US 12,172,159 B2
Use of electric field gradients to control gene expression
Roy Bar-Ziv, Rehovot (IL); Alexandra Tayar, Rehovot (IL); Shirley Shulman Daube, Rehovot (IL); Yuval Efrath, Rehovot (IL); and Michael Levy, Rehovot (IL)
Assigned to Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd., Rehovot (IL)
Filed by Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd., Rehovot (IL)
Filed on Sep. 23, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/029,228.
Application 17/029,228 is a continuation of application No. PCT/IL2019/050367, filed on Mar. 28, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/649,605, filed on Mar. 29, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0031193 A1, Feb. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); C12N 13/00 (2006.01); C12N 15/10 (2006.01); G01N 27/447 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 3/502715 (2013.01) [B01L 3/50273 (2013.01); C12N 13/00 (2013.01); C12N 15/1075 (2013.01); G01N 27/447 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0816 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0867 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0424 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of controlling a biological process in a test chamber of a microfluidic device, which comprises:
(i) at least one reaction unit having a test chamber connected to at least one microchannel, wherein a surface of at least a portion of said test chamber is attached to an immobilized component of a biological process;
(ii) a flow-through channel having at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port, said flow-through channel being connected to said reaction unit via said at least one microchannel;
(iii) a stimulation chamber which is connected to said test chamber; and
(iv) two electrodes patterned into said device being in physical contact with said stimulation chamber, said two electrodes being at least 1-50 μm from said test chamber,
wherein the method comprises:
(a) providing non-immobilized components of the biological process to the microfluidic device under conditions that allow said non-immobilized components to reach said test chamber; and
(b) applying an electric field gradient in the vicinity of said test chamber at a frequency which draws at least one non-immobilized component of said biological process away from said immobilized components towards a source of said electric field gradient, thereby controlling the biological process.