Automated Nanoliter Volume Assay Optimization on a Cost-Effective Microfluidic Disc.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microfluidics
• Assay Development

Background:

• Multireagent assay optimization is traditionally time-consuming and reagent-intensive.
• Miniaturization via microfluidics offers potential for reduced volumes and parallelization.
• Scaling to nanoliter volumes without droplets remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective, customizable centrifugal microdisc for assay optimization.
• To enable precise nanoliter-scale reagent metering for complex assays.
• To reduce manual intervention and reagent consumption in experimental workflows.

Main Methods:

• A centrifugal microdisc platform with automated two-stage metering was designed.
• Tunable, laser-actuated valves were employed to control fluidic volumes.
• The system was validated for metering discrete nanoliter volumes of reagents.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated precise metering of approximately 150 nanoliter (nL) volumes.
• Showcased controlled, parallelized delivery of up to four reagents.
• Validated the system's capability for rapid, cost-effective assay optimization.

Conclusions:

• The microfluidic disc provides a scalable solution for nanoliter-scale assay optimization.
• This technology significantly reduces reagent consumption and manual labor.
• It offers a versatile platform for diverse applications requiring precise multi-reagent handling.