Sony of Tokyo has received US Patent No. 8,491,853, "Substrate and device for bioassay and method for making the substrate." The patent describes a substrate hosting a group of reaction regions that serve as a field where the interaction between substances proceeds and is formed in the substrate. The substrate also hosts a group of information pits that are used to obtain positional information of individual reaction regions and substance information used in the reaction regions. The group of reaction regions and the group of information pits are not formed in the same substrate surface, according to the patent. A bioassay apparatus using the substrate and a method for making the substrate are also provided.
Cornell Research Foundation of Ithaca, NY, has received US Patent No. 8,492,085, "Method of designing addressable array suitable for detection of nucleic acid sequence differences using ligase detection reaction." The patent relates to an array that includes a support and a collection of double multimer unit oligonucleotides at different positions on the support so that complementary oligonucleotides to be immobilized on the solid support can be captured at the different positions. According to the patent, the complementary oligonucleotides will hybridize, within a narrow temperature range of greater than 24 degrees Celsius with little mismatch, to members of the collection of double multimer unit oligonucleotides.
Quest Diagnostics of Madison, NJ, has received US Patent No. 8,492,089, "Subtractive single label comparative hybridization." The patent provides methods of performing array-based comparative hybridization that allow reproducibility between samples and enhanced sensitivity by using the same detectable label for both test sample and reference sample nucleic acids. The methods are useful for the detection or diagnosis of particular disease conditions such as cancer, and detecting predisposition to cancer based on detection of chromosomal or genetic abnormalities and gene expression level, according to the inventors. The methods are also useful for the detection or diagnosis of hereditary genetic disorders or a predisposition to them, especially in prenatal samples.
The Institute for Systems Biology of Seattle has received US Patent No. 8,492,094, "Methods for detection and quantification of analytes in complex mixtures." The method consists of contacting a mixture of nucleic acid analytes under conditions sufficient for hybridization with target specific nucleic acid probes, each having a different specifier; contacting the mixture under conditions sufficient for hybridization with a corresponding number of anti-gene-digits each having a unique label; and detecting a hybridized complex between analytes in the mixture, a target specific probe, and an antigene-digit
NuGen Technologies of San Carlos, Calif., have received US Patent No. 8,492,095, "Methods and compositions for amplification of RNA sequences." The methods employ a composite primer, a second primer, and strand displacement to generate multiple copies of DNA products consisting of sequences complementary to an RNA sequence of interest. The methods are useful for preparation of nucleic acid libraries and substrates for analysis of gene expression of cells in biological samples. The patent also provides compositions and kits for practicing the amplification methods, as well as methods that use the amplification products.
Tufts University of Medford, Mass., has received US Patent No. 8,492,098, "Methods and arrays for target analyte detection and determination of reaction components that affect a reaction." The method includes providing an array of sites, where each site consists of a capture component, and contacting the array with the sample so that each site in a subset of the sites contains a single target analyte. The method also includes contacting the array with an enzymatic substrate and detecting a change in an optical property at each of the sites as an indication of the presence of the target analyte.
Affymetrix of Santa Clara, Calif., has received US Patent No. 8,492,121, "Complexity management of genomic DNA." The patent provides non-gel based methods for the amplification of a subset of sequences in a sample. This 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. The patent also provides for analysis of the amplified sample by hybridization to an array, which may be specifically designed to interrogate the desired fragments for particular characteristics.
Life Bioscience of Albuquerque, NM, has received US Patent No. 8,492,315, "Method of providing a pattern of biological-binding areas for biological testing." The method includes activating at least a portion of a glass-ceramic substrate consisting of glass and one or more metal containing compounds selected from metal oxides, metal nanoparticles, metal alloys, and atomic metals. The glass-ceramic substrate is heated to a temperature near the glass transformation temperature to form metal nanoparticles in ceramic biological-binding areas. The glass-ceramic substrate is etched to expose one or more metal. Biological molecules are then contacted with the ceramic biological-binding areas to provide biological testing areas with an increased binding area as compared to unactivated areas.