Method and apparatus for screening flowable separation media for electrophoresis and related applications

A loading manifold for capillary electrophoresis and screening, said manifold comprising:

• a body;
• a plurality of separate flowpaths in said body for independently loading a plurality of capillaries with a flowable separation media, said plurality of flowpaths including
• a plurality of fluid inlets in said body;
• a corresponding plurality of fluid outlets in said body, each of which is in fluid communication with a corresponding inlet;
• a corresponding plurality of reservoirs in said body, each of which is in independent fluid communication with a corresponding flowpath;
• and
• an electrode port in communication with said reservoirs.

An electrophoretic screening instrument comprising:

• a loading station having four or more independent flowpaths, each of which comprises a fluid inlet and a corresponding fluid outlet, said inlet being in fluid communication with said outlet to thereby permit fluid flow between said inlet and said corresponding outlet;
• four or more corresponding loading syringes, each of which is in fluid communication with one of said fluid inlets;
• four or more corresponding capillaries, each of which has a first end that is in fluid communication with one of said fluid outlets so that said capillaries can be individually loaded with the contents of a syringe through a flowpath of the loading station;
• a sampling assembly in fluid communication with the opposite end of each said capillary for adding a sample to the opposite end of each said capillary;
• circuitry for applying an electric field across each said capillary;
• and
• a detection system for measuring a property of a sample in each capillary.

A method of screening separation media for performance in capillary electrophoresis, the method comprising:

• loading each of a plurality of capillaries from one corresponding end of each with a respective plurality of at least two different separation media and with one media per capillary;
• introducing a sample into each capillary;
• advancing the samples through the capillaries under an applied electric field;
• measuring a property of the samples or components thereof as they advance through the capillaries;
• using the measured properties to identify one or more preferred sets of separation media;
• and
• wherein at least one of the steps of loading or advancing are carried out simultaneously over the plurality of capillaries.

A method of screening polymers for electroosmotic flow comprising:

• advancing probe compositions through at least two different electrophoresis capillaries that contain polymer compositions, with the contents of the capillaries differing from one another by the probe composition advanced therethrough or by the polymer composition contained therein or both;
• measuring the migration time of at least one probe composition in each capillary;
• loading each capillary with a selected separation polymer and a selected wall-coating polymer;
• advancing the same probe composition through each respective capillary in the presence of the selected separation polymer and a selected wall-coating polymer;
• measuring the migration time of each probe composition in the presence of the selected separation polymer and the selected wall-coating polymer;
• and
• using the measured migration times to identify one or more preferred members of the group consisting of the probe compositions, the separation polymers, and the wall-coating polymers.

A method of screening polymers for electroosmotic flow, the method comprising:

• concurrently advancing a charged dye compound and a dye-labeled short oligonucleotide through an electrophoresis capillary that is filled with a separation polymer and a first candidate supplemental polymer;
• measuring the respective migration times for the charged dye compound and the dye-labeled oligonucleotide;
• repeating the advancing and measuring steps using the same charged dye compound and the same dye-labeled oligonucleotide but with at least a second candidate supplemental polymer;
• and
• identifying the first or second candidate supplemental polymer as preferred over the other on the basis of the absolute and comparative migration times of the charged dye compound and the dye-labeled oligonucleotide in each of the advancing and measuring steps.

A method of screening polymers for electroosmotic flow, the method comprising:

• concurrently advancing a charged dye compound and a dye-labeled short oligonucleotide through a plurality of electrophoresis capillaries, each of which is filled with a separation polymer and a supplemental polymer;
• measuring the respective migration times in each capillary for the dye compound and the dye-labeled oligonucleotide;
• and
• identifying preferred members selected from the group consisting of the separation polymers and the supplemental polymers on the basis of the absolute and comparative migration times of the charged dye compounds and the dye-labeled oligonucleotides in each capillary.