Methods and products for analyzing polymers

• US 9,745,625 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2013
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chan, Eugene Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): MUMMERT, STEPHANIE KANE
• Application Number:
  US14/034,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20140199209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00707 separated from the reactor apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6809 Methods for determination or identification of nucleic acids involving differential detection
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6869 Methods for sequencing
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/631 being a biochannel or pore
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0346 Capillary cells; Microcells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6432 Quenching
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6439 with indicators, stains, dyes, tags, labels, marks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6441 with two or more labels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6482 Sample cells, cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/05 Flow-through cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48721 Investigating individual macromolecules, e.g. by translocation through nanopores Coulter counters in general G01N15/12; fabrication methods for nanoscale apertures B81B1/00; sequencing of nucleic acids C12Q1/68
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/97 Test strip or test slide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/973 Simultaneous determination of more than one analyte

Abstract

Methods and products for analyzing polymers are provided. The methods include methods for determining various other structural properties of the polymers.

Claims

1. A system for analyzing biological molecules, comprising:

a device having a plurality of passageways; and

a molecular motor in communication with at least one of the passageways, the molecule motor configured to receive a biological molecule, and further configured to move the biological molecule at least partially through the at least one passageway, wherein the at least one passageway is a nanopore or a nanochannel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one passageway is a nanopore.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one passageway is a nanochannel.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of passageways is in communication with a molecular motor, and each molecular motor is configured to receive a distinct biological molecule, and each molecular motor is configured to move the distinct biological molecules through distinct passageways.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the passageways are nanopores.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the molecular motor is a polymerase.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the molecular motor is a helicase.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the biological molecule is DNA.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the biological molecule is single-stranded DNA.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the molecular motor is configured to linearly thread the biological molecule through the at least one passageway.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a station, the station configured to produce a detectable signal as the biological molecule moves relative to the station.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the station undergoes a physical change as the biological molecule moves relative to the station, the physical change producing the detectable signal.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the detectable signal is a conductance measured across the passageway.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the detectable signal is a resistance measured across the passageway.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the station is at least a portion of the at least one passageway.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the biological molecule is single-stranded DNA, and the detectable signals relate to a nucleotide sequence of the single-stranded DNA.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the molecular motor ratchets the biological molecule through the at least one passageway.

18. A DNA sequencing system, comprising:

a plurality of molecular motors, each molecular motor corresponding to a distinct nanopore, each molecular motor configured to receive a distinct DNA molecule, and further configured to thread the distinct DNA molecule through the corresponding distinct nanopore; and

at least one detector configured to detect at least one signal from at least one nanopore as the distinct DNA molecule moves relative to the distinct nanopore, the at least one signal relating to a sequence of nucleotides of the distinct DNA molecule.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the DNA molecule is a single-stranded DNA molecule, and the molecular motor is a polymerase.

20. A biological analysis system, comprising:

a plurality of molecular motors, each molecular motor corresponding to a distinct nanopore of a device, each molecular motor configured to receive a distinct DNA molecule, and further configured to thread the distinct DNA molecule through the corresponding distinct nanopore.