title: Mobile magnetic particles as solid-supports for rapid surface-based bioanalysis in continuous flow.
abstract: An extremely versatile microfluidic device is demonstrated in which multi-step (bio)chemical procedures can be performed in continuous flow. The system operates by generating several co-laminar flow streams, which contain reagents for specific (bio)reactions across a rectangular reaction chamber. Functionalized magnetic microparticles are employed as mobile solid-supports and are pulled from one side of the reaction chamber to the other by use of an external magnetic field. As the particles traverse the co-laminar reagent streams, binding and washing steps are performed on their surface in one operation in continuous flow. The applicability of the platform was first demonstrated by performing a proof-of-principle binding assay between streptavidin coated magnetic particles and biotin in free solution with a limit of detection of 20 ng mL(-1) of free biotin. The system was then applied to a mouse IgG sandwich immunoassay as a first example of a process involving two binding steps and two washing steps, all performed within 60 s, a fraction of the time required for conventional testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU67RX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sally A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Peyman
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iles
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pamme
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001710:Biotin / Q000032:analysis; D004867:Equipment Design; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D008280:Magnetics; D051379:Mice; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010316:Particle Size; D011485:Protein Binding; D019809:Streptavidin / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D001710:Biotin; D019809:Streptavidin