What is claimed is:
1. A method of communicating information, comprising the step of delivering facsimile information from a facsimile generating device to a user supplied e-maa address in computer readable image data format which is capable of being viewed on a computer screen, wherein the step of delivering comprises the steps of:
entering the user e-mail address through a computing device;
delivering the facsimile information using facsimile protocol along a first communication network to a faxtoe-mail gateway;
converting at the gateway the facsimile information into a computer readable image data file capable of being displayed on a computer screen;
creating at the gateway an e-mail message including an addressed e-mail header to which is attached the computer readable image data file; and
delivering the e-mail message from the gateway though a global computer network to an electronic mailbox associated with the e-mail address.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
Sending the user e-mail address to a fax interface.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sending step is accomplished through infrared signals.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the sending step is accomplished through radio signals.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
Sending variable size user data to a fax interface.
6. A communication system for communicating information found originally as an image on paper, said system comprising:
a first communication network;
a facsimile device for generating facsimile information in a first format from information found originally as an image on paper, said facsimile device communicating with said first communication network along a first communication line;
a computing device having means for transmitting and receiving information;
an interface sharing said first communication line with said facsimile device and in communication with said computing device,
said interface including means for receiving and communicating an alphanumeric address associated with an electronic mail address,
said interface including means for sending information to said computing device;
said interface including means for generating commands on the first communication line;
a computer network; and
a gateway server positioned between said first communication network and said computer network,
said gateway server being in communication with said first communication network and being in communication with said computer network and providing a communication link therebetween;
said gateway server selectively operating in a fax-to-data mode in which said gateway server receives facsimile information via said first communication network and communicates data representative of said facsimile information to a destination via said computer network;
said gateway server being responsive to commands received from said interface to initiate operation of said fax-to-data mode.
7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein said computing device further comprising:
an infrared signal transmitter, and
an infrared signal receiver.
8. The communication system of claim 6, wherein said computing device further comprising:
a radio signal transmitter; and
a radio signal receiver.
9. The communication system of claim 6, wherein
said means for receiving and communicating an alphanumeric address associated with an electronic mail address of said fax interface comprises an infrared signal receiver, and
said means for sending information of said fax interface comprises an infrared signal transmitter.
10. The communication system of claim 6, wherein
said means for receiving and communicating an alphanumeric address associated with an electronic mail address of said fax interface comprises a radio signal receiver, and
said means for sending information of said fax interface comprises a radio signal transmitter.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A composition comprising a three-dimensional transfection cell array comprising an array of spatially controllable immobilized gels, wherein said gels comprise a crosslinkable biopolymer solution comprising cells exposed to transfection molecules.
2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the gels are formed by adding a solution comprising transfection molecules and cells to an alginate solution, allowing beads to form, and placing the same within cell growth media.
3. The composition of claim 2, wherein said alginate solution comprises alginate and collagen.
4. The composition of claim 3, wherein said composition further comprises polyethyleimine (PEI).
5. The composition of claim 3, wherein the alginate is present at a final concentration of about 1.5%.
6. The composition of claim 3, wherein the collagen is present at a final concentration of about 0.2%.
7. The composition of claim 4, wherein PEI is present in an amount such that the nitrogen to phosphate ratio is 25.
8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the transfection molecules are nucleic acid sequences.
9. The composition of claim 8, wherein the nucleic acid sequences are located within expression vectors.
10. The composition of claim 1, wherein said transfection molecules comprise a normalization plasmid and a functional plasmid, wherein the normalization plasmid, comprising a promoter region and a reporter molecule, allows cellular transfection efficiency to be normalized over said array.
11. The composition of claim 10, wherein the functional plasmid comprises a reporter molecule that is different from the reporter molecule of said normalization plasmid.
12. A method of transfecting cells comprising
a) providing:
i) a composition comprising a biopolymer comprising alginate and collagen,
ii) transfection molecules, and
ii) cells; and
b) mixing the composition comprising biopolymer, transfection molecules and cells, in the presence of PEI, under conditions such that beads form; and
c) placing said beads in cell growth media.
13. A method of generating an array, comprising:
a) forming holes in a first material to generate an array mold,
b) attaching said array mold to a solid substrate to form a complex comprising a plurality of wells;
c) depositing first nucleic acid vectors into said plurality of wells under conditions such that said first nucleic acid vectors are generally immobilized on said solid substrate, wherein said first nucleic acid vectors comprise nucleic acid, and wherein said nucleic acid comprises: 1) a reporter gene; and 2) a promoter region configured to bind transcription factors; and
d) removing said array mold from said solid substrate to generate an array on said solid substrate.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said first material comprises PDMS.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein said solid substrate comprises polystyrene.
16. The method of claim 13, prior to step d) depositing second nucleic acid vectors into said plurality of wells, wherein said second nucleic acid vectors comprise nucleic acid comprising: 1) a second reporter gene; and 2) a promoter region that allows transfection efficiency to be normalized over said array.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein said first nucleic acid vectors are immobilized on said solid substrate such that they can deliver said nucleic acid to a cell.