High throughput system for preparing samples for multi-omic assays

Multi-omics considers the analysis of complex biological “omes” (genome, epigenome, proteome, metabolome, and others). Research in this systems biology approach to analyze associations between biological entities and to find biomarkers of disease, is growing exponentially. The basic workflow is divided into an upstream sample preparation step and a corresponding downstream assay. To prepare samples for these assays, cells must be disrupted, and/or DNA or chromatin sheared into fragments. Most often the sample preparation is done using cavitation. Current tools, such as ultrasonic horns, and even many commercial sample preparation instruments, can be highly inconsistent, leading to unreliable assays. A prototype device was built at the Univ. of Washington. Matchstick Technologies was formed to commercialize the prototype. It uses standard off-the-shelf microplates and treats 1–96 samples simultaneously using an array of transducers mounted below the microplate that focuses acoustic energy into each well of the microplate. Intense cavitation generated in each well\ results in consistent fragmentation that leads to consistent repeatable assays. [Work funded by NIH R33CA191135, R21GM111439, and R01DK103849.]