Apparatus for computer-assisted isolation and characterization of proteins

• US 6,643,391 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2002
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Large Scale Proteomics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Large Scale Proteomics Corporation
• Inventors: Goodman, Jack, Anderson, N. Leigh, Anderson, Norman G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W.
• Application Number:
  US10/116,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20030026466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 382/128, 382/129, 382/153, 702/19, 204/461, 204/607, 204/612, 436/516, 435/7.1, 435/288.7, 700/266, 700/273
• US Class Current: 382/129
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/288 Filter punches
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44773 Multi-stage electrophoresis, e.g. two-dimensional electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44782 of a plurality of samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44795 Isoelectric focusing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/255 including use of a solid sorbent, semipermeable membrane, or liquid extraction

Abstract

The present invention provides an integrated, fully automated, high-throughput system for two-dimensional electrophoresis comprised of gel-making machines, gel processing machines, gel compositions and geometries, gel handling systems, sample preparation systems, software and methods. The system is capable of continuous operation at high-throughput to allow construction of large quantitative data sets.

Claims

1. Apparatus for computer-assisted isolation of one or more selected biomolecules present in a two-dimensional array contained in a loose gel, comprising:

a detector capable of imaging said two-dimensional array to generate a computer-readable output comprising, for each of a plurality of biomolecules in said two-dimensional array, a pair of x,y coordinates and a signal value, wherein said two-dimensional array is contained in a loose gel;

one or more computers programmed to select one or more biomolecules represented in said output in accordance with previously ordained or operator-specified criteria and to generate machine-readable instructions that direct a robotic device to isolate at least one of said selected biomolecules; and

a robotic device capable of isolating at least one of said selected biomolecules in accordance with said instructions, wherein said detector is operably connected to at least one of said one or more computers, and at least one of said one or more computers is operably connected to said robotic device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said machine-readable instructions direct said robotic device to perform x and y movements and said robotic device is capable of performing x and y movements in accordance with said instructions.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, in which said separated biomolecules are proteins.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, in which said two-dimensional array is contained in a polyacrylamide gel.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, in which said polyacrylamide gel is laid loosely upon a generally planar solid support such that the gel has two-dimensional spatial stability, and the support is substantially non-interfering with respect to detection of a detectable label carried by the proteins.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, in which said detectable label is a fluorescent label.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, in which said solid support is glass.