GridION™ nodes are designed to work with a single-use, self-contained cartridge that includes all the reagents required to run an experiment. The Company is developing single port and 96-well plate versions of this cartridge.
All reagents are contained within the cartridge, and there are no reagents inside the instrument (nodes). The sample to be analysed is introduced into the cartridge and the cartridge inserted into the node. Cartridges are self-priming and no further user action is required once loaded.
A number of nanopores are recorded at any one time by using an arrayed sensor chip to create multiple individual recording channels. Signals from these channels are acquired by a specially designed ASIC.
Adapting to automation and improved workflows
Multiple samples can be loaded into a cartridge via a multi-well plate manifold. This adaptation allows the node to analyse each sample in series.
Coupled with the “Run until…" functionality, each sample can be analysed until sufficient data has been gathered to satisfy the pre-determined experimental endpoint, and the node can then expel the sample, flush and move to the subsequent sample. 96-well plate-based sample preparation can streamline and scale workflows for individual nodes or for clusters.
Adaptation of cartridges for different applications.
Cartridges may contain different types of nanopores for the analysis of different types of analyte, e.g. DNA, proteins or small molecules. A different type of nanopore may be supplied for sub-types of these experiments, for example epigenetic analyses.