Method for in situ, on-chip chemical synthesis
OwnerRobert C. Haushalterinventor
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for the synthesis of arrays of molecules bound to a substrate, and in particular oligomeric molecules such as DNA oligonucleotides and peptides. The methods of the invention comprise providing a substrate having first and second surfaces and a plurality of isolated porous regions extending through the substrate and communicating with the first and second surfaces, contacting selected ones of the porous regions with a reagent, allowing the reagent to bind to or otherwise interact with the selected porous regions, and withdrawing unreacted first reagent from the substrate through the selected porous regions by introducing a pressure differential across the substrate. The events may be repeated as required to form oligomeric molecules.
Claims62
A method for the synthesis of an array of molecules, comprising:
- (a) providing a substrate having first and second surfaces, and a plurality of isolated porous regions extending through said substrate and communicating with said first and second surfaces;
- (b) contacting selected ones of said porous regions with a first reagent;
- (c) allowing said first reagent to bind to said selected porous regions;
- and
- (d) withdrawing unreacted said first reagent from said substrate through said selected porous regions by introducing a pressure differential across said substrate.
A method for the synthesis of an array of oligomeric molecules, comprising:
- (a) providing a substrate having first and second surfaces, and a plurality of isolated porous regions extending through said substrate and communicating with said first and second surfaces;
- (b) contacting selected ones of said porous regions with a first reagent including a first monomer;
- (c) allowing said first monomer to bind to said selected porous regions;
- (d) withdrawing excess said first reagent from said substrate through said selected porous regions;
- (e) contacting said selected ones of said porous regions with a second reagent including a second monomer;
- (f) allowing said second monomer to couple to said first monomer;
- (g) withdrawing excess said second reagent from said substrate through said selected porous regions;
- (ii) repeating events (e), (f) and (g) n times using n reagents with n monomers respectively, wherein n equals zero or an integer number, to form said array of oligomeric molecules.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.