Development and Application of Novel Microfluidic Alternatives to Existing Biological and Chemical Protocols
Faculty Mentor Information
John H. Thurston Ph.D Scott Truksa Ph.D
Abstract
Biology and chemistry laboratories in many universities regularly perform absorbance assays. However, current procedures for these assays are expensive and inefficient, as plates and cuvettes are costly and non-reusable. Paper microfluidic technology involves the creation of reaction chambers via the printing and subsequent heating of wax on paper to form hydrophobic walls with a hydrophilic matrix. Templates are designed digitally, which allows for ease of adjustment and the creation of devices en masse and tailored to specific reactions. We have developed a paper-based 96-well “plate” using a wax printer and are working to prove its functionality through investigation of the Bradford assay. These devices are viable for upwards of two hours, depending upon the volume of solvent used. They require a tenth of the reagent quantities needed in conventional protocols and may be analyzed using standard transmission-based microplate readers. Preliminary results using this technique have yielded observable color gradients with distinctly linear trends. Once the Bradford protocol is optimized, we will examine image-based alternatives for analysis. We also hope to explore the creation of devices for rapid, field-ready qualitative analyses of impurities found in food and water sources.
Development and Application of Novel Microfluidic Alternatives to Existing Biological and Chemical Protocols
Biology and chemistry laboratories in many universities regularly perform absorbance assays. However, current procedures for these assays are expensive and inefficient, as plates and cuvettes are costly and non-reusable. Paper microfluidic technology involves the creation of reaction chambers via the printing and subsequent heating of wax on paper to form hydrophobic walls with a hydrophilic matrix. Templates are designed digitally, which allows for ease of adjustment and the creation of devices en masse and tailored to specific reactions. We have developed a paper-based 96-well “plate” using a wax printer and are working to prove its functionality through investigation of the Bradford assay. These devices are viable for upwards of two hours, depending upon the volume of solvent used. They require a tenth of the reagent quantities needed in conventional protocols and may be analyzed using standard transmission-based microplate readers. Preliminary results using this technique have yielded observable color gradients with distinctly linear trends. Once the Bradford protocol is optimized, we will examine image-based alternatives for analysis. We also hope to explore the creation of devices for rapid, field-ready qualitative analyses of impurities found in food and water sources.