Fluidic devices with freeze-thaw valves with ice-nucleating agents and related methods of operation and analysis

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide fluidic devices such as, but not limited to, microfluidic chips, with one or more freeze thaw valves (FTVs) employing one or more ice-nucleating agents (INAs), that can reliably operate to freeze at relatively higher temperatures and/or at faster rates than conventional microfluidic devices with FTV systems.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A liquid buffer comprising at least one ice nucleating agent (INA), wherein the at least one INA contains a carbon atom. 
     
     
         2 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one INA is present in the liquid buffer in an amount in a range of 1 molecule/4 to 10 billion molecules/4. 
     
     
         3 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one INA is present in the liquid buffer in a concentration range of about 1 nM and about 1 mM. 
     
     
         4 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one INA is present in the liquid buffer in a concentration range of 10 nM to 50 nM. 
     
     
         5 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one INA is extracted or derived from an organism. 
     
     
         6 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one INA comprises an ice-nucleating protein (INP) and/or a functional fragment thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The liquid buffer of  claim 6 , wherein the INP and/or the functional fragment thereof is encoded by a gene selected from the group consisting of: iceE, iceH, inaA, inaE, inaF, inaK, inaPb, inaQ, inaU, inaV, inaW, inaX, and inaZ, and wherein the gene is found in or obtained from an organism selected from the group consisting of:  Pseudomonas syringae, Ps. fluorescens, Erwinia herbicola, E. uredovora, Pantoea ananatis , and  Xanthomonas campestris.    
     
     
         8 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one INA comprises one or more aptamers. 
     
     
         9 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one INA comprises an ice-nucleating protein and/or a functional fragments thereof, an ice-nucleating nucleic acid, ice-nucleating lipid, and/or an ice-nucleating carbohydrate. 
     
     
         10 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one INA comprises a structure similar to ice. 
     
     
         11 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one INA comprises a structure that aligns water molecules into an ice-like lattice. 
     
     
         12 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid buffer is provided with a fluidic analysis device comprising at least one fluid channel comprising at least one freeze thaw valve. 
     
     
         13 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid buffer is provided with a fluidic analysis device and a liquid sealing agent for the fluidic analysis device. 
     
     
         14 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid buffer comprises a Tris buffer. 
     
     
         15 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid buffer comprises a phosphate buffer. 
     
     
         16 . The liquid buffer of  claim 2 , wherein the liquid buffer is a liquid buffer solution comprising the liquid buffer and the at least one INA, wherein the at least one INA is diluted by 1:10 to 1:10,000, relative to the liquid buffer in the liquid buffer solution. 
     
     
         17 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid buffer freezes at −20° C. 
     
     
         18 . The liquid buffer of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid buffer freezes at a temperature in a range of about −45° C. and about −20° C.