Enzyme immobilization for electroosmotic flow

While there have been rapid advances in microscale device fabrication, microfluidics, and lab-on-a-chip technology, there is still a need to immobilize biomolecules (especially proteins) on a microfluidics apparatus, while maintaining high biological activity and electroosmotic flow (EOF) capability. This invention relates to the discovery that certain polymers containing both ionic and hydrophobic groups can be reproducibly adhered to microfluidic channels and can be used to simulataneously immobilize biocatalysts with good catalytic activity while supporting EOF.

IN VITRO METABOLIC ENGINEERING ON MICROSCALE DEVICES

After discovering that a natural product has a particular, useful biological activity, it is desirable to prepare analogs of the natural product. However, natural products and their analogs are typically complex molecules requiring multi-step syntheses that are usually laborious, costly, and time consuming. This invention is directed to a microfluidics device that can be used to prepare natural products and their analogs.