California Institute of Technology of Pasadena has received US Patent No. 8,550,119, "Microfabricated elastomeric valve and pump systems." The method includes forming two elastomeric layers on top of micromachined molds. The layers are bonded together to form a control channel and the top layer is positioned on a planar substrate to form a flow channel.
Leica Biosystems of Newcastle, UK, has received US Patent Nos. 8,551,708, and 8,551,710, both entitled "Methods for localized in situ detection of mRNA. The patents relate to the localized detection of RNA in situ. The method relies on the conversion of RNA to complementary DNA prior to the targeting of the cDNA with a padlock probes. The hybridization of the padlock probes relies on the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA that is derived from the corresponding nucleotide sequence of the target RNA. Rolling circle amplification of the subsequently circularized padlock probe produces a rolling circle product that may be detected.
NuGen Technologies of San Carlos Calif., has received US Patent No. 8,551,709, "Methods for fragmentation and labeling of nucleic acids." The patent relates to methods for fragmenting nucleic acids to produce fragments with 3' end hydroxyl groups within a desired size range. Nucleic acids are fragmented at basic sites to produce fragments with blocked 3' ends. The 3' ends are then unblocked to produce polynucleotide fragments with hydroxyl groups at their 3' ends.
Zenteris of Jena, Germany, has received US Patent No. 8,551,761, "Cartridge and device for analyzing biological samples using temperature-controlled biological reactions." The cartridge includes a reaction chamber and a biochip mounted in the reaction chamber, a filling nozzle connected so as to communicate with the reaction chamber, and a compensation chamber connected so as to communicate with the reaction chamber.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory of Cold Spring Harbor, NY, has received US Patent No. 8,554,488, "Determining a probabilistic diagnosis of autism by analysis of genomic copy number variations." The patent provides methods related to genomic profiling, and to assigning probabilistic measure of clinical outcome for a patient having a disease or a tumor using segmented genomic profiles such as those produced by representational oligonucleotide microarray analysis.