Microfluidic Devices and Methods for Gene Synthesis

• US 20120283140A1
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gen9, Inc. (Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gen9, Inc. (Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chu, Larry Li-Yang
• Granted Patent: US 9,216,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 506/16
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0046 Sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of polypeptides or polynucleotides; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making molecular arrays synthesis methods per se C40B50/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00286 Reactor vessels with top and bottom openings
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00511 Walls of reactor vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0052 in the shape of elongated tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00529 DNA chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00619 using hydrophilic or hydrophobic regions
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00653 the compounds being bound to electrodes embedded in or on the solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00655 the compounds being bound to magnets embedded in or on the solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/028 Modular arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/161 Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1861 using radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0478 pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502784 specially adapted for droplet or plug flow, e.g. digital microfluidics automatic analysis using a stream of discrete samples in a tube system G01N35/08
• 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

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present invention provide devices and methods for preparing oligonucleotides and for assembling nucleic acid molecules using microfluidic devices.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device comprising:

a. at least one main channel adapted to carry a carrier phase fluid comprising droplets that are immiscible with the carrier fluid, the channel comprising interior walls; and

b. at least one surface-capture spot on the channel interior walls, wherein the capture spot hydrophilic surface property is different than the interior wall surface property.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1 further comprising an inlet module upstream of the main channel.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 1 further comprising an outlet module downstream of the main channel.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the surface-capture spot comprises a surface area modification.

5. The microfluidic device of claim 4 wherein the surface modification affects the hydrophilic property of the surface-capture spot.

6. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the channel carries a water-immiscible fluid, wherein the channel interior walls comprise an hydrophobic surface and wherein the at least one surface-capture spot is hydrophilic.

7. The microfluidic device of claim 1 comprising a plurality of surface-capture spots.

8. The microfluidic device of claim 7 wherein the surface-capture spots comprise oligonculeotides.

9. The microfluidic device of claim 8 wherein the surface-capture spots form a high density oligonucleotide array.

10. The microfluidic device of claim 1 comprising a surface-capture module, wherein the surface capture module comprises a plurality of surface capture-spots and a force transducer.

11. The microfluidic device of claim 10 wherein the force transducer is an electric field, a magnetic field, a mechanical force, an optically induced force or any combination thereof