US 6,309,828 B1 · Method and apparatus for fabricating replicate arrays of nucleic acid molecules

Abstract

A method and apparatus for fabricating replicate arrays of nucleic acid molecules include the preparation of the molecules and the application the molecules onto a substrate in an ordered array. The apparatus comprises a synthesis unit and a plurality of outlets. The synthesis unit comprises a plurality of synthesis chambers that are spatially arranged relative to each other to provide an array suitable for conducting parallel nucleic acid syntheses. The chambers are suitable for containing discrete compositions of nucleic acid molecules. Each outlet of the plurality of outlets communicates with a single synthesis chamber. The plurality of outlets are configured such that nucleic acid molecules can be removed from the chambers through the outlet and deposited onto the substrate in an ordered array that corresponds to the spatial arrangement of the synthesis chambers.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A device for applying an array of nucleic acid molecules onto a substrate, said device comprising:

(a) a synthesis unit comprising a plurality of synthesis chambers for containing discrete compositions of nucleic acid molecules, wherein the synthesis chambers are spatially arranged relative to each other to provide an array suitable for conducting parallel nucleic acid syntheses;
and
(b) a plurality of synthesis outlet means, each of said synthesis outlet means communicating with a single synthesis chamber of said synthesis unit and configured such that the nucleic acid molecules can be removed from said chambers through said synthesis outlet means and deposited onto the substrate without a change in the spatial arrangement in an ordered array that corresponds to the spatial arrangement of the synthesis chambers;
and
(c) a purification unit in communication with the synthesis unit, wherein the purification unit comprises a plurality of purification chambers with corresponding purification outlet means in a spatial format, and further wherein the spatial format of the purification chambers is integral with the spatial arrangement of the synthesis unit, such that the synthesized nucleic acid molecules can be transferred to the purification unit without a change in the spatial arrangement.

2 more elements

A device for applying an array of nucleic acid molecules onto a substrate, said device comprising:

(a) a synthesis unit;
(b) a purification unit;
and
(c) a printing unit;
wherein the synthesis unit comprises a plurality of synthesis chambers each having a synthesis outlet means, and wherein the synthesis chambers are spatially arranged relative to each other to provide an array suitable for conducting parallel nucleic acid syntheses and each of said synthesis outlet means communicates with a single synthesis chamber and is configured such that nucleic acid molecules can be removed from said synthesis chambers through said synthesis outlet means and transferred to the purification unit without a change in the spatial arrangement;
and further wherein the purification unit comprises a plurality of purification chambers each having apurification outlet means in a first spatial format, wherein the spatial format of the purification chambers is integral with the spatial arrangement of the synthesis unit, and wherein each of said purification outlet means communicates with a single purification chamber and is configured such that purified nucleic acid molecules can be removed from said purification chambers through said purification outlet means and transferred to the printing unit without a change in the spatial format;
and further wherein the printing unit comprises a plurality of printing chambers each having a printing outlet means in a second spatial format, wherein the spatial format of the printing chambers is integral with the spatial arrangement of the synthesis unit and the spatial format of the purification unit, and wherein each of said printing outlet means communicates with a single printing chamber and is configured such that the purified nucleic acid molecules can be removed from said printing chambers through said printing outlet means and deposited onto a substrate without a change in either spatial formats in an ordered array that corresponds to the spatial arrangement of the synthesis chambers.

4 more elements

A method for applying an array of nucleic acid molecules onto a substrate comprising:

(a) providing a device for applying said array of nucleic acid molecules onto a substrate, said device comprising:
(i) a synthesis unit comprising a plurality of synthesis chambers for containing discrete compositions of nucleic acid molecules, wherein the synthesis chambers are spatially arranged relative to each other to provide an array suitable for conducting parallel nucleic acid syntheses;
(ii) a plurality of outlet means, each of said outlet means communicating with a single synthesis chamber of said synthesis unit and the plurality of outlet means configured in a spatial format such that the nucleic acid molecules can be removed from said chambers through said outlet means, wherein the spatial format of the outlet means is integral with the spatial arrangement of the synthesis chamhers;
and
(b) treating a reactive surface within each of said synthesis chambers with reagents to yield the nucleic acid molecules in the synthesis chambers;
(c) cleaving said nucleic acid molecules off the reactive surface to yield a plurality of discrete compositions of the nucleic acid molecules;
and
(d) depositing the nucleic acid molecules from the chambers onto a substrate without a change in the spatial format in an ordered array that corresponds to the spatial arrangement of the synthesis chambers;
the method further comprising performing post-synthesis purification of the nucleic acid molecules without a change in spatial format prior to deposition onto the substrate.

6 more elements

A method for applying an array of nucleic acid molecules onto a substrate comprising:

(a) providing a device for applying said array of nucleic acid molecules onto a substrate, said device comprising:
(i) a synthesis unit comprising a plurality of synthesis chambers for containing discrete compositions of nucleic acid molecules, wherein the synthesis chambers are spatially arranged relative to each other to provide an array suitable for conducting parallel nucleic acid syntheses;
(ii) a plurality of outlet means, each of said outlet means communicating with a single synthesis chamber of said synthesis unit and the plurality of outlet means configured in a spatial format such that the nucleic acid molecules can be removed from said chambers through said outlet means, wherein the spatial format of the outlet means is integral with the spatial arrangement of the synthesis chambers;
and
(b) treating a reactive surface within each of said synthesis chambers with reagents to yield the nucleic acid molecules in the synthesis chambers;
(c) cleaving said nucleic acid molecules off the reactive surface to yield a plurality of discrete compositions of the nucleic acid molecules;
and
(d) depositing the nucleic acid molecules from the chambers onto a substrate without a change in the spatial format in an ordered array that corresponds to the spatial arrangement of the synthesis chambers;
wherein the treating of step (b) comprises:
(i) deprotecting a protected monomer coupled to the surface, (ii) adding an additional protected monomer to the synthesis chamber to couple to the deprotected monomer, and (iii) repeating steps (i) and (ii) to yield the nucleic acid molecules;
the method further comprising performing post-synthesis purification of the nucleic acid molecules without a change in spatial format prior to deposition onto the substrate.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for fabricating replicate arrays of nucleic acid molecules

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for fabricating replicate arrays of nucleic acid molecules

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29