Hybridization method and hybridization equipment

Abstract

The equipment of the present invention can implement high-speed hybridization with a simple construction and is configured as described below. The equipment comprises a biochip prepared by fixing biopolymers onto a plurality of sites on a substrate, positive and negative electrodes for generating an electric field along the surface of this biochip substrate, and a magnetic field generating means for generating a magnetic field along the surface of the above biochip substrate, and is configured to move biopolymers movable in the fluid stored over the above-mentioned biochip substrate along the surface of the above biochip substrate as well as to attract the above described biopolymers towards the surface of the above biochip substrate during hybridization of the above biopolymers, by making the above-mentioned electric and magnetic fields act along the surface of the above biochip substrate.

1 . A hybridization method which hybridizes biopolymers fixed to a plurality of sites on a biochip substrate and biopolymers movable in fluid stored over the same substrate, on said substrate, further being devised that said biopolymers on the movable side are moved along a surface of said biochip substrate by making an electric field act along that surface of said biochip substrate.  
   
   
       2 . A hybridization method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the direction of moving biopolymers on said movable side is changed over by changing over the direction of said electric field during hybridization of said biopolymers.  
   
   
       3 . A hybridization method which hybridizes biopolymers fixed to a plurality of sites on a biochip substrate and biopolymers movable in fluid stored over the same substrate, on said substrate, further being devised that said biopolymers on the movable side are moved along a surface of said biochip substrate as well as are attracted towards the surface of said same biochip substrate by making an electric field and a magnetic field orthogonal to each other act along that surface of said biochip substrate.  
   
   
       4 . A hybridization method in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the direction of moving biopolymers on said movable side is changed over by changing over the directions of said both electric field and magnetic field at the same time during hybridization of said biopolymers.