Affymetrix has received US Patent No. 7,745,178, "Complexity management of genomic DNA." The patent describes non-gel-based methods for amplifying a subset of the sequences in a sample in order to reduce nucleic acid sample complexity. This amplification can be accomplished by digesting a sample with two or more restriction enzymes and ligating adaptors to the fragments so that only a subset of the fragments can be amplified, according to the patent. The patent also clams a means of analysis of the amplified sample by hybridization to an array, which may be specifically designed to interrogate the desired fragments for particular characteristics, such as the presence or absence of a polymorphism.
The Palo Alto Research Center of Palo Alto, Calif., has received US Patent No. 7,749,448, "Capillary-channel probes for liquid pickup, transportation and dispense using stressy metal." The patent describes fluidic conduits that can be used in microarraying systems, dip pen nanolithography systems, fluidic circuits, and microfluidic systems. The claimed conduits use channel-spring probes that include at least one capillary channel formed from spring beams that curve away from the substrate when released. Capillary forces produced by the narrow channels allow liquid to be gathered, held, and dispensed by the channel-spring probes, according to the patent.
Agilent Technologies has received US Patent No. 7,749,701, "Controlling use of oligonucleotide sequences released from arrays." The patent claims a method that includes synthesizing a chemical array of oligonucleotides on a substrate under conditions for producing an array of cleavable oligonucleotides that are blocked from enzymatic reactions after cleavage. It also includes receiving a chemical array of cleavable oligonucleotides on a substrate, and cleaving the oligonucleotides from the array, where the oligonucleotides are blocked from enzymatic reactions after cleavage.
Corning of Corning, NY, has received US Patent No. 7,749,723, "Universal readout for target identification using biological microarrays." The patent claims a method for performing an indirect competitive binding assay on a microarray to identify biological or chemical targets and screen for compounds of interest. The described microarray includes a common ligand located among membrane-, lipid- or protein-associated active binding sites. The method relies on known or well-characterized binding kinetics, and steric interference between biological or chemicals targets of interest and universal readout units for different binding sites within the limited confines of a microspot. The biological targets, chemicals, or organisms can specifically bind to target-binding sites, while the universal readout unit binds to the ligands in the microspot, according to the patent.
Fluidigm of South San Francisco, Calif., has received US Patent No. 7,749,737, "Thermal reaction device and method for using the same." The patent claims a microfluidic device for performing a matrix of reactions, where the device contains reaction cells in communication with either a sample inlet or a reagent inlet formed within an elastomeric block of the device. The patent also claims a method for forming inlets in parallel in an elastomeric layer of the device using patterned photoresist masks and etching reagents to etch away regions or portions of an elastomeric layer of the elastomeric block.
Michael Seul of Fanwood, NJ, has received US Patent No. 7,749,774, "Arrays formed of encoded beads having ligands attached." The patent claims a method for the manipulation of colloidal particles and biomolecules at the interface between an insulating electrode such as silicon oxide and an electrolyte solution. This invention enables the interactive control over the creation and placement of planar arrays and the manipulation of array shape and size, according to the patent. It also provides for the creation of material surfaces with desired properties and for the fabrication of surface-mounted optical components.