Issue 11, 2008

Bead-based microfluidic toxin sensor integrating evaporative signal amplification

Abstract

We have devised a microfluidic platform that incorporates substrate-laden silica beads for sensing the proteolytic activity of botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A)—one of the most poisonous substances known and a significant biological threat. The sensor relies on toxin-mediated cleavage of a fluorophore-tagged peptide substrate specific for only BoNT/A. Peptide immobilized on beads is recognized and cleaved by the toxin, releasing fluorescent fragments into solution that can be concentrated at an isolated port viaevaporation and detected using microscopy. Evaporative concentration in combination with a specific channel geometry provides up to a 3-fold signal amplification in 35 min, allowing for detection of low levels of fluorophore-labeled peptide—a task not easily accomplished using traditional channel designs. Our bead-based microfluidic platform can sense BoNT/A down to 10 pg of toxin per mL buffer solution in 3.5 h and can be adapted to sensing other toxins that operate via enzymatic cleavage of a known substrate.

Graphical abstract: Bead-based microfluidic toxin sensor integrating evaporative signal amplification

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
02 Jul 2008
Accepted
05 Sep 2008
First published
01 Oct 2008

Lab Chip, 2008,8, 1793-1800

Bead-based microfluidic toxin sensor integrating evaporative signal amplification

M. L. Frisk, E. Berthier, W. H. Tepp, E. A. Johnson and D. J. Beebe, Lab Chip, 2008, 8, 1793 DOI: 10.1039/B811075A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements