The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has received US Patent No. 7,612,185, "Nucleic acid biosensors." The patent claims a sensor system for detecting an effector. The system includes an aggregate composed of complexes where each complex includes: a) an aptazyme, composed of an aptamer that serves as a binding site for the effector; b) a substrate for the aptazyme, hybridized to the aptazyme; c) particles; and d) polynucleotides attached to the particles at the 5' terminus or 3' terminus and hybridized to the substrate. According to the patent, the aptazyme cleaves the substrate when the aptamer binds the effector and cleavage of the substrate results in deaggregation of the aggregate.
SRU Biosystems of Woburn, Mass., has received US Patent No. 7,615,339, "Method for producing a colorimetric resonant reflection biosensor on rigid surfaces." The patent claims a method for casting a colorimetric resonant reflection biosensor structure by: a) applying a liquid or semi-solid material that is capable of being transformed or cured into a flexible master structure over a rigid colorimetric resonant reflection biosensor master structure; b) transforming or curing the liquid or semi-solid material into a flexible master structure, where the flexible master structure has the rigid colorimetric resonant reflection biosensor master structure embossed into a first surface of the flexible master structure; and c) peeling the flexible master structure from the rigid colorimetric resonant reflection biosensor master structure. The method also calls for: d) pressing the flexible master structure into a liquid or semi-solid layer, where the liquid or semi-solid layer is on a rigid substrate; and e) transforming or curing the liquid or semi-solid layer into a solid layer, whereby a colorimetric resonant reflection biosensor structure is casted.
Asahi Kasei of Osaka, Japan, has received US Patent No. 7,615,347, "Method for trapping nucleic acids using divalent metal ions." The patent claims a method for trapping nucleic acids on a surface of a solid-phase substrate, by contacting a sample containing nucleic acids and having a pH of 12 or higher with the surface of the solid-phase substrate on which divalent metal ions are immobilized; and a method for trapping nucleic acids on a surface of a solid phase substrate by contacting a sample containing nucleic acids and a magnesium compound, of which the pH is adjusted to be 12 or higher, with the surface of the solid phase substrate.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Institute for Systems Biology, both of Seattle, have received US Patent No. 7,615,350, "Methods for haplotyping genomic DNA." The patent claims a method for isolating and separating large segments of genomic DNA that can subsequently be used to determine a genomic haplotype. The method relies on a solid phase composing a flat surface arrayed with oligonucleotides designed to specifically hybridize to each particular haplotype of an individual sample. Genomic DNA is contacted and hybridized to the arrayed oligonucleotides to form a genomic DNA-oligonucleotide complex. The excess genomic DNA is washed away and the haplotype-separated genomic DNA is denatured from the oligonucleotide probe and collected.
Panomics, now part of Affymetrix, has received US Patent No. 7,615,351, "Two stage nucleic acid amplification using an amplification oligomer." The patent claims methods and systems to detect a nucleic acid of interest in a two-stage amplification. The two-stage amplification begins with a first non-enzymatic accumulation of an amplification oligomer that is the target substrate for a second nucleic acid amplification or assay. Two or more amplification oligomers can be used to allow multiplexed amplifications of two or more nucleic acids of interest with deconvolution based on unique detection signals or unique signal locations, according to the patent.
Stanford University has received US Patent No. 7,615,368, "Microarrays of polypeptides." The patent describes microarrays of polypeptides that can be used in the multiplexed detection and quantitation of ligands in a miniaturized format. The substrate is used for detecting binding of ligands to polypeptides for screening and diagnostic purposes.
Tecan of Mannendorf, Switzerland, has received US Patent No. 7,615,370, "System having device for preventing air bubbles in a hybridization chamber and corresponding method." The patent describes a system that has hybridization chambers for hybridizing nucleic acid samples, proteins, or tissue sections immobilized on slides. Each hybridization chamber can be filled with a liquid. Slides are positioned in the chamber so that the chamber is sealed to the surrounding air. The system prevents air bubbles in the hybridization chamber by using a pressure device to build up pressure in the hybridization chambers that is above the normal atmospheric pressure existing in the surrounding air.
CapitalBio of Beijing has received US Patent No. 7,615,758, "Laser confocal microarray scanner." The patent claims a laser microarray scanner for microarray scanning, composed of an optical system, a scanning platform, and a data processing system. During scanning, the optical system remains fixed, and the microarray placed on the scanning platform moves relative to the optical system. According to the inventors, the microarray scanner has a high scanning speed, high sensitivity, high resolution, and high signal-to-noise ratio.