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Biomedical subjects

Brian M Paegel

Publications and source records attributed to Brian M Paegel.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Microfluidic serial dilution circuit.

In vitro evolution of RNA molecules requires a method for executing many consecutive serial dilutions. To solve this problem, a microfluidic circuit has been fabricated in a three-layer glass-PDMS-glass device. The 400-nL serial dilution circuit contains five integrated membrane valves: three two-way valves arranged in a loop to drive cyclic mixing of the diluent and carryover, and two bus valves to control fluidic access to the circuit through input and output channels. By varying the valve placement in the circuit, carryover fractions from 0.04 to 0.2 were obtained. Each dilution process, which is composed of a diluent flush cycle followed by a mixing cycle, is carried out with no pipeting, and a sample volume of 400 nL is sufficient for conducting an arbitrary number of serial dilutions. Mixing is precisely controlled by changing the cyclic pumping rate, with a minimum mixing time of 22 s. This microfluidic circuit is generally applicable for integrating automated serial dilution and sample preparation in almost any microfluidic architecture.

Dimethylpolysiloxanes↗

Sparsely cross-linked "nanogel" matrixes as fluid, mechanically stabilized polymer networks for high-throughput microchannel DNA sequencing.

We have developed sparsely cross-linked "nanogels", subcolloidal polymer structures composed of covalently linked, linear polyacrylamide chains, as novel replaceable DNA sequencing matrixes for capillary and microchip electrophoresis. Nanogels were synthesized via inverse emulsion (water-in-oil) copolymerization of acrylamide and a low percentage (approximately 10(-4) mol %) of N,N-methylene bisacrylamide (Bis). Nanogels and nanogel networks were characterized by multiangle laser light scattering and rheometry, respectively, and tested for DNA sequencing in both capillaries and chips with four-color LIF detection. Typical nanogels have an average radius of approximately 230 nm, with approximately 75% of chains incorporating a Bis cross-linker. The properties and performance of nanogel matrixes are compared here to those of a linear polyacrylamide (LPA) network, matched for both polymer weight-average molar mass (M(w)) and the extent of interchain entanglements (c/c). At sequencing concentrations, the two matrixes have similar flow characteristics, important for capillary and microchip loading. However, because of the physical network stability provided by the internally cross-linked structure of the nanogels, substantially longer average read lengths are obtained under standard conditions with the nanogel matrix at a 98.5% accuracy of base-calling (for CE: 680 bases, an 18.7% improvement over LPA, with the best reads as long as 726 bases, compared to 568 bases for the LPA matrix). We further investigated the use of the nanogel matrixes in a high-throughput microfabricated DNA sequencing device consists of 96 separation channels densely fabricated on a 6-in. glass wafer. Again, preliminary DNA sequencing results show that the nanogel matrixes are capable of delivering significantly longer average read length, compared to an LPA matrix of comparable properties. Moreover, nanogel matrixes require 30% less polymer per unit volume than LPA. The addition of a small amount of low molar mass LPA or ultrahigh molar mass LPA to the optimized nanogel sequencing matrix further improves read length as well as the reproducibility of read length (RSD < 1.6%). This is the first report of a replaceable DNA sequencing matrix that provides better performance than LPA, in a side-by-side comparison of polymer matrixes appropriately matched for molar mass and the extent of interchain entanglements. These results could have significant implications for the improvement of microchip-based DNA sequencing technology.

Acrylic Resins↗

Integrated hydrogenated amorphous Si photodiode detector for microfluidic bioanalytical devices.

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) PIN photodiodes have been developed and characterized as fluorescence detectors for microfluidic analysis devices. A discrete a-Si:H photodiode is first fabricated on a glass substrate and used to detect fluorescent dye standards using conventional confocal microscopy. In this format, the limit of detection for fluorescein flowing in a 50-microm deep channel is 680 pM (S/N = 3). A hybrid integrated detection system consisting of a half-ball lens, a ZnS/YF3 multilayer optical interference filter with a pinhole, and an annular a-Si:H photodiode is also developed that allows the laser excitation to pass up through the central aperture in the detector. Using this integrated detection device, the limit of detection for fluorescein is 17 nM, and DNA fragment sizing and chiral analysis of glutamic acid are successfully performed. The a-Si:H detector exhibits high sensitivity at the emission wavelengths of commonly used fluorescent dyes and is readily microfabricated and integrated at low cost making it ideal for portable microfluidic bioanalyzers and emerging large scale integrated microfluidic technologies.

Bacteriophage phi X 174↗

Microfluidic devices for DNA sequencing: sample preparation and electrophoretic analysis.

Modern DNA sequencing 'factories' have revolutionized biology by completing the human genome sequence, but in the race to completion we are left with inefficient, cumbersome, and costly macroscale processes and supporting facilities. During the same period, microfabricated DNA sequencing, sample processing and analysis devices have advanced rapidly toward the goal of a 'sequencing lab-on-a-chip'. Integrated microfluidic processing dramatically reduces analysis time and reagent consumption, and eliminates costly and unreliable macroscale robotics and laboratory apparatus. A microfabricated device for high-throughput DNA sequencing that couples clone isolation, template amplification, Sanger extension, purification, and electrophoretic analysis in a single microfluidic circuit is now attainable.

Base Sequence↗

Polymorphism ratio sequencing: a new approach for single nucleotide polymorphism discovery and genotyping.

Polymorphism ratio sequencing (PRS) combines the advantages of high-throughput DNA sequencing with new labeling and pooling schemes to produce a powerful assay for sensitive single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery, rapid genotyping, and accurate, multiplexed allele frequency determination. In the PRS method, dideoxy-terminator extension ladders generated from a sample and reference template are labeled with different energy-transfer fluorescent dyes and coinjected into a separation capillary for comparison of relative signal intensities. We demonstrate the PRS method by screening two human mitochondrial genomes for sequence variations using a microfabricated capillary array electrophoresis device. A titration of multiplexed DNA samples places the limit of minor allele frequency detection at 5%. PRS is a sensitive and robust polymorphism detection method for the analysis of individual or multiplexed samples that is compatible with any four-color fluorescence DNA sequencer.

Codon↗

Microchip bioprocessor for integrated nanovolume sample purification and DNA sequencing.

A microfabricated electrophoretic bioprocessor for integrated DNA sequencing sample desalting, template removal, preconcentration, and CE analysis is presented. A low-viscosity gel capture matrix, containing an acrylamide-copolymerized oligonucleotide complementary to the 20-base sequence directly 3' of the M13-40 universal forward priming site, is introduced into the 60-nL capture chamber. Unpurified DNA sequencing reaction products are electrophoretically driven through the chamber; extension products hybridize to the matrix, while contaminating buffering ions, Cl-, excess primer, and template DNA are unretained. Purification under optimized conditions is complete in only 120 s (binding temperature 50 degrees C, driving voltage 250 V). High-speed, integrated sequencing analysis is accomplished by releasing the gel-purified duplex at 67 degrees C and directly injecting onto a 15.9-cm effective length CE microchannel. Electrophoretic resolution of the sequencing products is complete in 32 min, producing a total of 560 bp with phred quality q > or = 20 (accuracy > or = 99%). This fully integrated nanoliter process decreases the purification time approximately 10-fold and the process volume approximately 100-fold while providing state-of-the-art sequencing results.

Algorithms↗

High throughput DNA sequencing with a microfabricated 96-lane capillary array electrophoresis bioprocessor.

High throughput DNA sequencing has been performed by using a microfabricated 96-channel radial capillary array electrophoresis (microCAE) microchannel plate detected by a 4-color rotary confocal fluorescence scanner. The microchannel plate features a novel injector for uniform sieving matrix loading as well as high resolution, tapered turns that provide an effective separation length of 15.9 cm on a compact 150-mm diameter wafer. Expanded common buffer chambers for the cathode, anode, and waste reservoirs are used to simplify electrode addressing and to counteract buffering capacity depletion arising from the high electrophoretic current. DNA sequencing data from 95 successful lanes out of 96 lanes run in parallel were batch-processed with basefinder, producing an average read length of 430 bp (phred q > or = 20). Phred quality values were found to exceed 40 (0.01% probability of incorrectly calling a base) for over 80% of the read length. The microCAE system demonstrated here produces sequencing data at a rate of 1.7 kbp/min, a 5-fold increase over current commercial capillary array electrophoresis technology. Additionally, this system permits lower reagent volumes and lower sample concentrations, and it presents numerous possibilities for integrated sample preparation and handling. The unique capabilities of microCAE technology should make it the next generation, high performance DNA sequencing platform.

Base Sequence↗