A surface topography assisted droplet manipulation platform for biomarker detection and pathogen identification

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Molecular Diagnostics
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Accurate and rapid detection of disease biomarkers and pathogens is crucial for timely diagnosis and treatment.
• Current methods often involve complex sample preparation and external reagent handling, limiting point-of-care applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integrated, self-contained droplet microfluidic platform for automated sample-to-answer detection of disease biomarkers and infectious pathogens.
• To demonstrate the platform's capability using both a cancer biomarker and a bacterial pathogen.

Main Methods:

• A droplet microfluidic device utilizing silica superparamagnetic particles (SSP) for DNA extraction and magnetic actuation.
• Integration of cell lysis, DNA binding, washing, elution, amplification, and detection within discrete droplets.
• Novel surface topographic features for efficient SSP manipulation and droplet splitting.
• A compact sample handling stage with integrated magnet manipulator, microfluidic device, and thermal cycler for real-time detection.

Main Results:

• The platform successfully integrated all steps from sample preparation to genetic analysis within droplets.
• Demonstrated feasibility by detecting the ovarian cancer biomarker Rsf-1.
• Successfully identified *Escherichia coli* using real-time polymerase chain reaction and helicase-dependent amplification.

Conclusions:

• The developed droplet microfluidic platform offers a self-contained, efficient solution for molecular diagnostics.
• This technology has the potential for rapid, point-of-care detection of various disease biomarkers and infectious agents.
• The integrated system simplifies complex molecular assays, reducing hands-on time and improving accessibility.