Multiplexed molecular detection using encoded microparticles and nanoparticles

Signal-encoded microparticles and nanoparticles have been used to label many reactions simultaneously for target identification in assays, and thus are an indispensable part of multiplex technologies. With the increasing demand for multiplexed molecular detection, encoded particles have evolved from pattern encoding to signal-intensity encoding, and also from signal-molecule encapsulation to signal-molecule tagging. The fabrication and utilization of such nano- and microparticles should advance multiplexed analysis. This short review focuses on how these encoded particles work and briefly touches on their applications in multiplexed molecular detection.