Chemical and biological threat-agent detection using electrophoresis-based lab-on-a-chip devices

The ability to separate complex mixtures of analytes has made capillary electrophoresis (CE) a powerful analytical tool since its modern configuration was first introduced over 25 years ago. The technique found new utility with its application to the microfluidics based lab-on-a-chip platform (i.e., microchip), which resulted in ever smaller footprints, sample volumes, and analysis times. These features, coupled with the technique's potential for portability, have prompted recent interest in the development of novel analyzers for chemical and biological threat agents. This article will comment on three main areas of microchip CE as applied to the separation and detection of threat agents: detection techniques and their corresponding limits of detection, sampling protocol and preparation time, and system portability. These three areas typify the broad utility of lab-on-a-chip for meeting critical, present-day security, in addition to illustrating areas wherein advances are necessary.