Density-based separation of biological analytes using multiphase systems
AssigneePresident and Fellows of Harvard College
InventorsCharles R. Mace, Ashok A. Kumar, Dyann F. Wirth, George M. Whitesides
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Abstract
The disclosed methods use a multi-phase system to separate samples according to the density of an analyte of interest. The method uses a multi-phase system that comprises two or more phase-separated solutions and a phase component such as a surfactant or polymer. The density of the analyte of interest differs from the densities of the rest of the sample. The density of the analyte of interest is substantially the same as one or more phases. Thus, when the sample is introduced to the multi-phase system, the analyte of interest migrates to the phase having the same density as the analyte of interest, passing through one or more phases sequentially.
Claims31
A method of analyzing or separating a sample comprising one or more biological analytes of interest using a multi-phase system, comprising:
- a) providing a multi-phase system comprising two or more phase-separated solutions having a stable interface between adjacent phases, wherein
- the two or more phase-separated solutions comprise
- a first phase solution comprising a first phase component predominantly residing in the first phase solution;
- and
- a second phase solution adjacent to the first phase solution and comprising a second phase component predominantly residing in the second phase solution, said second phase component different from the first phase component;
- wherein the first and second phase solutions have a common solvent and each of the first and second phase components is selected from the group consisting of a polymer, a surfactant and combinations thereof, wherein at least one of the first and second phase components comprises a polymer;
- each said phase has an upper and a lower phase boundary;
- and
- each of the two or more phases has a different density and the phases, taken together, represent a density gradient;
- b) introducing a biological sample comprising one or more biological analytes of interest without disrupting the phase-separated solution;
- and
- c) allowing the biological analyte to migrate to a location in the multi-phase system that is characteristic of its density, wherein during migration the analyte contacts one or more of the two or more phases sequentially such that the analyte's final position in the system is not determined predominantly by partitioning.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.