High-throughput automated microfluidic sample preparation for accurate microbial genomics

High-throughput automated microfluidic sample preparation for accurate microbial genomics

Low-cost shotgun DNA sequencing is transforming the microbial sciences. Sequencing instruments are so effective that sample preparation is now the key limiting factor. Here, we introduce a microfluidic sample preparation platform that integrates the key steps in cells to sequence library sample preparation for up to 96 samples and reduces DNA input requirements 100-fold while maintaining or imp...

High Throughput Microfluidic Sample Preparation for Metagenomic Analysis

Metagenomics deal with analysis of genetic material from environmental samples. The ultimate goal is to reconstruct entire genomes of unknown microbial species. We present a sample preparation method using the Fluidigm© C1 microfluidic platform that integrates throughput of shotgun sequencing with bioinformatics simplicity of single cell microfluidics. Our method is tested with a benchmark samp...

Automated microfluidic sample-preparation platform for high-throughput structural investigation of proteins by small-angle X-ray scattering

An automated microfluidic sample preparation system for laser scanning cytometry.

Laser scanning cytometry (LSC) is emerging as a clinical tool. In one application a "Clatch" slide, named after the inventor, is used in conjunction with LSC for cell surface marker immunophenotyping of patient samples. The slide requires time consuming and laborious pipetting steps, making a test tedious and prone to handling errors. The Clatch slide also uses a significant number of cells, li...

High-throughput dilution engine for sample preparation on digital microfluidic biochips

The new generation of digital microfluidic biochips is capable of implementing complex biochemical laboratory assays (bioprotocols) on a tiny device for automatic and reliable analysis of fluid samples. Dilution of a sample fluid is one of the basic steps required in almost all bioprotocols. The authors design a dilution engine for sample preparation that can produce a stream of target droplets...