Microfluidics: Mapping DNA-binders

A patent on microfluidics-based ligand enrichment followed by sequencing has been filed, and the group, headed by Bart Deplancke, aims to commercialise the findings. “Right now, we are exploring different commercialisation options,” group leader Deplancke told European Biotechnology, including licencing and spinning out a company. Using SMiLE-seq, they have already analysed more than 60 transcription factors from humans and model organisms (Nature Methods, doi: 10.1038/nmeth.4143). The process cuts the time for transcription factor identification from days to less than an hour. If SMiLESeq could also be applied to chromatin IP experiments, the technology would open up huge commercial potential.