Optoelectronic Separation of Biomolecules
The present teachings relate to systems and methods for separation of substances such as cells, nucleic acids, and carbon nanotubes. The substances are combined with a separation medium in a liquid sample cavity, for example a microchannel, and transit through the separation by optically activated dielectrophoretic forces. The substances are advantageously labeled and visualized using a microscope and camera.
1 . A system for separating substances comprising:
a liquid sample cavity comprising a first surface and a second surface;
a separation medium disposed within said cavity;
a transparent electrode positioned proximate to the first surface;
a photoconductive material positioned proximate to the second surface;
an electrode positioned adjacent the photoconductive material; and
an illumination source for illuminating a portion of the photoconductive material with light to provide a region of manipulation between the transparent electrode and the electrode.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said liquid sample cavity is a microchannel.
3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the microchannel is disposed on a microchip.
4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent front electrode comprises a surface modifier to decrease the non-specific adsorption of the substances to the transparent electrode.
5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein a surface of the photoconductive material comprises a surface modifier to decrease the non-specific adsorption of the substances to the photoconductive material.
6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent electrode is positioned adjacent to the first surface, and the photoconductive material is positioned adjacent to the second surface.
7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the substances are chosen from DNA, RNA, lipids, terpenes, proteins, polysaccharides, and carbon nanotubes.
8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the substances are chosen from semiconducting carbon nanotubes and metallic carbon nanotubes.
9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of at least one of the substances comprises at least one surface active agent.
10 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one surface active agent is chosen from non-ionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, and cationic surfactants.
11 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the substances are labeled with at least one complexing agent chosen from fluorescent dyes, phosphor particles, and quantum dots.
12 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the substances are reversibly complexed to a labeled complexing agent.
13 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein an electric field between the transparent electrode and the electrode provides dielectrophoretic manipulation to at least one of said substances.
14 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent electrode comprises gold.
15 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the separation medium is chosen from water, aqueous buffer solutions, water-soluble polymers, hydrated crosslinked hydrogels, hydrophilic porous polymer monoliths, and combinations thereof.
16 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the separation medium is a hydrophilic porous polymer monolith filled with another medium chosen from water, aqueous buffer solutions, water-soluble polymers, hydrated crosslinked hydrogels, and combinations thereof.
17 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the separation medium separates the substances by size.
18 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the separation medium separates the substances by the affinity of at least one of the substances to the separation medium.
19 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the separation medium separates the substances by differences in dielectric constant between at least one of the substances and the separation medium.
20 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a microscope and a camera.
21 . The system according to claim 20 , wherein the microscope is a fluorescent microscope, and the camera is a digital camera.
22 . A DNA analyzer comprising the system according to claim 1 .
23 . A process for separating substances in a liquid sample cavity containing a separation medium, wherein:
the liquid sample cavity comprises a first surface and a second surface;
a transparent electrode is positioned proximate to the first surface;
a photoconductive material is positioned proximate to the second surface; and
an electrode is positioned adjacent to the photoconductive material, said process comprising illuminating a portion of the photoconductive material with light in a manner sufficient to move at least one substance across at least a portion of said separation medium.
24 . The process according to claim 23 , wherein the light is moveably directed across the photoconductive material.
25 . The process according to claim 23 , wherein the light is stationary and the photoconductive material is moved relative to said light.
26 . The process according to claim 23 , wherein said liquid sample cavity is a microchannel.
27 . The process according to claim 26 , wherein the microchannel is disposed on a microchip.
28 . The process according to claim 23 , wherein the substances are chosen from DNA, RNA, lipids, terpenes, proteins, polysaccharides, and carbon nanotubes.
29 . The process according to claim 23 , wherein the substances are chosen from semiconducting carbon nanotubes and metallic carbon nanotubes.
30 . The process according to claim 23 , wherein the surface of at least one of the substances comprises at least one surface active agent.
31 . The process according to claim 30 , wherein the at least one surface active agent is chosen from non-ionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, and cationic surfactants.
32 . The process according to claim 23 , wherein the substances are labeled with at least one complexing agent chosen from fluorescent dyes, phosphor particles, and quantum dots.
33 . The process according to claim 32 , wherein the substances are reversibly complexed to a labeled complexing agent.
34 . The process according to claim 23 , wherein an electric field between the transparent electrode and the electrode provides dielectrophoretic manipulation to at least one of said substances.
35 . The process according to claim 23 , wherein the separation medium is chosen from water, aqueous buffer solutions, water-soluble polymers, hydrated crosslinked hydrogels, hydrophilic porous polymer monoliths, and combinations thereof.
36 . The process according to claim 23 , wherein the separation medium is a hydrophilic porous polymer monolith filled with another medium chosen from water, aqueous buffer solutions, water-soluble polymers, hydrated crosslinked hydrogels, and combinations thereof.
37 . The process according to claim 23 , wherein the separation medium separates the substances by size.
38 . The process according to claim 23 , wherein the separation medium separates the substances by its affinity to the separation medium.
39 . The process according to claim 23 , wherein the separation medium separates the substances by differences in dielectric constant between the substances and the medium.
40 . The process according to claim 23 , further comprising generating an image of at least one of the substances.
41 . The process according to claim 40 , wherein the image is generated with a microscope and a camera.
42 . The process according to claim 41 , wherein the microscope is a fluorescent microscope, and the camera is a digital camera.
43 . A process for separating substances comprising:
(A) contacting a separation medium with said substances to form a composition;
(B) disposing said composition in a liquid sample cavity comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein:
a transparent electrode is positioned proximate to the first surface;
a photoconductive material is positioned proximate to the second surface; and
an electrode is positioned adjacent to the photoconductive material; and
(C) illuminating a portion of the photoconductive material with light in a manner sufficient to move at least one substance across at least a portion of said separation medium.
44 . The process according to claim 43 , wherein said liquid sample cavity is a microchannel.
45 . The process according to claim 43 , wherein the microchannel is disposed on a microchip.
46 . The process according to claim 43 , wherein the substances are chosen from DNA, RNA, lipids, terpenes, proteins, polysaccharides, and carbon nanotubes.
47 . The process according to claim 43 , wherein the substances are chosen from semiconducting carbon nanotubes and metallic carbon nanotubes.
48 . The process according to claim 43 , wherein the surface of at least one of the substances comprises at least one surface active agent.
49 . The process according to claim 48 , wherein the at least one surface active agent is chosen from non-ionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, and cationic surfactants.
50 . The process according to claim 43 , wherein the substances are labeled with at least one complexing agent chosen from fluorescent dyes, phosphor particles, and quantum dots.
51 . The process according to claim 50 , wherein the substances are reversibly complexed to a labeled complexing agent.
52 . The process according to claim 43 , wherein an electric field between the transparent electrode and the electrode provides dielectrophoretic manipulation at least one of said substances.
53 . The process according to claim 43 , wherein the transparent electrode comprises gold.
54 . The process according to claim 43 , wherein the separation medium is chosen from water, aqueous buffer solutions, water-soluble polymers, hydrated crosslinked hydrogels, hydrophilic porous polymer monoliths, and combinations thereof.
55 . The process according to claim 43 , wherein the separation medium is a hydrophilic porous polymer monolith filled with another medium chosen from water, aqueous buffer solutions, hydrated crosslinked hydrogels, and combinations thereof.
56 . The process according to claim 43 , wherein the separation medium separates the substances by size.
57 . The process according to claim 43 , wherein the separation medium separates the substances by their affinity to the separation medium.
58 . The process according to claim 43 , wherein the separation medium separates the substances by differences in dielectric constant between the substances and the medium.
59 . The process according to claim 43 , further comprising generating an image of at least one of the substances.
60 . The process according to claim 59 , wherein the image is generated with a microscope and a camera.
61 . The process according to claim 60 , wherein the microscope is a fluorescent microscope, and the camera is a digital camera.
62 . A process for separating carbon nanotubes comprising:
(A) disposing the carbon nanotubes and a liquid separation medium in a liquid sample cavity wherein:
the liquid sample cavity comprises a first surface and a second surface;
a transparent electrode is positioned proximate to the first surface;
a photoconductive material is positioned proximate to the second surface; and
an electrode is positioned adjacent to the photoconductive material; and
(B) illuminating a portion of the photoconductive material with light in a manner sufficient to move at least one carbon nanotube across at least a portion of said separation medium.
63 . The process according to claim 62 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are single-wall nanotubes.
64 . The process according to claim 62 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are single-wall carbon nanotubes chosen from semiconducting carbon nanotubes and metallic carbon nanotubes.
65 . The process according to claim 62 , wherein the surface of the carbon nanotubes comprises at least one surface active agent.
66 . The process according to claim 65 , wherein the at least one surface active agent is chosen from non-ionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, and cationic surfactants.
67 . The process according to claim 62 , wherein the light is moveably directed across the photoconductive material.
68 . The process according to claim 62 , wherein the light is stationary and the photoconductive material is moved relative to said light.
69 . The process according to claim 62 , wherein said liquid sample cavity is a microchannel.
70 . The process according to claim 69 , wherein the microchannel is disposed on a microchip.
71 . The system according to claim 62 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are labeled with at least one complexing agent chosen from fluorescent dyes, phosphor particles, and quantum dots.
72 . The process according to claim 71 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are reversibly complexed to a labeled complexing agent.
73 . The process according to claim 62 , wherein an electric field between the transparent electrode and the electrode provides dielectrophoretic manipulation to carbon nanotubes.
74 . The process according to claim 62 , wherein the separation medium is chosen from water, aqueous buffer solutions, water-soluble polymers, hydrated crosslinked hydrogels, hydrophilic porous polymer monoliths, and combinations thereof.
75 . The process according to claim 62 , wherein the separation medium is a hydrophilic porous polymer monolith filled with another medium chosen from water, aqueous buffer solutions, hydrated crosslinked hydrogels, and combinations thereof.
76 . The process according to claim 62 , wherein the separation medium separates the carbon nanotubes by size.
77 . The process according to claim 62 , wherein the separation medium separates the carbon nanotubes by the affinity of at least one of the carbon nanotubes to the separation medium.
78 . The process according to claim 62 , wherein the separation medium separates the carbon nanotubes by differences in dielectric constant between at least one of the carbon nanotubes and the separation medium.
79 . The process according to claim 62 , further comprising generating an image of at least one of the carbon nanotubes.
80 . The process according to claim 79 , wherein the image is generated with a microscope and a camera.
81 . The process according to claim 80 , wherein the microscope is a fluorescent microscope, and the camera is a digital camera.
82 . The process according to claim 81 , wherein the microscope is a fluorescent microscope, and the camera is a digital camera.