title: Macro to microfluidics system for biological environmental monitoring.
abstract: Biological environmental monitoring (BEM) is a growing field of research which challenges both microfluidics and system automation. The aim is to develop a transportable system with analysis throughput which satisfies the requirements: (i) fully autonomous, (ii) complete protocol integration from sample collection to final analysis, (iii) detection of diluted molecules or biological species in a large real life environmental sample volume, (iv) robustness and (v) flexibility and versatility. This paper discusses all these specifications in order to define an original fluidic architecture based on three connected modules, a sampling module, a sample preparation module and a detection module. The sample preparation module highly concentrates on the pathogens present in a few mL samples of complex and unknown solutions and purifies the pathogens' nucleic acids into a few μL of a controlled buffer. To do so, a two-step concentration protocol based on magnetic beads is automated in a reusable macro-to-micro fluidic system. The detection module is a PCR based miniaturized platform using digital microfluidics, where reactions are performed in 64 nL droplets handled by electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) actuation. The design and manufacture of the two modules are reported as well as their respective performances. To demonstrate the integration of the complete protocol in the same system, first results of pathogen detection are shown.
authors.affiliation: CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, Microtechnologies for Biology and Healthcare Department, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delattre
authors.forename: Cédric P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Allier
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fouillet
authors.forename: Dorothée
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jary
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bottausci
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bouvier
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delapierre
authors.forename: Manuelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quinaud
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rival
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Davoust
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peponnet
mesh_terms: D000260:Adenoviruses, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D004247:DNA