Feasibility of a simple microsieve-based immunoassay platform

The intrinsic properties of silicon microsieves, such as an optically flat surface, high overall porosity, and low flow resistance have led to an increasing number of biotechnology applications. In this report, the feasibility of creating a microsieve-based immunoassay platform was explored. Microsieves containing 5μm pores were coupled with poly-acrylic acid chains, and then mounted into a plastic holder to enable rapid reagent exchanges via a wicking mechanism. The mounted microsieves were coated with infectious disease-related antigens at [2.5 and 25μg/mL], [20 and 50μg/mL], and [20 and 100μg/mL] to facilitate detection of serum-derived human antibodies against Rubella (3-day measles), B. burgdorferi (Lyme disease), or T. pallidum (syphilis), respectively. The prototype microsieve-based immunoassay platform was able to distinguish positive control sera containing antibodies against Rubella, T. pallidum, and B. burgdorferi from negative control sera with similar qualitative results as FDA-approved ELISA tests. Testing of a WHO IgG syphilitic standard at 0.3, 0.15, 0.075, 0.0375, and 0.01875IU/mL demonstrated that the T. pallidum microsieve assay is able to distinguish disease-specific IgG signal from background signal at similar, and possibly lower, levels than the corresponding ELISA. The T. pallidum microsieve assay prototype also differentiated positive clinical serum samples from negative donor samples, and the results were in good agreement with ELISA (R(2)=0.9046). These feasibility studies demonstrate the potential for utilizing microsieves, along with a reagent wicking device, as a simple diagnostic immunoassay platform.