High throughput screening of crystallization of materials
First Claim
1. A method for determining crystallization conditions for a protein, the method comprising:
- delivering material within a microfluidic device to a plurality of enclosed volumes via one or more flow channels that each have a width and depth of less than 500 microns to form a plurality of different crystallization samples within the plurality of enclosed volumes, the plurality of different crystallization samples comprising a protein to be crystallized and crystallization conditions which vary among the plurality of different crystallization samples;
allowing crystals of the protein to form in the plurality of crystallization samples within the microfluidic device when interface valves open and close between said protein samples and said crystallization conditions; and
identifying which of the plurality of crystallization samples within the microfluidic device comprise a precipitate or a crystal of the protein.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
High throughput screening of crystallization of a target material is accomplished by simultaneously introducing a solution of the target material into a plurality of chambers of a microfabricated fluidic device. The microfabricated fluidic device is then manipulated to vary the solution condition in the chambers, thereby simultaneously providing a large number of crystallization environments. Control over changed solution conditions may result from a variety of techniques, including but not limited to metering volumes of crystallizing agent into the chamber by volume exclusion, by entrapment of volumes of crystallizing agent determined by the dimensions of the microfabricated structure, or by cross-channel injection of sample and crystallizing agent into an array of junctions defined by intersecting orthogonal flow channels.
158 Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A method for determining crystallization conditions for a protein, the method comprising:
-
delivering material within a microfluidic device to a plurality of enclosed volumes via one or more flow channels that each have a width and depth of less than 500 microns to form a plurality of different crystallization samples within the plurality of enclosed volumes, the plurality of different crystallization samples comprising a protein to be crystallized and crystallization conditions which vary among the plurality of different crystallization samples; allowing crystals of the protein to form in the plurality of crystallization samples within the microfluidic device when interface valves open and close between said protein samples and said crystallization conditions; and identifying which of the plurality of crystallization samples within the microfluidic device comprise a precipitate or a crystal of the protein. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31)
-
-
24. A method for determining crystallization conditions for a protein, the method comprising:
-
within a microfluidic device, delivering material to a plurality of enclosed volumes via one or more flow channels that each have a width and depth of less than 500 microns to form a plurality of different crystallization samples within the plurality of enclosed volumes, each enclosed volume comprising two or more crystallization samples, the different crystallization samples comprising a protein to be crystallized and crystallization conditions which vary among the plurality of different crystallization samples; allowing crystals of the protein to form in the plurality of crystallization samples by opening and closing interface valves between said protein samples and said crystallization samples; and identifying which of the plurality of crystallization samples comprise a precipitate or a crystal of the protein. - View Dependent Claims (30)
-
Specification