Flow cell with selective deposition or activation of nucleotides

Abstract

An apparatus includes a flow cell body, a plurality of electrodes, an integrated circuit, and an imaging assembly. The flow cell body defines one or more flow channels and a plurality of wells. Each flow channel is configured to receive a flow of fluid. Each well is fluidically coupled with the corresponding flow channel. Each well is configured to contain at least one polynucleotide. Each electrode is positioned in a corresponding well of the plurality of wells. The electrodes are operable to effect writing of polynucleotides in the corresponding wells. The integrated circuit is operable to drive selective deposition or activation of selected nucleotides to attach to polynucleotides in the wells to thereby generate polynucleotides representing machine-written data in the wells. The imaging assembly is operable to capture images indicative of one or more nucleotides in a polynucleotide.

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 (a) a flow cell body defining one or more flow channels and a plurality of wells, each flow channel of the one or more flow channels to receive a flow of fluid, each well of the plurality of wells being fluidically coupled with the corresponding flow channel of the one or more flow channels, each well of the plurality of wells to contain at least one polynucleotide;   (b) a plurality of electrodes, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes being positioned in a corresponding well of the plurality of wells, the plurality of electrodes to effect writing of polynucleotides in the corresponding wells of the plurality of wells;   (c) an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit to drive selective deposition or activation of selected nucleotides to attach to polynucleotides in the wells of the plurality of wells to thereby generate polynucleotides representing machine-written data in the plurality of wells; and   (d) an imaging assembly to capture images indicative of one or more nucleotides in a polynucleotide.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , each electrode of the plurality of electrodes defining an aperture. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , the imaging assembly including at least one image sensor to receive light through the aperture of each electrode of the plurality of electrodes. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , each electrode of the plurality of electrodes being annularly shaped. 
     
     
         5 .- 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the plurality of wells being formed as a plurality of discrete recesses arranged in a pattern along a floor of the corresponding flow channel of the one or more flow channels. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , each well of the plurality of wells being defined by at least one sidewall and a floor, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes being positioned on the floor of the corresponding well of the plurality of wells. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , each well of the plurality of wells being defined by at least one sidewall and a floor, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes being positioned on a sidewall of the at least one sidewall of the corresponding well. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , each well of the plurality of wells being defined by at least one sidewall and a floor, the floor of each well of the plurality of wells further defining an aperture, the aperture to provide a path for fluid communication between the well of the plurality of wells and a fluid source. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the integrated circuit to drive the plurality of electrodes to selectively deposit or activate selected nucleotides by applying a voltage within the corresponding well of the plurality of wells. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , each nucleotide being associated with a particular voltage, the integrated circuit to drive the electrodes of the plurality of electrodes to selectively deposit or activate a selected nucleotide by applying the particular voltage associated with the selected nucleotide. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , each well of the plurality of wells including a set of four electrodes from the plurality of electrodes, each electrode in the set of four being associated with a corresponding voltage of the particular voltages associated with the nucleotides, such that each electrode in the set of four corresponds with a particular one of four nucleotides. 
     
     
         16 .- 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a printhead, the integrated circuit to drive the selective deposition or activation of selected nucleotides by activating the printhead. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , the printhead including four nozzles, each nozzle of the four nozzles to dispense a corresponding nucleotide. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , the integrated circuit further to drive acoustic tamping of droplets emitted by the printhead. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , the integrated circuit further to activate the printhead and the plurality of electrodes in cooperation to thereby drive the selective deposition or activation of selected nucleotides. 
     
     
         30 . An apparatus, comprising:
 (a) a flow cell body defining one or more flow channels and a plurality of wells, each flow channel of the one or more flow channels to receive a flow of fluid, each well of the plurality of wells being fluidically coupled with the corresponding flow channel of the one or more flow channels, each well of the plurality of wells to contain at least one polynucleotide;   (b) a plurality of electrodes, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes being positioned in a corresponding well of the plurality of wells, the plurality of electrodes to effect writing of polynucleotides in the corresponding wells of the plurality of wells; and   (c) an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit to drive selective deposition or activation of selected nucleotides to attach to polynucleotides in the plurality of wells to thereby generate polynucleotides representing machine-written data in the plurality of wells, each nucleotide being associated with a particular voltage, the integrated circuit to drive the plurality of electrodes to selectively deposit or activate a selected nucleotide by applying the particular voltage associated with the selected nucleotide.   
     
     
         31 .- 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . An apparatus, comprising:
 (a) a flow cell body defining one or more flow channels and a plurality of wells, each flow channel of the one or more flow channels to receive a flow of fluid, each well of the plurality of wells being fluidically coupled with the corresponding flow channel of the one or more flow channels, each well of the plurality of wells to contain at least one polynucleotide;   (b) a plurality of electrodes, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes being positioned in a corresponding well of the plurality of wells, the plurality of electrodes to effect writing of polynucleotides in the corresponding wells of the plurality of wells;   (c) a printhead to deposit nucleotides; and   (d) an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit to drive selective deposition of selected nucleotides to attach to polynucleotides in the plurality of wells to thereby generate polynucleotides representing machine-written data in the plurality of wells, the integrated circuit to drive the selective deposition of selected nucleotides by activating the printhead.   
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , the printhead including four nozzles, each nozzle to dispense a corresponding nucleotide. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , the integrated circuit further to drive acoustic tamping of droplets emitted by the printhead. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , the integrated circuit further to activate the printhead and the plurality of electrodes in cooperation to thereby drive the selective deposition or activation of selected nucleotides. 
     
     
         44 .- 59 . (canceled)