POLYMERS AND COATINGS

We are in the final development of a novel polymer for use as a capillary gel electrophoresis sieving matrix (gel) to separate DNA fragments by size. Sieving matrixes made from this polymer have properties unlike anything currently used. It is a non-acrylamide and hydrolytically stable polymer that has fast run times, medium viscosity, does not require a coated capillary for high separation efficiencies. It is can be used in any existing capillary electrophoresis instrument. Testing at select sites is beginning soon.

We are also developing this unique polymer as a coating for capillaries and micro-fluidic chips to dramatically reduce electro-osmotic flow and analyte-wall interactions.

END-LABELED FREE-SOLUTION ELECTROPHORESIS

End-Labeled Free-Solution Electrophoresis (ELFSE) allows size separtion of bio-molecules using free-solution capillary electrophoresis, similar to capillary gel electrophoresis. In this method a "large" drag-label is attached to the bio-molecules to be separated.

We are currently studying the suitability of two drag-label candidates and have one pending patent.

The initial product will be a set of reagents and associated analysis software to be used with existing capillary electrophoresis platforms. We may later develop a micro-fluidic chip system based on this technology.

2D-CE FOR PROTEOMIC ANALYSIS

The company is also developing a two-stage electrophoretic separation of proteins in biomedical samples such as serum to allow identification and quantitative analysis of individual proteins. This method is the micro-fluidic chip analog of 2D gel electrophoresis but with separation time of only one hour with full automation.

We are also are planning to couple this instrument to MALDI-MS for protein identification.

 Using this technology, changes in the amount of a specific protein (marker) in an individual can be detected. One important use for this technology is early detection of certain types of cancer, as well as a research tool to help identify additional protein "markers". The objective of this project is development of instrumentation and supporting reagents, which may require several years of additional development.