A LEGO-inspired multipiece chip for portable nucleic acid detection.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Molecular Diagnostics
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Microfluidic devices offer advantages for nucleic acid amplification and detection.
• Current modular microfluidic systems can be complex to assemble and customize.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a modular microfluidic chip (LIM-Chip) with on-demand assembly capabilities.
• To demonstrate the clinical applicability of the LIM-Chip for sensitive pathogen detection.

Main Methods:

• Designed a LEGO-inspired multipiece chip (LIM-Chip) utilizing 3D-printed connectors for modular assembly.
• Developed a DNAzyme-based isothermal nucleic acid amplification assay.
• Applied the LIM-Chip to detect HPV16 DNA in clinical cervical samples.

Main Results:

• The LIM-Chip allows for rapid and on-demand assembly of microfluidic systems.
• The system successfully mediated a DNAzyme-based assay for sensitive HPV16 DNA detection.
• Demonstrated clinical applicability using real-world cervical samples.

Conclusions:

• The LIM-Chip provides a versatile and user-friendly platform for integrated nucleic acid amplification and detection.
• This modular approach simplifies the development and application of microfluidic devices in clinical diagnostics.