System and Method for Emulsion Breaking and Recovery of Biological Elements

• US 20110087016A1
• Filed: 09/10/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 454 Life Sciences Corporation (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: 454 Life Sciences Corporation (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Suo, Yue
• Granted Patent: US 8,609,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 536/25.41
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6806 Preparing nucleic acids for analysis, e.g. for polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay C12Q1/6804 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2527/125 Specific component of sample, medium or buffer

Abstract

An embodiment of a method for extracting biological material from an emulsion is described that comprises the steps of a) breaking an emulsion comprising a plurality of aqueous droplets in a continuous phase of an oil using a solvent to produce a combined aqueous-oil mixture, where the solvent disrupts the aqueous droplets which release a plurality of biological elements each immobilized on a substrate into the combined aqueous-oil mixture; b) introducing an inorganic salt to the combined aqueous-oil mixture causing a phase separation of the mixture into a first phase comprising an aqueous solution and the biological elements and a second phase comprising the solvent and the oil; c) extracting the first phase from the second phase; and d) collecting the substrate immobilized biological elements from the first phase.

Claims

15-1. A system for recovery of biological material from an emulsion, comprising:

a lab automation platform for performing the method of claim 1.