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Updated: Mar 15, 2026
Microfluidics in Assessing Platelet Function
Published on: November 8, 2024
Development of a NanoBioAnalytical platform for "on-chip" qualification and quantification of platelet-derived
Sameh Obeid1, Adam Ceroi2, Guillaume Mourey2
1FEMTO-ST Institute, UBFC, CNRS, ENSMM, UTBM, 15B Avenue des Montboucons, 25030 Besançon, France.
Abstract:
Blood microparticles (MPs) are small membrane vesicles (50-1000nm), derived from different cell types. They are known to play important roles in various biological processes and also recognized as potential biomarkers of various health disorders. Different methods are currently used for the detection and characterization of MPs, but none of these methods is capable to quantify and qualify total MPs at the same time, hence, there is a need to develop a new approach for simultaneous detection, characterization and quantification of microparticles. Here we show the potential of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) method coupled to atomic force microscopy (AFM) to quantify and qualify platelet-derived microparticles (PMPs), on the whole nano-to micro-meter scale. The different subpopulations of microparticles could be determined via their capture onto the surface using specific ligands. In order to verify the correlation between the capture level and the microparticles concentration in solution, two calibration standards were used: Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) and synthetic beads with a mean diameter of 53nm and 920nm respectively. The AFM analysis of the biochip surface allowed metrological analysis of captured PMPs and revealed that more than 95% of PMPs were smaller than 300nm. Our results suggest that our NanoBioAnalytical platform, combining SPR and AFM, is a suitable method for a sensitive, reproducible, label-free characterization and quantification of MPs over a wide concentration range (≈107 to 1012 particles/mL; with a limit of detection (LOD) in the lowest ng/µL range) which matches with their typical concentrations in blood.
Insights
This study introduces a novel NanoBioAnalytical platform combining surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) for simultaneous detection, characterization, and quantification of blood microparticles (MPs). The method offers sensitive, label-free analysis of MPs, crucial for biomarker discovery.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Nanotechnology
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Blood microparticles (MPs) are cell-derived vesicles implicated in biological processes and disease.
- Current methods struggle with simultaneous quantification and qualification of total MPs.
- A need exists for advanced techniques to analyze MPs for diagnostic potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel NanoBioAnalytical platform for simultaneous detection, characterization, and quantification of MPs.
- To assess the capability of Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) coupled with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for MP analysis.
- To characterize platelet-derived microparticles (PMPs) using this combined SPR-AFM approach.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) biosensor for MP capture via specific ligands.
- Integrated Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for high-resolution imaging and metrological analysis of captured MPs.
- Employed Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) and synthetic beads as calibration standards for quantification.
Main Results:
- The SPR-AFM platform enabled sensitive, reproducible, and label-free characterization and quantification of MPs.
- AFM analysis revealed that over 95% of captured PMPs were smaller than 300nm.
- The method demonstrated a wide quantification range (≈10^7 to 10^12 particles/mL) with a low limit of detection.
Conclusions:
- The combined SPR-AFM NanoBioAnalytical platform is a powerful tool for comprehensive MP analysis.
- This approach facilitates sensitive and accurate quantification and qualification of MPs across a broad concentration spectrum.
- The platform holds significant potential for advancing MP-based diagnostics and understanding their biological roles.
