Protein separation under a microfluidic regime

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Lab-on-a-Chip (LoC) and micro-Total Analysis Systems (μTAS) are powerful analytical technologies.
• Significant progress has been made in separating nucleic acids and proteins using microfluidic devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the latest advances in microfluidic systems for biological macromolecule separation.
• To critically assess the future development of standardized microfluidic systems and protocols.
• To present an outlook on current needs and future applications.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on microfluidic component fabrication.
• Analysis of detection methods for microfluidic separation.
• Evaluation of commercial implementation of microfluidic devices for biomolecule separation.

Main Results:

• Electrophoretic microfluidic devices demonstrate remarkable progress in nucleic acid and protein separation.
• Miniaturized chromatography principles are applied in pint-size devices for protein isolation.
• Advances in fabrication, detection, and commercialization are discussed.

Conclusions:

• Microfluidic systems offer high potential for biological macromolecule separation.
• Standardization of microfluidic systems and protocols is crucial for market availability.
• Future applications and current needs in protein purification are identified.