Sample Preparation and Processing for Nanopore Life Detection Instruments

The technical approach includes physically disrupting samples as a first step in sample preparation. Sample will then delivered for separation based on molecular charge via ion-exchange chromatography. Polyanionic and polycationic polymers, along with other charged molecules, will be eluted off the ion-exchange column for continued downstream processing. The charged particles will then be sorted according to their size via gel-filtration chromatography and delivered to solid-state nanopore device.

There is a need for a microfluidic front-end, sample-processing device to enable autonomous solid-state nanopore life detection instruments because current flight instruments can not appropriately preprocess samples prior to analysis. We will incorporate into one single automated microfluidic system: cell lysis, extraction of charged particles and sorting based on size distribution.

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