Simultaneous light-directed synthesis of mirror-image microarrays in a photochemical reaction cell with flare suppression.

The use of photolabile protecting groups is a versatile and well-established means of synthesizing high complexity microarrays of biopolymers, such as nucleic acids and peptides, for high-throughput analysis. The synthesis takes place in a photochemical reaction cell which positions the microarray substrate at the focus of the optical system delivering the light and which can be connected to a fluidics system which delivers appropriate reagents to the surface in synchrony with the light exposure. Here we describe a novel photochemical reaction cell which allows for the simultaneous synthesis of microarrays on two substrates. The reaction cell positions both substrates within the limited depth-of-focus of the optical system while maintaining the necessary reagent flow conditions. The resulting microarrays are mirror images of each other but otherwise essentially identical. The new reaction cell doubles the throughput of microarray synthesis without increasing the consumption of reagents. In addition, a secondary flow chamber behind the reaction cell can be filled with an absorbent and index-matching fluid to eliminate reflections from light exiting the reaction cell assembly, greatly reducing unintended light exposure that reduces the sequence fidelity of the microarray probes.