsRustem F. Ismagilov, Joshua David Tice, Helen Song Baca, Lewis Spencer Roach
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Abstract
The present invention provides microfabricated substrates and methods of conducting reactions within these substrates. The reactions occur in plugs transported in the flow of a carrier-fluid.
Claims20
A method of conducting an autocatalytic reaction comprising forming a plurality of plugs and conducting the autocatalytic reaction in at least one plug, wherein:
- each plug comprises an aqueous fluid surrounded by a hydrophobic fluid;
- the aqueous fluid of at least one plug comprises a biological reagent;
- the hydrophobic fluid of each plug comprises a fluorosurfactant;
- and
- the fluorosurfactant is linked to an oligoethylene glycol (OEG).
A method of preparing a composition comprising a plurality of plugs, the method comprising:
- flowing an aqueous fluid in a first microchannel toward a junction, the aqueous fluid comprising a biological reagent;
- flowing a hydrophobic fluid that is immiscible with the aqueous fluid in a second microchannel toward the junction, the hydrophobic fluid comprising a fluorosurfactant is linked to an oligoethylene glycol (OEG);
- and
- contacting the aqueous fluid with the hydrophobic fluid at the junction and forming a plurality of plugs at the junction, wherein each plug comprises a subvolume of the aqueous fluid surrounded by the hydrophobic fluid and the subvolume of the aqueous fluid of at least one plug comprises a biological reagent.
A method of conducting an enzymatic reaction comprising forming a plurality of plugs and conducting the enzymatic reaction in at least one plug, wherein:
- each plug comprises an aqueous fluid surrounded by a hydrophobic fluid;
- the aqueous fluid of at least one plug comprises an enzyme;
- the hydrophobic fluid of each plug comprises a fluorosurfactant;
- and
- the fluorosurfactant is linked to an oligoethylene glycol (OEG).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.