[Frontiers in Bioscience S2, 73-84, January 1, 2010]

Development of microfluidic-based heterogeneous immunoassays

Frank Yung Harn Lin1,2, Yali Gao2, Dongqing Li3, Philip Martin Sherman4, 5

1Southlake Regional Health Centre, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, 2Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 3Department of Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 4Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 5Departments of Paediatrics and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Consideration of immunoassay development
4. Microfluidic-based immunoassay development
4.1. Materials for microfluidic applications
4.2. Surface modification and protein immobilization
4.3. Solution and reagent delivery
4.4. Detection methods
5. Applications
6. Conclusions
7. Acknowledgement
8. References

1. ABSTRACT

Microfluidic-based heterogeneous immunoassays are reviewed in this article by first introducing the principle of immunoassay, followed by a discussion of microfluidic-based technology. Microfabrication, surface modification, solution dispensing and detection technology are discussed and their applications to biomolecular detection reviewed. In the future, improved manufacturing processes and integrated assay systems in an automatic fashion with a reduced assay time and reagent consumption will allow for the effective detection of biomolecules that are of interest in medical diagnostics, drug discovery and bioterrorism.