Sealed microwell assay
AssigneesCelldom, Inc., The Regents of the University of California
InventorsNatalia Tkachenko, Eugene Tkachenko, Alexander Groisman, Edgar Gutierrez
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Abstract
The present invention provides methods, systems and kits for performing microwell analysis in sealed small volumes. The microwells of the invention are sealed through the pairing of microwell and bead geometry wherein the diameter of the beads is greater than the diameter of the bottom of the microwells. Loading the beads into the microwells seals samples within an analytical space between the bottom of a nested bead and the bottom of the subject microwell.
Claims27
1-162. (canceled)
A kit for conducting an assay, comprising:
- a) a substrate having a plurality of microwells;
- b) a plurality of beads comprising a ligand adapted to bind a target analyte;
- wherein said plurality of microwells and said plurality of beads are geometrically paired to permit said plurality of beads to seal said plurality of microwells.
A method for single cell expression analysis, comprising:
- a) providing a substrate comprising a plurality of microwells;
- b) loading cells into said microwells;
- c) contacting said plurality of microwells with a plurality of beads having a ligand adapted to bind an analyte, wherein contacting said plurality of microwells with said plurality of beads anchors said plurality of beads in said plurality of microwells thereby sealing said cells in said plurality of microwells;
- d) incubating said cells under conditions sufficient for said ligand to bind said analyte;
- and
- e) detecting binding of said ligand to said analyte thereby identifying the expression of said analyte by said cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.