PepS: An Innovative Microfluidic Device for Bedside Whole Blood Processing before Plasma Proteomics Analyses

Immunoassays have been used for decades in clinical laboratories to quantify proteins in serum and plasma samples. However, their limitations make them inappropriate in some cases. Recently, mass spectrometry (MS) based proteomics analysis has emerged as a promising alternative method when seeking to assess panels of protein biomarkers with a view to providing protein profiles to monitor health status. Up to now, however, translation of MS-based proteomics to the clinic has been hampered by its complexity and the substantial time and human resources necessary for sample preparation. Plasma matrix is particularly tricky to process as it contains more than 3000 proteins with concentrations spanning an extreme dynamic range (10¹⁰). To address this preanalytical challenge, we designed a microfluidic device (PepS) automating and accelerating blood sample preparation for bottom-up MS-based proteomics analysis. The microfluidic cartridge is operated through a dedicated compact instrument providing fully automated fluid processing and thermal control. In less than 2 h, the PepS device allows bedside plasma separation from whole blood, volume metering, depletion of albumin, protein digestion with trypsin, and stabilization of tryptic peptides on solid-phase extraction sorbent. For this first presentation, the performance of the PepS device was assessed using discovery proteomics and targeted proteomics, detecting a panel of three protein biomarkers routinely assayed in clinical laboratories (alanine aminotransferase 1, C-reactive protein, and myoglobin). This innovative microfluidic device and its associated instrumentation should help to streamline and simplify clinical proteomics studies.