Devices and methods for determining the length of biopolymers and distances between probes bound thereto
AssigneeNABsys, Inc.
InventorJohn S. Oliver
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices and methods for detecting the length of analytes and/or sequencing analytes are provided in which two or more electrical signals are obtained as an analyte traverses a fluidic channel. Detection of the relative position of probes hybridized to a biopolymer and/or the length of the analyte (e.g., a biopolymer) does not rely on the absolute time between detection events of a given electrical signal to determine a distance associated with the biopolymer. Instead, multiple signals are obtained (e.g., as functions of time) corresponding to a plurality of detector volumes at known locations along a fluidic channel through which the biopolymer passes, and the distances are determined from the multiple signals.
Claims18
A method for sequencing a biopolymer, the method comprising:
- preparing an analyte by hybridizing a first plurality of probes with the biopolymer such that said first plurality of probes attaches to portions of the biomolecule to produce a partially hybridized biomolecule;
- disposing the analyte in a fluidic channel;
- applying a potential along the fluidic channel;
- translocating the analyte from a first end of the fluidic channel to a second end of the fluidic channel;
- detecting two or more electrical signals as the analyte moves through the fluidic channel, said two or more electrical signals corresponding to two or more detector volumes of the fluidic channel, said two or more electrical signals being detected by using a plurality of sensing electrodes disposed along the length of the fluidic channel, wherein each detector volume is defined by a pair of the sensing electrodes laterally offset from each other along the fluidic channel, the detected electrical signals indicating locations of the hybridized probes along the biopolymer;
- analyzing the electrical signals to determine in which detector volumes probes bound to the biomolecule are located;
- determining at least a portion of the sequence of the biopolymer using a distance between sensing electrodes corresponding to said detector volumes in which the probes are located,
- wherein the fluidic channel is a nanochannel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.