Microfluidic selection of library elements

Abstract

A microfluidic device includes a chip; a flow channel being disposed in the chip; the flow channel being in communication with an entry port and an exit port; the flow channel being operative to permit the flow of a library from the entry port to the exit port; a substrate; the substrate being disposed upon the chip; the substrate being operative to act as an upper wall for the flow channels; and a plurality of receptors; the plurality of receptors being disposed on the substrate; the plurality of receptors being operative to interact with an element from the library.

1 . A method comprising:
 disposing a library on a loading pad of a microfluidic device; the microfluidic device comprising:
 a chip; 
 a plurality of flow channels being disposed in the chip; the plurality of flow channels being in communication with an entry port and an exit port; the plurality of flow channels being operative to permit the flow of a library from the entry port to the exit port; 
 a substrate; the substrate being disposed upon the chip; the substrate being operative to act as an upper wall for the flow channel; and 
 a plurality of receptors; the plurality of receptors being disposed on the substrate; the receptors being operative to interact with an element from the library; 
 adding a first solution to the loading pad to transport elements of the library through the entry port into the flow channel; 
   performing one of the following:   I) binding a fraction of the elements of the library to a first receptor of the plurality of receptors to form an element-receptor complex; and   adding a second solution to the flow channel to cause a fraction of the element-receptor complexes to bind to a second receptor of the plurality of receptors thereby determining those elements of the library that can bind to the first receptor and to the second receptor; or   II) binding a first fraction of the elements of the library to a first receptor of the plurality of receptors to form a first element-receptor complex; and   binding a second fraction of the elements of the library to a second receptor of the plurality of receptors to form a second element-receptor complex; the second fraction of elements not being capable of forming the first element-receptor complex; or   III) binding a first fraction of the elements of the library to a first receptor of the plurality of receptors to form a first set of element-receptor complexes; and   binding a second fraction of the elements of the library to a second receptor of the plurality of receptors to form a second set of element-receptor complexes; the second fraction excluding the elements of the first fraction.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising eluting the elements that form element-receptor complexes. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising amplifying the elements.