Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation of Madison, Wis., has received US Patent No. 7,067,322, "Fusion protein arrays on metal substrates for surface plasmon resonance imaging." The patent claims methods for making surface plasmon resonance-capable arrays where molecules, such as proteins or nucleic acids, are adhered to a metal substrate. The metal substrates are modified by depositing an O-modified alkanethiol monolayer to the substrate and then contacting the O-modified monolayer with a heterobifunctional linking compound, according to the patent. Biomolecules or cells can then be attached to the heterobifunctional linking compound. Also claimed are arrays where glutathione-containing molecules are immobilized on the substrate and GST-containing molecules are then specifically immobilized onto the substrate, taking advantage of the affinity between glutathione and GST.
Agilent Technologies of Palo Alto, Calif., has received US Patent No. 7,067,783, "Method for improved focus control in molecular array scanning by using a symmetrical filter to determine in-focus-distance." The patent claims automated methods and systems for determining an in-focus-distance for a position on the surface of a molecular array substrate using a molecular array scanner. According to the patent, a signal from a first position of an array substrate is detected and noise is filtered out of the detected signal using a symmetrical filter to produce an in-focus-distance. The method can be used in maintaining the focus of a light source while scanning the array by the scanner. Also claimed are methods of assaying a sample using the described methods and systems, as well as kits for performing the invention.
Accelr8 Technology of Denver has received US Patent No. 7,067,194, "Functional surface coating." The patent claims compositions and methods for preparing functional thin films or surface coatings with low non-specific binding. The thin films contain specified functional groups and non-specific binding repellant components. The films are either covalently bound to or passively absorbed to various solid substrates. The specified functional group provides specified activity for the thin film modified solid surfaces and non-specific binding repellant components significantly reduce the non-specific binding to the thin film modified solid surfaces. Surface coatings are also described having both non-specific protein binding properties combined with functional groups for specific binding activity thereby providing surface coating that specifically recognizes target proteins but limits binding to non-specific proteins.
Affymetrix has received US Patent No. 7,068,830, "Method and system for providing a probe array chip design database." The patent claims systems and methods for organizing information relating to the design of polymer probe array chips, including oligonucleotide array chips. A database model is described which organizes information interrelating probes on a chip, genomic items investigated by the chip, and sequence information relating to the design of the chip. The database model scales to permit storage of information about large numbers of chips having complex designs.