Encoded solid supports for biological processing and assays using same

Abstract

Combinations, called matrices with memories, of matrix materials with remotely addressable or remotely programmable recording devices that contain at least one data storage unit are provided. The matrix materials are those that are used in as supports in solid phase chemical and biochemical syntheses, immunoassays and hybridization reactions. The matrix materials may additionally include fluophors or other luminescent moieties to produce luminescing matrices with memories. The data storage units are non-volatile antifuse memories or volatile memories, such as EEPROMS, DRAMS or flash memory. By virtue of this combination, molecules and biological particles, such as phage and viral particles and cells, that are in proximity or in physical contact with the matrix combination can be labeled by programming the memory with identifying information and can be identified by retrieving the stored information. Combinations of matrix materials, memories, and linked molecules and biological materials are also provided. The combinations have a multiplicity of applications, including combinatorial chemistry, isolation and purification of target macromolecules, capture and detection of macromolecules for analytical purposes, selective removal of contaminants, enzymatic catalysis, cell sorting, drug delivery, chemical modification and other uses. Methods for electronically tagging molecules, biological particles and matrix support materials, immunoassays, receptor binding assays, scintillation proximity assays, non-radioactive proximity assays, and other methods are also provided.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] For U.S. national purposes, this application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08 / DKT302B, filed Apr. 2, 1996, entitled REMOTELY PROGRAMMABLE MATRICES WITH MEMORIES AND USES THEREOF”, by Michael P. Nova, Andrew E. Senyei, Zahra Parandoosh and Gary S. David, which application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08 / 567,746, filed Dec. 5, 1995, entitled REMOTELY PROGRAMMABLE MATRICES WITH MEMORIES AND USES THEREOF”, by Michael P. Nova, Andrew E. Senyei, Zahra Parandoosh and Gary S. David, which application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08 / 538,387, filed Oct. 3, 1995, entitled “REMOTELY PROGRAMMABLE MATRICES WITH MEMORIES”, Michael P. Nova, Andrew E. Senyei, and Gary S. David, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. Nos. 08 / 480,147, 08 / 484,486, 08 / 484,504, 08 / 480,196 and 08 / 473,660, each filed Jun. 7, 1995, and each entitled, “REMOTELY PROGRAMMABLE MATRICES WITH MEMORIES...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

These analytical methods, however, are often time consuming, tedious and, when practiced in vivo, invasive.

The provision and maintenance of compounds to support HTS have become critical.

In generating large numbers of diverse molecules by stepwise synthesis, the resulting library is a complex mixture in which a particular compound is present at very low concentrations, so that it is difficult or impossible to determine its chemical structure.

These methods are cumbersome and ultimately impossible to apply to highly diverse and large libraries.

Identification of library members that interact with a target of interest, and tracking intermediary synthesis products and the multitude of molecules in a single vessel is also a problem.

While there are several techniques for identification of intermediary products and final products, nanosequencing protocols that provide exact structures are only applicable on mass to naturally occurring linear oligomers such as peptides and amino acids.

Mass spectrographic [MS] analysis is sufficiently sensitive to determine the exact mass and fragmentation patterns of individual synthesis steps, but complex analytical mass spectrographic strategies are not readily automated nor conveniently performed.

Also, mass spectrographic analysis provides at best simple connectivity information, but no stereoisomeric information, and generally cannot discriminate among isomeric monomers.

Another problem with mass spectrographic analysis is that it requires pure compounds; structural determinations on complex mixtures is either difficult or impossible.

Finally, mass spectrographic analysis is tedious and time consuming.

Thus, although there are a multitude of solutions to the generation of libraries and to screening protocols, there are no ideal solutions to the problems of identification, tracking and categorization.

These problems arise in any screening or analytical process in which large numbers of molecules or biological entities are screened.

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