Directed Evolution and Selection Using in Vitro Compartmentalization
First Claim
1. A library of genetic elements encoding gene products, the library being compartmentalized in aqueous droplets of a water-in-oil emulsion, wherein each aqueous droplet comprises the components necessary to express gene products encoded by the genetic elements and further comprises at least one biological moiety the activity of which results in the modification of said genetic elements or the gene products encoded by said genetic elements.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is related to the field of compartmentalized libraries of genetic elements and the selection of biologically active molecules and the genes encoding same from said libraries. The selection assay of the invention utilizes water-in-oil emulsions and is particularly advantageous in applications in the field of directed-evolution, as exemplified herein for selection of protein inhibitors of DNA nucleases.
188 Citations
28 Claims
- 1. A library of genetic elements encoding gene products, the library being compartmentalized in aqueous droplets of a water-in-oil emulsion, wherein each aqueous droplet comprises the components necessary to express gene products encoded by the genetic elements and further comprises at least one biological moiety the activity of which results in the modification of said genetic elements or the gene products encoded by said genetic elements.
-
9. A method for selecting genetic elements encoding gene products of a desired activity, the method comprising:
-
a) providing a library of genetic elements;
b) providing at least one biologically active moiety the activity of which results in the modification of said genetic elements or the gene products encoded by said genetic elements;
c) co-compartmentalizing the genetic elements with the at least one biologically active moiety into aqueous droplets, the aqueous droplets being the internal discontinuous phase of a water-in-oil emulsion, such that each aqueous droplet comprises at least one genetic element together with the at least one biologically active moiety and further comprises components necessary to express the gene products encoded by said at least one genetic element;
d) merging the water-in-oil emulsion with micelles comprising at least one activating agent capable of modulating the activity of said at least one biological moiety; and
e) detecting genetic elements encoding gene products having a desired activity. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
Specification