The application of microbeads to microfluidic systems for enhanced detection and purification of biomolecules

• Published in: Methods (San Diego, Calif.) Calif.), 2017-03, Vol.116, p.112-124
• Main Authors: Pinto, I.F., Caneira, C.R.F., Soares, R.R.G., Madaboosi, N., Aires-Barros, M.R., Conde, J.P., Azevedo, A.M., Chu, V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibodies; Antibodies - isolation & purification; Biosensing; Biosensing Techniques - instrumentation; Biosensing Techniques - methods; Dimethylpolysiloxanes - chemistry; Equipment Design; Fluorescent Dyes - chemistry; Humans; Microbeads; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques - instrumentation; Microfluidics; Microspheres; Mycotoxins; Mycotoxins - isolation & purification; Nucleic acids; Nucleic Acids - isolation & purification
• ISSN: 1046-2023; 1095-9130
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2016.12.005

[Display omitted] •Bead-based microfluidics provide short transportation length and high surface-to-volume ratio.•Commercial microbeads offer varied, robust and dense surface functionalization.•A system was described that combines microbeads in a microfluidic system.•This platform can be a development in miniaturized biosensing and biotechnology assays.•Enhanced multiplexing, speed and sensitivity can be achieved. This paper describes microbead-based microfluidic systems. Several aspects of bead assays in microfluidics make them advantageous for bioassays in simple microchannels, including enhanced surface-to-volume ratio, improved molecular recognition reaction efficiency, and the wide range of surface functionalization available with commercial microbeads. Two-level SU-8 molds are used to fabricate PDMS microchannels that can hydrodynamically trap different types of microbeads, with characteristic dimensions of tens of microns. The use of these microbead-based microfluidic systems in the biosensing of antibodies, toxins and nucleic acids, as well as in antibody purification will be presented and discussed in this paper.