Nanofluidic Sorting System for Gene Synthesis & PCR Reaction Products

Nanopore and microfluidic technologies are increasingly used in studying and analyzing individual molecules, such as biomolecules. The ability of these technologies to probe and characterize individual molecules in detail has sparked immense interest in biotechnology and molecular biology. However, there is a need for a method that could integrate both technologies and minimize errors during DNA synthesis. Currently, de novo DNA synthesis often encounters errors, straining the efficiency and accuracy of the process. While methods such as polymerase construction and amplification (PCA) exist for synthesizing long DNA molecules from shorter oligonucleotides, the process can be complicated by misalignments and erroneous inclusions. Therefore, there is room for enhanced techniques to ensure accuracy, reliability, and efficiency in DNA synthesis and molecular characteristics recording.

Technology Description

The technology uses devices and methods that integrate nanopore and microfluidic functionalities to record molecular features of individual molecules, specifically biomolecules. The device is set up as two substrates with microchannels and a membrane between them. This ultrathin membrane, about 0.3 nm to 1 nm thick, contains at least one nanopore. This nanopore arrangement allows for fluid and electrical communication between the microchannels on the two substrates. What differentiates this technology from existing methods is its innovativeness in error mitigation during de novo DNA synthesis. It achieves this by synthesizing longer DNA molecules from shorter oligonucleotides, using methods such as polymerase construction and amplification (PCA). This unique approach allows for a more accurate and efficient process in recording molecular characteristics, particularly for biomolecules.