Microfluidic devices, solid supports for reagents and related methods

A method of conducting a reaction using solid supports in a microfluidic device, the microfluidic device comprising:

• a substrate having a plurality of reaction wells that are sized and configured to capture a plurality of solid supports, wherein each of the solid supports has a reagent attached via a labile reagent/support bond and the reagent is configured to be cleaved from the solid support via a cleaving operation, and further wherein the plurality of reaction wells and the plurality of solid supports are sized and configured such that only a single one of the plurality of solid supports is retained in a corresponding single one of the plurality of reaction wells, the method comprising:
• loading the solid supports in the plurality of reaction wells;
• loading a sample comprising DNA in the plurality of reaction wells, wherein some number of reaction wells may be double loaded with solid supports;
• loading a solution comprising a PCR master mix and a detectable label in the plurality of reaction wells;
• and
• after loading the solid supports, the sample, and the solution in the plurality of reaction wells, flowing a sealing fluid comprising at least one of oil, liquid polymer, or fluorocarbon liquid over the plurality of reaction wells to seal the plurality of reaction wells, wherein the sealing fluid fluidically isolates each of the plurality of reaction wells during a reaction.