Patent ID: 8722327
Filing Date: 2014-05-13
Classification: B01L,C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of characterizing one or more macromolecules using a nanofluidic device, comprising: labeling regions of a sample macromolecule at either end of a nucleotide zone of interest and regions of a control macromolecule at either end of a nucleotide zone of interest, wherein the sample macromolecule and the control macromolecule each comprise a nucleotide zone of interest having at least two labels thereon; translocating at least a portion of at least one region of the labeled macromolecules through a fluidic nanochannel segment disposed substantially parallel to a surface of a substrate, wherein the fluidic nanochannel segment contains and elongates at least a portion of a region of the macromolecule, and wherein the fluidic nanochannel segment has a characteristic cross-sectional dimension of less than about 1000 nm and a length of at least about 10 nm, wherein said step of translocating comprises introducing the labeled macromolecules into separate fluidic nanochannel segments having a cross-sectional diameter of less than about 200 nm so as to at least substantially linearize at least a part of the labeled macromolecules; and monitoring, through a viewing window capable of permitting optical inspection of at least a portion of the contents of the fluidic nanochannel segment, one or more signals related to the translocation of one or more regions of the labeled macromolecules through the nanochannel, wherein said step of monitoring comprises determining the distance between two said labels on the sample macromolecule and the distance between two said labels on the control macromolecule, respectively; and correlating the distance between the labels to one or more characteristics of the macromolecules.