Compatible immuno-NASBA LOC device for quantitative detection of waterborne pathogens: design and validation

Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification-Integrated CRISPR Methods for Infectious Disease Diagnosis at Point of Care

Infectious diseases continue to pose an imminent threat to global public health, leading to high numbers of deaths every year and disproportionately impacting developing countries where access to healthcare is limited. Biological, environmental, and social phenomena, including climate change, globalization, increased population density, and social inequity, contribute to the emergence of novel communicable diseases. Rapid and accurate diagnoses of infectious diseases are essential to preventing the transmission of infectious diseases. Although some commonly used diagnostic technologies provide highly sensitive and specific measurements, limitations including the requirement for complex equipment/infrastructure and refrigeration, the need for trained personnel, long sample processing times, and high cost remain unresolved. To ensure global access to affordable diagnostic methods, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) integrated clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) based pathogen detection has emerged as a promising technology. Here, LAMP-integrated CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection methods are discussed in point-of-care (PoC) pathogen detection platforms, and current limitations and future directions are also identified.

Prospects of Microfluidic Technology in Nucleic Acid Detection Approaches

Conventional diagnostic techniques are based on the utilization of analyte sampling, sensing and signaling on separate platforms for detection purposes, which must be integrated to a single step procedure in point of care (POC) testing devices. Due to the expeditious nature of microfluidic platforms, the trend has been shifted toward the implementation of these systems for the detection of analytes in biochemical, clinical and food technology. Microfluidic systems molded with substances such as polymers or glass offer the specific and sensitive detection of infectious and noninfectious diseases by providing innumerable benefits, including less cost, good biological affinity, strong capillary action and simple process of fabrication. In the case of nanosensors for nucleic acid detection, some challenges need to be addressed, such as cellular lysis, isolation and amplification of nucleic acid before its detection. To avoid the utilization of laborious steps for executing these processes, advances have been deployed in this perspective for on-chip sample preparation, amplification and detection by the introduction of an emerging field of modular microfluidics that has multiple advantages over integrated microfluidics. This review emphasizes the significance of microfluidic technology for the nucleic acid detection of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The implementation of isothermal amplification in conjunction with the lateral flow assay greatly increases the binding efficiency of nanoparticles and biomolecules and improves the limit of detection and sensitivity. Most importantly, the deployment of paper-based material made of cellulose reduces the overall cost. Microfluidic technology in nucleic acid testing has been discussed by explicating its applications in different fields. Next-generation diagnostic methods can be improved by using CRISPR/Cas technology in microfluidic systems. This review concludes with the comparison and future prospects of various microfluidic systems, detection methods and plasma separation techniques used in microfluidic devices.

Application of Lab-on-Chip for Detection of Microbial Nucleic Acid in Food and Environment

Various diseases caused by food-borne or environmental pathogenic microorganisms have been a persistent threat to public health and global economies. It is necessary to regularly detect microorganisms in food and environment to prevent infection of pathogenic microorganisms. However, most traditional detection methods are expensive, time-consuming, and unfeasible in practice in the absence of sophisticated instruments and trained operators. Point-of-care testing (POCT) can be used to detect microorganisms rapidly on site and greatly improve the efficiency of microbial detection. Lab-on-chip (LOC) is an emerging POCT technology with great potential by integrating most of the experimental steps carried out in the laboratory into a single monolithic device. This review will primarily focus on principles and techniques of LOC for detection of microbial nucleic acid in food and environment, including sample preparation, nucleic acid amplification and sample detection.

The mechanism and improvements to the isothermal amplification of nucleic acids, at a glance

A comparative review of the most common isothermal methods is provided. In the last two decades, the challenge of using isothermal amplification systems as an alternate to the most extensive and long-standing nucleic acids-amplifying method-the polymerase chain reaction-has arisen. The main advantage of isothermal amplification is no requirement for expensive laboratory equipment for thermal cycling. Considerable efforts have been made to improve the current techniques of nucleic acid amplification and the development of new approaches based on the main drawbacks of each method. The most important and challenging goal was to achieve a low-cost, straightforward system that is rapid, specific, accurate, and sensitive.

Recent methods and biosensors for foodborne pathogen detection in fish: progress and future prospects to sustainable aquaculture systems

The aquaculture industry has advanced toward sustainable recirculating systems, in where parameters of food quality are strictly monitored. Despite that, as in the case of conventional aquaculture practices, the recirculating systems also suffer threats from Aeromonas spp., Vibrio spp., Streptococcus spp., among other foodborne pathogens infecting farmed fish. The aquaculture pathogens are routinely detected by conventional PCR methods or antibody-based tests, with the detection protocols confined to laboratory use. Emerging assay technologies and biosensors recently reported in the literature open new opportunities to the development of sensitive, specific, and portable analytical devices to use in the field. Techniques of DNA/RNA analysis, immunoassays and other nanomolecular technologies have been facing important advances in response time, sensitivity, and enhanced power of discrimination among and within species. Moreover, the recent developments of electrochemical and optical signal transduction have facilitated the incorporation of the innovative assays to practical miniaturized devices. In this work, it is provided a critical review over foodborne pathogen detection by existing and promising methods and biosensors applied to fish samples and extended to other food matrices. While isothermal DNA/RNA amplification methods can be highlighted among the assay methods for their promising analytical performance and suitability for point-of-care testing, the electrochemical transduction provides a way to achieve cost-effective biosensors amenable to use in the aquaculture field. The adoption of new methods and biosensors would constitute a step forward in securing sustainable aquaculture systems.

A Fluorescence Sensing Method with Reduced DNA Typing and Low-Cost Instrumentation for Detection of Sample Tampering Cases in Urinalysis

This work presents a method to unequivocally detect urine sample tampering in cases where integrity of the sample needs to be verified prior to urinalysis. The technique involves the detection of distinct patterns of a triplex short tandem repeats system in DNA extracted from human urine. The analysis is realized with single-dye fluorescence detection and using a regular smartphone camera. The experimental results had demonstrated the efficacy of the analytical approach to obtaining distinct profiles of amplicons in urine from different sample providers. Reproducibility tests with fresh and stored urine have revealed a maximum variation in the profiles within an interval of 5 to 9%. Cases of urine sample tampering via mixture were simulated in the study, and the experiments have identified patterns of mixed genotypes from dual mixtures of urine samples. Moreover, sample adulteration by mixing a non-human fluid with urine in a volume ratio over 25% can be detected. The low cost of the approach is accompanied by the compatibility of the technique to use with different DNA sample preparation protocols and PCR instrumentation. Furthermore, the possibility of realizing the method in an integrated microchip system open great perspectives to conducting sample integrity tests at the site of urine sample reception and/or at resource-limited settings.

Beacon-mediated exponential amplification reaction (BEAR) using a single enzyme and primer

Beacon-mediated Exponential Amplification Reaction (BEAR) enables isothermal, exponential signal amplification. BEAR uses only a single enzyme and a single primer. Detection of 0.2 amol of a mitochondrial DNA with a point mutation in less than an hour demonstrates an application of the BEAR technique for nucleic acid research.

SD-chip enabled quantitative detection of HIV RNA using digital nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (dNASBA)

Quantitative detection of RNA is important in molecular biology and clinical diagnostics. Nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA), a single-step method to amplify single-stranded RNA, is attractive for use in point-of-care (POC) diagnostics because it is an isothermal technique that is as sensitive as RT-PCR with a shorter reaction time. However, NASBA is limited in its ability to provide accurate quantitative information, such as viral load or RNA copy number. Here we test a digital format of NASBA (dNASBA) using a self-digitization (SD) chip platform, and apply it to quantifying HIV-1 RNA. We demonstrate that dNASBA is more sensitive and accurate than the real-time quantitative NASBA, and can be used to quantify HIV-1 RNA in plasma samples. Digital NASBA is thus a promising POC diagnostics tool for use in resource-limited settings.

A novel portable filtration system for sampling and concentration of microorganisms: Demonstration on marine microalgae with subsequent quantification using IC-NASBA

This paper presents a novel portable sample filtration/concentration system, designed for use on samples of microorganisms with very low cell concentrations and large volumes, such as water-borne parasites, pathogens associated with faecal matter, or toxic phytoplankton. The example application used for demonstration was the in-field collection and concentration of microalgae from seawater samples. This type of organism is responsible for Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), an example of which is commonly referred to as "red tides", which are typically the result of rapid proliferation and high biomass accumulation of harmful microalgal species in the water column or at the sea surface. For instance, Karenia brevis red tides are the cause of aquatic organism mortality and persistent blooms may cause widespread die-offs of populations of other organisms including vertebrates. In order to respond to, and adequately manage HABs, monitoring of toxic microalgae is required and large-volume sample concentrators would be a useful tool for in situ monitoring of HABs. The filtering system presented in this work enables consistent sample collection and concentration from 1 L to 1 mL in five minutes, allowing for subsequent benchtop sample extraction and analysis using molecular methods such as NASBA and IC-NASBA. The microalga Tetraselmis suecica was successfully detected at concentrations ranging from 2 × 10⁵ cells/L to 20 cells/L. Karenia brevis was also detected and quantified at concentrations between 10 cells/L and 10⁶ cells/L. Further analysis showed that the filter system, which concentrates cells from very large volumes with consequently more reliable sampling, produced samples that were more consistent than the independent non-filtered samples (benchtop controls), with a logarithmic dependency on increasing cell numbers. This filtering system provides simple, rapid, and consistent sample collection and concentration for further analysis, and could be applied to a wide range of different samples and target organisms in situations lacking laboratories.

Microfluidic devices for sample preparation and rapid detection of foodborne pathogens

Rapid detection of foodborne pathogens at an early stage is imperative for preventing the outbreak of foodborne diseases, known as serious threats to human health. Conventional bacterial culturing methods for foodborne pathogen detection are time consuming, laborious, and with poor pathogen diagnosis competences. This has prompted researchers to call the current status of detection approaches into question and leverage new technologies for superior pathogen sensing outcomes. Novel strategies mainly rely on incorporating all the steps from sample preparation to detection in miniaturized devices for online monitoring of pathogens with high accuracy and sensitivity in a time-saving and cost effective manner. Lab on chip is a blooming area in diagnosis, which exploits different mechanical and biological techniques to detect very low concentrations of pathogens in food samples. This is achieved through streamlining the sample handling and concentrating procedures, which will subsequently reduce human errors and enhance the accuracy of the sensing methods. Integration of sample preparation techniques into these devices can effectively minimize the impact of complex food matrix on pathogen diagnosis and improve the limit of detections. Integration of pathogen capturing bio-receptors on microfluidic devices is a crucial step, which can facilitate recognition abilities in harsh chemical and physical conditions, offering a great commercial benefit to the food-manufacturing sector. This article reviews recent advances in current state-of-the-art of sample preparation and concentration from food matrices with focus on bacterial capturing methods and sensing technologies, along with their advantages and limitations when integrated into microfluidic devices for online rapid detection of pathogens in foods and food production line.

From research lab to standard environmental analysis tool: Will NASBA make the leap?

Nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) is a sensitive and efficient molecular tool for amplification of RNA and has been widely adopted in clinical diagnostics. Monitoring of water and other environmental samples demands sensitive techniques, as potential pathogens may be in low concentrations and require only a few infectious units to infect their host. NASBA has qualities that should be advantageous for analysis of environmental samples, such as short reaction times, high sensitivity, and not readily affected by inhibitory substances that are often abundant in environmental samples. NASBA is well suited for incorporation into lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices, as part of analysis systems that can be taken into the field for on-site screening. In this review, we explore advantages and drawbacks of NASBA as a tool for environmental analyses, and try to answer the question of whether it will be a recognised technique in the same manner as in clinical diagnostics.

Modelling and design of a capacitive touch sensor for urinary tract infection detection at the point-of-care

Due to great use of touchscreens in mobile telephones and other electronic devices, there has been great evolution in this technology. Its wide applicability makes the touch sensor technology suitable for detection of specific components in urine, responsible for urinary tract infection (UTI). Integration of a touch sensor in a disposable probe tip to be used in UTI detection represents a powerful tool to develop new point-of-care testing (POCT) devices. The simplified structure of an electrodes array touch screen was simulated using the software COMSOL Multiphysics to prove that capacitive based touch screens can be used for detection of UTI. Besides we assumed presence of E.coli, one of the major causes of UTI urine. Results show that global capacitance increases if an E.coli sphere is present near the active electrodes, remaining approximately constant when further apart electrodes are excited. The output simulated voltage varies according to the capacitance value, decreasing when the capacitance is increased.

Opportunities and challenges for the application of microfluidic technologies in point-of-care veterinary diagnostics

There is a growing need for low-cost, rapid and reliable diagnostic results in veterinary medicine. Point-of-care (POC) tests have tremendous advantages over existing laboratory-based tests, due to their intrinsic low-cost and rapidity. A considerable number of POC tests are presently available, mostly in dipstick or lateral flow formats, allowing cost-effective and decentralised diagnosis of a wide range of infectious diseases and public health related threats. Although, extremely useful, these tests come with some limitations. Recent advances in the field of microfluidics have brought about new and exciting opportunities for human health diagnostics, and there is now great potential for these new technologies to be applied in the field of veterinary diagnostics. This review appraises currently available POC tests in veterinary medicine, taking into consideration their usefulness and limitations, whilst exploring possible applications for new and emerging technologies, in order to widen and improve the range of POC tests available.

Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices for colorimetric detection of urinary tract infection biomarkers on adult diapers

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common infection diseases in elderly patients. The conventional method of detecting UTI involves the collection of significant urine samples from the elderly patients. However, this is a very difficult and time-consuming procedure. This paper addresses the development of a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) to detect UTI from urine collected from adult diapers. The design and fabrication for the μPAD is shown. The fabrication process involves melting solid wax on top of filter paper using a hot plate, followed by pattern transfer using a mold with rubbed wax. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method, the μPAD with deposited nitrite reagent had detected different concentrations of nitrite solutions from 0.5 ppm to 100 ppm spiked in urine samples. A calibration curve was obtained by plotting the gray scale intensity values against the various nitrite concentrations. The results showed that the proposed paper-based device holds great potential as low-cost, disposable solution to sensitively detect UTI markers in urine sampled from diapers.

Paper-based rapid detection of pork and chicken using LAMP–magnetic bead aggregates

Magnetic beads (MBs) have been widely used for DNA quantification.

Detection of urinary tract infections on lab-on-chip device by measuring photons emitted from ATP bioluminescence

A microfluidic Lab-on-chip (LOC) platform for in vitro detecting Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) for clinical diagnostic applications has been built. Based on one commercial adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) assay kit, one chip designed before was applied to detect UTI with the help of photomultiplier tube (PMT) and quantitative determination was made by measuring the photons of light emitted in the bioluminescent reaction of ATP with the enzyme luciferase. The chip had been tested and materials had been well prepared before testing the PMT detecting system. The data from PMT were visualized by the Labview™, appearing good linearity between voltage values and the concentration of the ATP ranging from 2×10(-12) M to 2×10(-8) M. Fresh urine sample with different amounts of Escherichia coli had been measured by the system, appearing good linearity trend between the voltage values and number of the E.coli. This study successfully expressed the concept of measuring ATP directly in the urine to quickly and accurately detect UTI on a microfluidic chip.

Optical Biosensors for the Detection of Pathogenic Microorganisms

Pathogenic microorganisms are causative agents of various infectious diseases that are becoming increasingly serious worldwide. For the successful treatment of pathogenic infection, the rapid and accurate detection of multiple pathogenic microorganisms is of great importance in all areas related to health and safety. Among various sensor systems, optical biosensors allow easy-to-use, rapid, portable, multiplexed, and cost-effective diagnosis. Here, we review current trends and advances in pathogen-diagnostic optical biosensors. The technological and methodological approaches underlying diverse optical-sensing platforms and methods for detecting pathogenic microorganisms are reviewed, together with the strengths and drawbacks of each technique. Finally, challenges in developing efficient optical biosensor systems and future perspectives are discussed.

An integrated passive-flow microfluidic biosensor with organic photodiodes for ultra-sensitive pathogen detection in water

This work reports on integrated passive-flow optical microfluidic devices to detect waterborne pathogens in the field. Ring-shaped organic photodiodes were integrated to a capillary-induced flow microfluidic channel for monitoring chemiluminescent sandwich immunoassays enhanced by gold nanoparticles. The integrated device yielded a resolution of 4×10(4) cells/mL for the detection of Legionella pneumophila, which represented a 25-fold improvement over chemiluminescence detection devices employing no gold-nanoparticle enhancement. This work demonstrates the feasibility of a low-cost but highly sensitive lab-on-a-chip device amenable for point-of-use applications.

Measurement and analysis of Vibrio fischeri cell-based microfluidic device for personal health monitoring

The cell-based microfluidic chip was designed and fabricated as a low-cost detector to continuously monitor toxicants in drinking water or human urine samples, which is expected to be an important component of a household health monitoring system in the future. The bioluminescent bacterium, Vibrio Fischeri, was selected to validate the function of device. Water samples and Vibrio fischeri cells were mixed and encapsulated into droplets in air flow, which can guarantee sufficient oxygen supply for cells in droplets. Preliminary tests were performed using copper ion (Cu(2+)) as the model toxicant. The droplet system was measured and analyzed at various flow rates in different observation chambers. Both deionized water and human urine samples were tested in the cell-based device. Interestingly, a strong relation between the R.L.U. (Relative Luminescence Units) in the observation chamber and the minute concentration of toxicant (Cu(2+)) was found using deionized water as solvent, whereas the relation was insignificant using human urine as solvent. This study showed the Vibrio fischeri cell-based device might be reliably employed as an early-warning system for the safety of drinking water. However, Vibrio fischeri is not competent to detect dangerous materials in a complex biofluid. With the replacement of cell sensors, the microfluidic device might be functional to analyze urine samples in theory.

A household LOC device for online monitoring bacterial pathogens in drinking water with green design concept

Bacterial waterborne pathogens often threaten the water safety of the drinking water system. In order to protect the health of home users, a household lab-on-a-chip (LOC) device was developed for online monitoring bacterial pathogens in drinking water, which are in accord with green design concept. The chip integrated counter-flow micromixers, a T-junction droplet generator and time-delay channels (TD-Cs), which can mix water sample and reactants into droplets in air flow and incubate the droplets in the LOC for about 18 hours before observation. The detection module was simplified into a transparent observation chamber, from which the home users can evaluate the qualitative result by naked eyes. The liquid waste generated by the LOC system was sterilized and absorbed by quicklime powders. No secondary pollution was found. The preliminary test of the prototype system met its design requirements.

Rapid identification and susceptibility testing of uropathogenic microbes via immunosorbent ATP-bioluminescence assay on a microfluidic simulator for antibiotic therapy

The incorporation of pathogen identification with antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was implemented on a concept microfluidic simulator, which is well suited for personalizing antibiotic treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs). The microfluidic device employs a fiberglass membrane sandwiched between two polypropylene components, with capture antibodies immobilized on the membrane. The chambers in the microfluidic device share the same geometric distribution as the wells in a standard 384-well microplate, resulting in compatibility with common microplate readers. Thirteen types of common uropathogenic microbes were selected as the analytes in this study. The microbes can be specifically captured by various capture antibodies and then quantified via an ATP bioluminescence assay (ATP-BLA) either directly or after a variety of follow-up tests, including urine culture, antibiotic treatment, and personalized antibiotic therapy simulation. Owing to the design of the microfluidic device, as well as the antibody specificity and the ATP-BLA sensitivity, the simulator was proven to be able to identify UTI pathogen species in artificial urine samples within 20 min and to reliably and simultaneously verify the antiseptic effects of eight antibiotic drugs within 3-6 h. The measurement range of the device spreads from 1 × 10(3) to 1 × 10(5) cells/mL in urine samples. We envision that the medical simulator might be broadly employed in UTI treatment and could serve as a model for the diagnosis and treatment of other diseases.

Capacitance variation induced by microfluidic two-phase flow across insulated interdigital electrodes in lab-on-chip devices

Microfluidic two-phase flow detection has attracted plenty of interest in various areas of biology, medicine and chemistry. This work presents a capacitive sensor using insulated interdigital electrodes (IDEs) to detect the presence of droplets in a microchannel. This droplet sensor is composed of a glass substrate, patterned gold electrodes and an insulation layer. A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) cover bonded to the multilayered structure forms a microchannel. Capacitance variation induced by the droplet passage was thoroughly investigated with both simulation and experimental work. Olive oil and deionized water were employed as the working fluids in the experiments to demonstrate the droplet sensor. The results show a good sensitivity of the droplet with the appropriate measurement connection. This capacitive droplet sensor is promising to be integrated into a lab-on-chip device for in situ monitoring/counting of droplets or bubbles.

Recent developments in optical detection technologies in lab-on-a-chip devices for biosensing applications

The field of microfluidics has yet to develop practical devices that provide real clinical value. One of the main reasons for this is the difficulty in realizing low-cost, sensitive, reproducible, and portable analyte detection microfluidic systems. Previous research has addressed two main approaches for the detection technologies in lab-on-a-chip devices: (a) study of the compatibility of conventional instrumentation with microfluidic structures, and (b) integration of innovative sensors contained within the microfluidic system. Despite the recent advances in electrochemical and mechanical based sensors, their drawbacks pose important challenges to their application in disposable microfluidic devices. Instead, optical detection remains an attractive solution for lab-on-a-chip devices, because of the ubiquity of the optical methods in the laboratory. Besides, robust and cost-effective devices for use in the field can be realized by integrating proper optical detection technologies on chips. This review examines the recent developments in detection technologies applied to microfluidic biosensors, especially addressing several optical methods, including fluorescence, chemiluminescence, absorbance and surface plasmon resonance.

A cascade-like silicon filter for improved recovery of oocysts from environmental waters

Standard filtration methods have been characterized by poor recoveries when processing large-volume samples of environmental water. A method to pre-remove particulates present in turbid waters would be necessary to enhance recovery of protozoan oocysts. Particulate separation can be achieved by the proposed multiplex particle refining (MPR) system. This system employs multiple counter-flow microfiltration units that are arranged into a cascade-like structure. By use of this design, the target oocysts are pre-concentrated from environmental waters. The performance of the MPR system was investigated using 10-L deionized water and surface water spiked with 100 Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. A recovery rate of around 85% was obtained for spiked river water. The water samples were processed using high flow rate and a simple filtration protocol. Further experiments were conducted using the MPR as a pre-filter for five commercially available filters. The recovery rates were two- to threefold higher employing the pre-filter than using the filters alone. The merit of the refining system to use different numbers of counter-flow units led to superior oocyst recovery rate for the Filta-Max and Envirochek HV filters, which are approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency. This work demonstrates a feasible tool for improved filtration performance in environmental waters.

Design and experimental approach to the construction of a human signal-molecule-profiling database

The human signal-molecule-profiling database (HSMPD) is designed as a prospective medical database for translational bioinformatics (TBI). To explore the feasibility of low-cost database construction, we studied the roadmap of HSMPD. A HSMPD-oriented tool, called “signal-molecule-profiling (SMP) chip” was developed for data acquisition, which can be employed in the routine blood tests in hospitals; the results will be stored in the HSMPD system automatically. HSMPD system can provide data services for the TBI community, which generates a stable income to support the data acquisition. The small-scale experimental test was performed in the hospital to verify SMP chips and the demo HSMPD software. One hundred and eighty nine complete SMP records were collected, and the demo HSMPD system was also evaluated in the survey study on patients and doctors. The function of SMP chip was verified, whereas the demo HSMPD software needed to be improved. The survey study showed that patients would only accept free tests of SMP chips when they originally needed blood examinations. The study indicated that the construction of HSMPD relies on the self-motivated cooperation of the TBI community and the traditional healthcare system. The proposed roadmap potentially provides an executable solution to build the HSMPD without high costs.

A microfluidic device for continuous sensing of systemic acute toxicants in drinking water

A bioluminescent-cell-based microfluidic device for sensing toxicants in drinking water was designed and fabricated. The system employed Vibrio fischeri cells as broad-spectrum sensors to monitor potential systemic cell toxicants in water, such as heavy metal ions and phenol. Specifically, the chip was designed for continuous detection. The chip design included two counter-flow micromixers, a T-junction droplet generator and six spiral microchannels. The cell suspension and water sample were introduced into the micromixers and dispersed into droplets in the air flow. This guaranteed sufficient oxygen supply for the cell sensors. Copper (Cu2+), zinc (Zn2+), potassium dichromate and 3,5-dichlorophenol were selected as typical toxicants to validate the sensing system. Preliminary tests verified that the system was an effective screening tool for acute toxicants although it could not recognize or quantify specific toxicants. A distinct non-linear relationship was observed between the zinc ion concentration and the Relative Luminescence Units (RLU) obtained during testing. Thus, the concentration of simple toxic chemicals in water can be roughly estimated by this system. The proposed device shows great promise for an early warning system for water safety.

Microfluidic biosensor array with integrated poly(2,7-carbazole)/fullerene-based photodiodes for rapid multiplexed detection of pathogens

A multiplexed microfluidic biosensor made of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) was integrated into an array of organic blend heterojunction photodiodes (OPDs) for chemiluminescent detection of pathogens. Waterborne Escherichia coli O157:H7, Campylobacter jejuni and adenovirus were targeted in the PMMA chip, and detection of captured pathogens was conducted by poly(2,7-carbazole)/fullerene OPDs which showed a responsivity over 0.20 A/W at 425 nm. The limits of chemiluminescent detection were 5 × 10⁵ cells/mL for E. coli, 1 × 10⁵ cells/mL for C. jejuni, and 1 × 10⁻⁸ mg/mL for adenovirus. Parallel analysis for all three analytes in less than 35 min was demonstrated. Further recovery tests illustrated the potential of the integrated biosensor for detecting bacteria in real water samples.

Protein detection through different platforms of immuno-loop-mediated isothermal amplification

Different immunoassay-based methods have been devised to detect protein targets. These methods have some challenges that make them inefficient for assaying ultra-low-amounted proteins. ELISA, iPCR, iRCA, and iNASBA are the common immunoassay-based methods of protein detection, each of which has specific and common technical challenges making it necessary to introduce a novel method in order to avoid their problems for detection of target proteins. Here we propose a new method nominated as 'immuno-loop-mediated isothermal amplification' or 'iLAMP'. This new method is free from the problems of the previous methods and has significant advantages over them. In this paper we also offer various configurations in order to improve the applicability of this method in real-world sample analyses. Important potential applications of this method are stated as well.

Design and fabrication of low-cost 1536-chamber microfluidic microarrays for mood-disorders-related serological studies

Mood disorders are common mental diseases, but physiological diagnostic methods are still lacking. Since much evidence has implied a relationship between mood disorders and the protein composition of blood sera, it is conceivable to develop a serological criterion for assisting diagnosis of mood disorders, based on a correlative database with enough capacity and high quality. In this pilot study, a low-cost microfluidic microarray device for quantifying at most 384 serological biomarkers at the same time was designed for the data acquisition of the serological study. The 1,536-chamber microfluidic device was modeled on a 1,536-well microtiter plate in order to employ a common microplate reader as the detection module for measuring the chemiluminescent immunoassay tests on the chips. The microfluidic microarrays were rapidly fabricated on polymethylmethacrylate slides using carbon dioxide laser ablation, followed by effective surface treatment processing. Sixteen types of different capture antibodies were immobilized on the chips to test the corresponding hormones and cytokines. The preliminary tests indicated that the signal-to-noise ratio and the limit of detection of microfluidic microarrays have reached the level of standard ELISA tests, whereas the operation time of microfluidic microarrays was sharply reduced.

Aptamer-NASBA LOC as a prospective tool for systemic therapy of cancer: quantitative detection on signaling molecular profiling

As the present technology of cancer treatment cannot cure the diseases, a prospective therapy, named 'systemic therapy', brings forth a new trend in cancer treatment. The aptamer-NASBA-based lab-on-a-chip (LOC) for systemic therapy was designed, fabricated and tested as an ultra-sensitive tool to monitor signaling molecular profiling in serum samples. The chip is divided into four parallel functional areas, corresponding to four groups of signaling molecules (i.e. hormones, neurotransmitters, cytokines and tumor biomarkers). The results can help doctors fully understand the body of patients. The chip is modeled on a 384-well microplate, which is completely compatible with common microplate readers in a biological laboratory. It can distinguish 24 signaling molecules in the same blood sample quantitatively and simultaneously. The chip was made of PDMS and silicon with a deposited gold layer, which was coated by aptamers before bonding; then, the LOC was operated by external valves and a vacuum pump. Its performance was demonstrated by detecting the presence of a synthetic peptide, GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) in artificial samples. The results indicated that the LOC has the potential to quantify traces of biomarkers even at subfemtomolar levels. Compared with our previous immuno-NASBA LOC, the aptamer-NASBA LOC showed an increased sensitivity and better repeatability.

Recovery of Cryptosporidium and Giardia organisms from surface water by counter-flow refining microfiltration

As waterborne parasitic cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis outbreaks continue globally, monitoring of Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia in surface water continues to be challenging. Lack of non-clogging and high-efficiency methods for recovery of C. parvum oocysts and G. lamblia cysts in environmental water strongly limits the sensitivity of detection methods for these protozoan organisms. In this work, the Counter-Flow Micro-Refinery (CFMR) system was developed by employing the novel counter-flow microfiltration principle to enrich (oo)cysts for subsequent analytical purposes. The CFMR system was constructed with multiple counter-flow concentration units that were arranged into two refining levels. By use of different numbers of units, the CFMR offered an adjustable concentration ratio allowing the concentration of 10 L and 100 L to hundreds of mL with no recirculation processing. With spiked samples, recovery of 81.3% oocysts and 86.2% cysts at a variance of < 7% was achieved for concentrations as low as 0.5-100 organisms L(-1). The recovery efficiency showed consistent for a wide range of water turbidities as well as different sample volumes. No significant clogging has been observed in the experiments. Moreover, the refining filter was able to enrich and separate oocysts and cysts in water, simultaneously. This work verifies a feasible solution for recovering C. parvum oocysts and G. lamblia cysts in large-volume surface waters. The refining system has potential to be a high-efficiency monitoring tool when combined with proper analytical detection methods.

Isothermal amplification methods for the detection of nucleic acids in microfluidic devices

Diagnostic tools for biomolecular detection need to fulfill specific requirements in terms of sensitivity, selectivity and high-throughput in order to widen their applicability and to minimize the cost of the assay. The nucleic acid amplification is a key step in DNA detection assays. It contributes to improving the assay sensitivity by enabling the detection of a limited number of target molecules. The use of microfluidic devices to miniaturize amplification protocols reduces the required sample volume and the analysis times and offers new possibilities for the process automation and integration in one single device. The vast majority of miniaturized systems for nucleic acid analysis exploit the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification method, which requires repeated cycles of three or two temperature-dependent steps during the amplification of the nucleic acid target sequence. In contrast, low temperature isothermal amplification methods have no need for thermal cycling thus requiring simplified microfluidic device features. Here, the use of miniaturized analysis systems using isothermal amplification reactions for the nucleic acid amplification will be discussed.

Concept and approach of human signal-molecular-profiling database: a pilot study on depression using Lab-on-chips

Signal molecular profiling (SMP) in serum can reveal abundant medical information about the human body. The construction of a human signal-molecular-profiling database (HSMPD) will greatly prompt the research of medical science. However, some challenges hinder the construction of HSMPD. A promising strategy is proposed to provide a convenient way for the establishment of HSMPD. Firstly, a low-cost and high-throughput tool for measuring SMP should be developed and standardized. When the SMP-oriented tools were accepted by most hospitals worldwide, SMP information will be decoded by a cloud-based system and stored into the online database naturally. In the pilot study, an ultrasensitive Lab-on-chips (LOC) device was developed as a specific tool for SMP. Clinical serum samples from 10 women within 4 weeks of giving birth, including 2 patients with postpartum depression were studied by the LOC devices, since accumulating evidence has indicated that hormones and cytokines in patients with mood disorders are abnormal. HSMPD may be applied to diagnose depression in the future. Here, five kinds of signal molecules were quantified on the devices, namely, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6 and IL-8. The preliminary results showed that the concentrations of IL-2 and IL-8 in the depression group may be higher than those in the control group, whereas the other kinds of signal molecules did not change significantly. Although the correlations are not enough to induct any diagnostic criterion, the SMP-oriented tool was verified. The results also indicated that the strategy to establish HSMPD is conceivable.

Detection of stress hormones by a microfluidic-integrated polycarbazole/fullerene photodetector

A novel photodetector integrated microfluidic system for chemiluminescence (CL) detection is reported. The system incorporates a polycarbazole/fullerene photodiode whose optical characteristics (i.e. dark current, external quantum efficiency and photosensitivity) are described here. Using a CL immunoassay for detecting the stress hormone cortisol, the integrated photodetector achieved a detection sensitivity of 1.775 pA × nM(-1) and a detection limit of less than 0.28 nM. The device would be a powerful low-cost alternative to silicon photodiode and photomultiplier tube for bioanalytical assays, with potentially wide-ranging applications within point-of-care diagnostics.

Polycarbazole-based organic photodiodes for highly sensitive chemiluminescent immunoassays

It is reported the development of a polycarbazole-based organic photodetector for chemiluminescent immunoassays. The optical detector comprised a 1∶4 blend by weight of poly [N-9'-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3'-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT) and [6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM). Optimization of the photodetector design was conducted aiming to maximize photosensitivity and reduce the background level. Quantitation of recombinant human thyroid stimulating hormone indicated good linearity and yielded a detection sensitivity of ∼3.7 nA × nM(-1) and a detection limit of 80 pg/ml.

WITHDRAWN: Multiplex particle refining system to enhance Cryptosporidium recovery for surface water filtration methods

The Publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published, http://dx.org/doi:10.1016/j.mimet.2012.12.009. The duplicate article has therefore been withdrawn.

Multifunctional sample preparation kit and on-chip quantitative nucleic acid sequence-based amplification tests for microbial detection

This study reports a quantitative nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (Q-NASBA) microfluidic platform composed of a membrane-based sampling module, a sample preparation cassette, and a 24-channel Q-NASBA chip for environmental investigations on aquatic microorganisms. This low-cost and highly efficient sampling module, having seamless connection with the subsequent steps of sample preparation and quantitative detection, is designed for the collection of microbial communities from aquatic environments. Eight kinds of commercial membrane filters are relevantly analyzed using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus as model microorganisms. After the microorganisms are concentrated on the membrane filters, the retentate can be easily conserved in a transport medium (TM) buffer and sent to a remote laboratory. A Q-NASBA-oriented sample preparation cassette is originally designed to extract DNA/RNA molecules directly from the captured cells on the membranes. Sequentially, the extract is analyzed within Q-NASBA chips that are compatible with common microplate readers in laboratories. Particularly, a novel analytical algorithmic method is developed for simple but robust on-chip Q-NASBA assays. The reported multifunctional microfluidic system could detect a few microorganisms quantitatively and simultaneously. Further research should be conducted to simplify and standardize ecological investigations on aquatic environments.

Optofluidic opportunities in global health, food, water and energy

Optofluidics is a rapidly advancing field that utilizes the integration of optics and microfluidics to provide a number of novel functionalities in microsystems. In this review, we discuss how this approach can potentially be applied to address some of the greatest challenges facing both the developing and developed world, including healthcare, food shortages, malnutrition, water purification, and energy. While medical diagnostics has received most of the attention to date, here we show that some other areas can also potentially benefit from optofluidic technology. Whenever possible we briefly describe how microsystems are currently used to address these problems and then explain why and how optofluidics can provide better solutions. The focus of the article is on the applications of optofluidic techniques in low-resource settings, but we also emphasize that some of these techniques, such as those related to food production, food safety assessment, nutrition monitoring, and energy production, could be very useful in well-developed areas as well.

Diagnostic devices for isothermal nucleic acid amplification

Since the development of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, genomic information has been retrievable from lesser amounts of DNA than previously possible. PCR-based amplifications require high-precision instruments to perform temperature cycling reactions; further, they are cumbersome for routine clinical use. However, the use of isothermal approaches can eliminate many complications associated with thermocycling. The application of diagnostic devices for isothermal DNA amplification has recently been studied extensively. In this paper, we describe the basic concepts of several isothermal amplification approaches and review recent progress in diagnostic device development.