Microfluidic antibody patterning

Microfluidic systems for patterning antibodies onto sensor surfaces.

Numerous microfluidic approaches have been reported for optical biodetection. Many of these approaches utilise specific antibody binding reactions to locate and identify the pathogens.

However, the need for simultaneous multi-pathogen detection requires immobilisation of a number of agent-specific antibodies within close proximity.

Parallel microfluidic antibody immobilisation

At the University of Hertfordshire we have expertise in the design and application of polymeric parallel microfluidic continuous flow devices.

As part of PIBBDT we have developed PDMS-PMMA microfluidic devices (patterning heads) for deposition of up to 16 different concurrent antibodies within a single detection flow cell.

Automated delivery

In order to efficiently deliver undiluted analytes and antibodies to the detection surface the Microfluidics and Microengineering Group developed an automated microfluidic patterning system.

This comprises an automated computer-controlled multi channel peristaltic pump and 2-axis positioning stage to overcome problems of sample smearing and parallelism.

The system when used in conjunction with the parallel microfluidic patterning heads allows independent simultaneous antibody immobilisation and monitoring of 16 detection regions on a single sensor surface.