Southern Illinois University of Carbondale, Ill., has received US Patent No. 8,443,647, " Analyte multi-sensor for the detection and identification of analyte and a method of using the same." The described sensor may include a substrate containing three sensing elements. Each sensing element includes two electrodes seperated by a distance and a nanowire mat that is adjacent to and in contact with these electrodes. According to the patent, the nanowire mats include nanowires that define a percolation network.
3DHistech of Budapest, Hungary, has received US Patent No. 8,443,960, "System for handling slides." The patented system relies on a tray moving on a carriage to handle slides. It consists of a tray-moving mechanism and a slide-loading frame with a slide-loading arm and arm-driving motor. According to the patent, there are outstretched Maltese crosses on the lower side of the tray of the slide feeder and a crank is arranged in the carriage, opposite to and parallel with the crosses.
Weiqun Liu of San Francisco has received US Patent No. 8,444,920, "O-ring systems and methods for quantification of multiplex biomarkers in multiple samples." The invention makes use of O-rings containing apertures. According to the patent, O-rings can be used to detect the presence of the biomarkers in a fluid sample. They can also be organized in a trackable manner prior to and during incubation with the sample fluid. The inventor also claims that O-rings can also be transferred and organized into one or more trackable arrays for detecting the presence of bound biomarkers and measuring the signaling product generated by bound detect molecule-linked enzymes present in a homogeneous solution with a spectrophotometer.
Université Laval of Quebec City, Canada, has received US Patent No. 8,444,934, "Removable microfluidic flow cell." The flow cell consists of a fluid-receiving portion that is communication with a reaction chamber. According to the patent, the cell can be adapted to allow for the fluid in the fluid-receiving portion to flow to the reaction chamber.
Vivalis of Roussay, France, has received US Patent No. 8,445,193, "Microwell array chip for detecting antigen-specific lymphocytes, method of detecting and method of manufacturing antigen-specific lymphocytes, and method of cloning antigen-specific lymphocyte antigen receptor genes." The method relies on a multiple microwell-containing microarray. As each well contains a single lymphocyte specimen, the chip can be used to detect antigen-specific lymphocytes in single units, according to the inventors.
Callida Genomics of Sunnyvale, Calif., has received US Patent Nos. 8,445,194; 8,445,196; and 8,445,197, all three of which are entitled, "Single molecule arrays for genetic and chemical analysis." All three patents describe the use of such random arrays for carrying out large scale analyses of biomolecules, such as genomic DNA, cDNAs, and proteins. Many analytical chemistries can be applied to the described random arrays, the inventors claim, including sequencing-by-hybridization chemistries, sequencing-by-synthesis chemistries, and SNP-detection chemistries.
Medical Prognosis Institute of Hørsholm, Denmark, has received US Patent No. 8,445,198, "Methods, kits and devices for identifying biomarkers of treatment response and use thereof to predict treatment efficacy." The patent describes the use of oligonucleotide microarrays to monitor an individual's sensitivity or resistance to treatment with a chemotherapeutic agent. Also featured are methods of identifying biomarkers of sensitivity or resistance to a medical treatment based on the correlation of gene or microRNA expression to treatment efficacy, such as the growth inhibition of cancer cells.
Affymetrix of Santa Clara, Calif., has received US Patent No. 8,445,201, "Hybridization device, methods, and system using mixing beads." The patent claims a method for hybridizing a target oligonucleotide to at least one array consisting of mixing beads. According to the patent, a target solution is mixed by agitating the mixing beads while the target oligonucleotides are hybridizing to the complementary probes on the array. In one embodiment, a permeable barrier contains the mixing beads, preventing them from contacting the array surface.
The Korea Institute of Science and Technology of Seoul has received US Patent No. 8,445,207, "Genes based on thalidomide, valproic acid and methotrexate treatment for screening of drug inducing teratogenicity and screening method using thereof." The patent describes a method for screening genes up- or downregulated by a drug inducing teratogenicity such as thalidomide, valproic acid, and methotrexate. It also claims a method for screening of thalidomide, valproic acid, and methotrexate using the genes. This is accomplished using a DNA microarray. According to the patent, the method can be used to assess the risk of and monitoring drugs or chemicals having high risk of teratogenicity.
The California Institute of Technology of Pasadena has received US Patent No. 8,445,210, "Microfabricated crossflow devices and methods." The claimed device includes a main channel and an inlet region that is in communication with the channel at a droplet extrusion region. According to the patent, a fluid that contains but is incompatible with the solution holding the biological material of interest is flown through the channel. The droplets are subsequently captured and analyzed or sorted using the device.
The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology of Tokyo has received US Patent No. 8,445,413, "Linker for constructing mRNA-puromycin-protein conjugate." The patent provides a linker for ligating mRNA and puromycin or a puromycin-like compound to construct an mRNA/cDNA-puromycin-protein conjugate. Also claimed are a mRNA bead or an mRNA chip containing the resulting conjugate, a protein chip produced from this mRNA chip, and a diagnostic kit using the mRNA bead or the mRNA chip.
NIGU Chemie of Waldkraiburg, Germany, has received US Patent No. 8,445,734, "Photolabile protective groups for improved processes to prepare oligonucleotide arrays." Provided are nucleosidic and nucleotidic compounds that the inventors claim are useful in the light-directed synthesis of oligonucleotides, as well as methods and reagents for their preparation. Covered by the patent are the use of these compounds in light-directed oligonucleotide synthesis, the respective assembly of nucleic acid microarrays, and their application.
Nanyang Technological University of Singapore has received US Patent No. 8,445,889, "Method of patterning of nanostructures." The patent relates to patterning and microarray patterning of nanostructured materials and biological molecules on various substrates and thin-film transistors. It includes printing the nanostructures onto a solvent-extracting surface. According to the patent, this surface may be made of patterned conducting wires, a dielectric film embedded with conducting structures, a composite film, or a related composite material.
Illumina of San Diego has received US Patent No. 8,446,573, "Focusing methods and optical systems and assemblies using the same." The claimed method includes providing a pair of incident light beams to a conjugate lens. The incident light beams are then directed by the lens to converge toward a focal region. The method also includes reflecting the incident light beams with an object positioned proximate to the focal region. The reflected light beams return to and propagate through the lens. By detecting a phase of each of the reflected light beams and determining, the degree-of-focus of the optical system can be determined.