High-throughput processes

Davis RD, Bur AJ, McBearty M et al. (2004) Dielectric spectroscopy during extrusion processing of polymer nanocomposites a high-throughput processing/characterization method to measure layered silicate content and exfoliation. Polymer 45 6487-6493... 

Levels of RNA (usually specific mRNAs) in a cell can be measured by well-established techniques such as Northern blot analysis or by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. However, the recent advent of DNA microarray technology has converted the identification and measurement of specific mRNAs (or other RNAs if required) into a high-throughput process. DNA arrays are also termed oligonucleotide arrays , gene chip arrays or simply, chips . 

A recently reported alternative to spin or spray coating is screen printing of polyimide solutions (82, 85, 90). Screen printing is a low-cost, high-throughput process capable of directly patterning the polyimide films as they are deposited. Another alternative is the vapor deposition of polyimides, which was reported by researchers who co-evaporated the diamine and dianhydride monomers at stoichiometric rates (140). The evaporated films had better adhesion, a lower dielectric constant, and a lower dissipation factor compared with spin-coated polyimides. With this process, uniform, defect-free, conformal films can be cured in situ during deposition. 

Joseph S. Francisco, Purdue University I was struck by your SiLK example. What I thought was very interesting was the role of computational chemistry in this process. To what extent were the computational chemistry explorations important in terms of reducing the time line, and where do you see it being utilized more in this high-throughput process in the future ... 

Steam turbines with compressors are used for providing process gas flow at a required pressure in high throughput processes. The process demand is determined by a pressure controller, which adjusts the setpoint on the turbine speed controller. In smaller processes, fixed speed compressors may be used by adjusting either an inlet or discharge valve to achieve pressure control. It is more energy efficient to adjust an inlet valve, or better yet to adjust inlet vanes which provide a pre-rotation to the gas. However, adjustment of speed is the most energy-efficient method control. 

Wankat and Koo (110) have shown that the efficient mass transfer achievable with small ( 10 micron diameter) monodisperse packing can provide excellent resolution on very short columns, even when adsorption isotherms are nonlinear. For high-throughput processes, the most efficient columns resemble squat disks or pancakes (109). The ultimate "column" geometry may well be a membrane or consolidated packing with mobile phase flow through monodisperse pores. 

S. Tsuneda, K. Saito, S. Furusaki and T. Sugo, High-Throughput Processing of Proteins Using a Porous and Tentacle Anion-Exchange Membrane,... 

By combinatorial chemistry with the aid of high-throughput processes... 

While still in early stages of development, microfluidic devices with MS detection are capable of successfully performing a number of bioanalytical tasks and have been demonstrated in various application areas. In particular, areas requiring capabilities for high-throughput processing of small sample amounts, such as proteomics and drug development, have been pursued. Online and offline sample infusion, preparation, and separation tasks have been implemented on chips interfaced to both ESI and MALDI-MS detectors. 

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