Roche NimbleGen of Madison, Wis., has received US Patent No. 7,892,732, "Method of performing PCR amplification on a microarray." The patent provides a method of amplifying target DNA on a microarray using PCR. The method uses array-immobilized DNA probes, constructed using a maskless array synthesizer in a common area of the microarray, where the array DNA probes have a universal primer, a sequence-specific probe, and optionally a calibrated probe sequence, for quantifying amplified target DNA. According to the patent, a sample containing target DNA sequences along with amplification reagents are added to the array-immobilized probes to initiate amplification. Through multiple rounds of thermal cycling, non-array target DNA are produced having universal primers and sequence-specific probes flanking the target sequences of interest.
Quest Diagnostics of Madison, NJ, has received US Patent No. 7,892,743, "Subtractive single-label comparative hybridization." The patent claims methods of performing array-based comparative hybridization that allow reproducibility between samples and enhanced sensitivity by using the same detectable label for both test sample and reference sample nucleic acids. According to the patent, the methods are useful for detecting or diagnosing disease conditions including cancer, and detecting predisposition to cancer based on detecting chromosomal or genetic abnormalities and gene expression level. The methods are also useful for detecting or diagnosing hereditary genetic disorders, especially in prenatal samples, the inventors claim in the patent.
Colorado State University Research Foundation of Fort Collins (why location names for some and not others?) has received US Patent No. 7,892,816, "Electrochemical detection of substrates." A method for detecting probe-target substrate binding is claimed. Specifically, the patent details a way of detecting a surface-bound target complex by detecting the redox reaction of a redox transition metal complex that is catalyzed by a redox-catalyst complex.
Eppendorf Array Technologies of Namur, Belgium, has received US Patent No. 7,892,818, "Method and kit for the determination of cellular activation profiles." The patent claims a method for obtaining an activation profile of a biological sample by disposing onto a solid support in a pre-determined spatial arrangement a subset of capture molecules able to interact with one or more activated transcription factors present in the biological sample; contacting the biological sample upon the solid support under conditions allowing their interaction; monitoring signals resulting from their interaction; and providing a cellular activation profile from the detected signals.
Suntory of Osaka, Japan, has received US Patent No. 7,893,008, "Oligonucleotides, arrays thereof for detecting microorganisms, and an apparatus, a method and a kit for detecting microorganisms." The patent claims a means of detecting a microorganism contaminating a sample. A microarray instrument is provided, in which oligonucleotides prepared based on nucleotide sequences specific to the microorganism have been immobilized on an array substrate. According to the patent, it is possible to detect and identify the microorganism based on the presence or absence of hybridization of the probes prepared from the test sample with the oligos on the array.
Cornell Research Foundation of Ithaca, NY, has received US Patent No. 7,893,233, "Detection of nucleic acid sequence differences using the ligase detection reaction with addressable arrays." A method for identifying sequences differing by single base changes, insertions, deletions, or translocations is claimed. According to the patent, the method includes: a) a ligation phase based on a ligation detection reaction between one oligonucleotide probe, which has a target sequence-specific portion and an addressable array-specific portion, and a second probe with a target sequence-specific portion and a detectable label; b) a capture phase carried out by hybridizing the ligated probes to a solid support with an array of immobilized capture oligos; and c) a detection phase where the labels of the ligated probes hybridized to the support are detected.
Agilent Technologies has received US Patent No. 7,894,998, "Method for identifying suitable nucleic acid probe sequences for use in nucleic acid arrays." The claimed method includes providing a set of known, undesirable probe sequences; comparing a nucleic acid sequence to each member of the set; and identifying regions of the nucleic acid sequence that match a sequence of a member of the probe set as undesirable regions. According to the patent, the methods also include marking the undesirable regions of the nucleic acid sequence to identify regions of the nucleic acid sequence that are suitable for use as probes in a nucleic acid array. An algorithm and kits for carrying out the methods are also provided.