Microplate thermal shift assay apparatus for ligand development and multi-variable protein chemistry optimization

• US 20040185504A1
• Filed: 04/07/2004
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Rhind, Alexander W., Bone, Roger F., Salemme, Francis R., Pantoliano, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US10/821,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20040185504A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/7.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/00 Heating or cooling apparatus autoclaves B01J3/04; Heat insulating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 1/047 Simultaneous synthesis of different peptide species; Peptide libraries
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6811 Selection methods for production or design of target specific oligonucleotides or binding molecules
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 30/04 by measuring the ability to specifically bind a target molecule, e.g. antibody-antigen binding, receptor-ligand binding
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2500/00 Screening for compounds of potential therapeutic value
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/68 involving proteins, peptides or amino acids involving lipoproteins G01N33/92
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/6803 General methods of protein analysis not limited to specific proteins or families of proteins
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/6845 Methods of identifying protein-protein interactions in protein mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/86 involving blood coagulating time or factors, or their receptors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/028 having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

The present invention provides an assay apparatus for that includes a temperature adjusting means for simultaneously heating a plurality of samples, and a receiving means for receiving spectral emission from the samples while the samples are being heated. In further aspects of the invention, the receiving means can be configured to receive fluorescent emission, ultraviolet light, and visible light. The receiving means can be configured to receive spectral emission from the samples in a variety of ways, e.g., one sample at a time, simultaneously from more than one sample, or simultaneously from all of the samples. The temperature adjusting means can be configured with a temperature controller for changing temperature in accordance with a pre-determined profile.

Claims

1. An assay apparatus, comprising:

a temperature adjusting means for simultaneously adjusting a temperature of a plurality of samples in accordance with a predetermined temperature profile; and

a receiving means for receiving spectral emission from the samples while the temperature of the samples is adjusted in accordance with the temperature profile.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said receiving means receives fluorescent emission.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said receiving means receives visible light.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said temperature adjusting means comprises:

a temperature adjusting element for adjusting the temperature of said heat conducting block.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said temperature adjusting means comprises:

a heat conducting block;

an adaptor disposed on said heat conducting block, wherein said adaptor is configured to receive a container containing the plurality of samples; and

a temperature adjusting element for adjusting the temperature of said heat conducting block.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a movable platform;

wherein said temperature adjusting means comprises a heat conducting block having a plurality of wells formed therein, each of said plurality of wells configured to receive a container containing one of the plurality of samples;

wherein said movable platform is configured to receive a plurality of said heat conducting blocks; and

a temperature adjusting element for adjusting the temperature of said heat conducting block.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a movable platform;

wherein said temperature adjusting means comprises a heat conducting block adapted to receive a container containing the plurality of samples, wherein said movable platform is configured to receive a plurality of said heat conducting blocks; and

a temperature adjusting element for adjusting the temperature of said heat conducting block.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said movable platform is a translatable platform.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said movable platform is a rotatable platform.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said receiving means is configured to receive spectral emission from the plurality of samples one sample at a time.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said receiving means is configured to simultaneously receive spectral emission from more than one sample of the plurality of samples.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said receiving means is configured to simultaneously receive spectral emission from all of the plurality of samples.

14. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said temperature adjusting means means further comprises:

a temperature controller for changing the temperature of said heat conducting block in accordance with the pre-determined temperature profile.

15. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said temperature adjusting means comprises:

a temperature controller for changing the temperature of said heat conducting block in accordance with the pre-determined temperature profile.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said receiving means comprises:

a light source for emitting an excitatory wavelength of light for the samples; and

a sensor for detecting the spectral emission from the samples in response to the excitatory wavelength of light.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said receiving means comprises a photomultiplier tube.

18. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said receiving means comprises a fluorescence scanner.

19. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said receiving means comprises a fluorescence scanner.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said receiving means comprises a fluorescence scanner.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said receiving means comprises a fluorescence scanner.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said receiving means comprises a charge coupled device.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said receiving means comprises a fluorescence imaging camera.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said receiving means comprises a CCD fluorescence imaging camera.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said receiving means comprises a diode array.

48. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a computer controller for controlling the operation of said temperature adjusting means.

49. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said temperature controller comprises a processor.

50. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said temperature controller comprises a processor.

3. The apparatus of claim or 1, wherein said receiving means receives ultraviolet light.

26. An assay apparatus, comprising:

a movable platform;

a plurality of heat conducting blocks disposed on said platform, wherein each of said plurality of heat conducting blocks is adapted to receive a plurality of samples;

a light source for emitting an excitatory wavelength of light for the samples;

a temperature adjusting means for adjusting the temperature of said heat conducting blocks, thereby adjusting the temperature of the samples;

a sensor for detecting the spectral emission from the samples in response to the excitatory wavelength of light; and

wherein said movable platform is moved between heat conducting blocks to sequentially detect spectral emission from the samples in each of said plurality of heat conducting blocks.

27. The apparatus to claim 26, wherein said movable platform is a translatable platform.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said movable platform is a rotatable platform.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein each of said plurality of heat conducting blocks has a plurality of wells formed therein, each of said plurality of wells configured to receive a container containing one of the plurality of samples.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein each of said plurality of heat conducting blocks is adapted to receive a container containing the plurality of samples.

31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said temperature adjusting means comprises:

a temperature controller for changing the temperature of said heat conducting blocks in accordance with a pre-determined temperature profile.

32. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said sensor comprises a photomultiplier tube.

33. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said sensor comprises a fluorescence scanner.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said fluorescence scanner is configured to scan the plurality of samples one sample at a time.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said fluorescence scanner is configured to simultaneously scan a subset of at least two of the plurality of samples.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said receiving means is configured to simultaneously receive spectral emission from all of the plurality of samples.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said receiving means comprises a fluorescence imaging camera.

38. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said sensor comprises a charge-coupled device.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said sensor comprises a charge-coupled device camera.

40. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said sensor comprises a diode array.

41. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said fluorescence imaging camera is configured to simultaneously scan all of the plurality of samples in one of said heat conducting blocks.

42. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said fluorescence imaging camera is configured to simultaneously scan all of the plurality of samples in all of said plurality heat conducting blocks.

43. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said charged coupled device camera is configured to simultaneously scan all of the plurality of samples in one of said heat conducting blocks.

44. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said charge coupled device camera is configured to simultaneously scan all of the plurality of samples in all of said plurality heat conducting blocks.

45. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least one sample of the plurality of samples comprises a biological polymer.

46. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least one sample of the plurality of samples comprises a protein.

47. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least one sample of the plurality of samples comprises a nucleic acid.

51. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said temperature controller comprises a processor.

52. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said temperature adjusting means independently adjusts the temperature of each of said heat conducting blocks.

53. An assay apparatus, comprising:

a heating means for simultaneously heating a plurality of samples; and

a receiving means for receiving spectral emission from the samples while the samples are being heated.