Biomolecular processing platform and uses thereof

US10870881B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Cornell University · IT
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · US
• Northwestern University · US
• BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE · US

Inventors

• Steven A. Soper · Baton Rouge, US
• Francis Barany · Baltimore, US
• George Grills · Trumansburg, US
• Robin L. McCarley · Prairieville, US
• Collin J. McKinney · Durham, US
• Dorel Moldovan · Baton Rouge, US
• Michael C. Murphy · Baton Rouge, US
• Dimitris E. Nikitopoulos · Baton Rouge, US
• Sunggook Park · Baton Rouge, US
• Elizabeth J. Podlaha-Murphy · Dedham, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 19, 2018
• Grant date: Dec 22, 2020
• Expiry date: Aug 27, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B01L2400/0421
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device comprising a biomolecular processor. Each biomolecular processor has one or more bioreactor chambers defined by a solid substrate; a support structure within each bioreactor; a cleaving enzyme immobilized to the support structure and operatively positioned within the bioreactor chamber to cleave monomer or multimer units of a biopolymer molecule operatively engaged by the cleaving enzyme; and one or more time-of-flight channels formed in the solid substrate and fluidically coupled to said one or more bioreactor chambers. Each of the time-of-flight channels have two or more sensors including at least (i) a first sensor contacting the time-of-flight channel proximate to the input end of the channel and (ii) a second sensor contacting the time-of-flight channel proximate to the output end of channel. The present invention further relates to methods of sequencing and identifying biopolymer molecules using the device.