Monolithic affinity columns in 3D printed microfluidics for chikungunya RNA detection

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Medical Diagnostics
• Virology

Background:

• Mosquito-borne diseases pose a global health challenge.
• Current diagnostic methods for these diseases are often slow and inaccessible.
• There is a critical need for rapid and simple diagnostic tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel microfluidic device for the rapid detection of mosquito-borne viral RNA.
• To optimize the device for efficient capture and fluorescent detection of chikungunya virus (CHIKV).
• To assess the specificity and efficiency of the device for CHIKV detection.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a custom stereolithography 3D printer to create microfluidic devices with affinity monoliths.
• Optimized fluorescent binding and sample loading times using CHIKV oligonucleotide sequences.
• Tested specificity against Sindbis virus and evaluated efficiency with viral RNA from both CHIKV and Sindbis virus.

Main Results:

• Successfully detected approximately 10^7 loaded viral genome copies of CHIKV.
• Demonstrated specificity for CHIKV capture over Sindbis virus.
• Achieved detection levels comparable to those found in clinical samples during acute infection.

Conclusions:

• The developed 3D-printed microfluidic platform shows significant potential for rapid diagnosis of mosquito-borne viral pathogens.
• This technology could lead to faster and more accessible diagnostic solutions for affected patients.
• Further development could establish a valuable tool for public health surveillance and patient management.