SAMPLE MULTIPLEXING FOR GREATER THROUGHPUT IN HPLC AND RELATED METHODS

We present a multiplexing scheme that pools samples for greater effici ency in analysis. The method involves arraying the samples in a matrix and then pooling along rows and columns of the away. Sample pools are analyzed instead of individual samples. The content of a given sample is found by the intersection of a row pool with a column pool. Since this simple pooling scheme can lead to ambiguities in assignments when many samples have the same species, we also suggest a supplementary o r augmented pooling scheme, involving the use of pools along diagonals across the sample array, to resolve the ambiguities. We demonstrate t he pooling scheme, with resolution of some simple ambiguities, using H PLC for the analysis of fluorophore-labeled amino acids.