Nanogen Patent May Assist MEMS Devices.

Nanogen, Inc. (10398 Pacific Center Ct., San Diego, CA 92121; Tel: 858/410-4600, Fax: 858/410-4848) said it had been awarded two U.S. patents relating to high- resolution electrophoretic separation and electronic stringency control for molecular biological analysis and diagnostics. U.S. Patent 6,013,166, entitled "Method For Reducing The Linear Dimension Necessary for High Resolution Electrophoretic Separation," and U.S. Patent 6,017,696, entitled "Methods of Electronics Stringency Control for Molecular Biological Analysis and Diagnostics," are the eleventh and twelfth U.S. patents issued to the company. Michael J. Heller, Nanogen's chief technology officer and a co-founder of the company, is an inventor on both patents.

Heller says that the new patents represent important additions to the company's expanding intellectual property portfolio. "Patent 6,013,166 covers methods for the rapid resolution and separation of DNA fragments across very short distances. More specifically, the invention involves the application of an electric field to a polyacrylamide gel support containing electrically charged, differentially sized macromolecules to effect differential net migration and separation. This technology is ideally positioned for incorporation into 'lab- on-a-chip' and other MEMS devices, which can then be used for a variety of DNA separation applications," he adds.

Heller describes U.S. ...