A 3D porous polymer monolith-based platform integrated in poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchips for immunoassay

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Microfluidic devices offer miniaturized platforms for biological assays.
• Porous polymer monoliths (PPM) provide high surface area and controlled flow characteristics.
• Sensitive and rapid immunoassay methods are crucial for disease diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a microfluidic immunoassay platform utilizing porous polymer monoliths (PPM).
• To achieve sensitive and rapid immunocapture and on-line fluorescence immunoassay of protein and virus targets.
• To evaluate the performance of the developed platform for detecting IgG and H1N1 influenza virus.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) [poly(GMA-co-EGDMA)] monoliths within polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channels via in situ UV-initiated free radical polymerization.
• Surface modification of PPM to create a high-surface area, specific affinity 3D substrate for immunoassays.
• Integration of PPM with microfluidic devices for direct immunoassay of IgG and sandwich immunoassay of inactivated H1N1 influenza virus.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis and integration of PPM within PDMS microfluidic channels.
• Achieved detection limits of 4 ng mL(-1) for IgG and less than 10 pg mL(-1) for inactivated H1N1 influenza virus.
• Demonstrated significantly decreased detection time due to enhanced mass transfer and shortened diffusion distances within the monoliths.

Conclusions:

• The developed microfluidic immunoassay platform based on PPM enables highly efficient, fast, and sensitive detection of biological targets.
• The high surface area and flow-through design of PPM contribute to enhanced detection sensitivity.
• This novel platform holds significant promise for advanced diagnostic applications requiring rapid and sensitive immunoassays.