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AssigneeAtila Biosystems, Inc.
InventorsYining SHI, Youxiang WANG, Rong WANG, Zhijie YANG, Xin CHEN, Jialuo LI, Bo JIANG, Soo Khim CHAN, Soma CHAUDHARY, Yifan CHEN, Bin LI
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The invention uses gel layers to cover and/or separate one or more aqueous reaction mixtures in a reaction vessel. A gel layer can protect reagents or reaction products from contacting the atmosphere. A gel layer can also separate multiple aqueous reaction mixtures so that they do not contact one another until the gel layer is broken. An oil layer can be inserted immediately underneath a gel layer. Gel layers can be penetrated by insertion of a tip from a micropipette to deliver a solution, such as a sample, below a gel layer. Micropipette tips or inert rods can also be used to disrupt gel layers resulting in mixing of aqueous reaction mixtures above and below a layer. Gel layers can also be broken by selective application of heat or movement of magnetic beads. Multiple gel layers separating multiple aqueous reagent mixtures can be broken in a defined sequence for an ordered series of bioprocessing steps.
A reaction vessel comprises a gel layer penetrable by a micropipette tip disposed within the vessel.
The reaction vessel of any preceding claim, comprising:
The reaction vessel of any preceding claim coupled to a slidable heater module along the exterior of the reaction vessel for melting the gel layer when the heater adjacent to the gel layer.
The reaction vessel of any preceding claim coupled to a slidable magnetic module along an exterior or interior surface of the reaction vessel for moving magnetic beads from a liquid aqueous reaction mixture across a layer of the gel underneath the liquid aqueous reaction mixture.
The reaction vessel of any preceding claim, which is a well in a multi-well plate (e.g., a PCR plate or deep well plate or microtiter plate or ELISA plate), each of the wells containing a gel layer.
The reaction vessel of any preceding claim, wherein an inner surface of the reaction vessel is hydrophobic or hydrophilic.
The reaction vessel of any preceding claim, wherein the gel layer is made of an inorganic or organic or combination of inorganic and organic polymer gel matrix or is a mixture of wax and mineral oil or silicon oil in a ratio from 25:75 to 75:25 by weight with or without surfactant additives.
A reaction vessel comprising a plurality of liquid aqueous reaction mixtures separated from one another by a plurality of gel layers disposed with the reaction vessel, wherein the plurality of liquid aqueous reaction mixtures are combinable by melting and/or disruption of the gel layers to perform a series of processing steps in order.
A reaction vessel containing a first layer of gel comprising a first aqueous reaction mixture and optionally a second layer of gel comprising a second aqueous reaction mixture, and optionally a third aqueous reaction mixture or samples on top of the second gel layer, the gels meltable on heating to mix the aqueous reaction mixtures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.