Reading disc-based bioassays with standard computer drives

Drip-Dry Strategy Assisted Blu-Ray Disc Biosensor for Fast Point of Care Testing

Discs and numerous other consumer products have been developed for point of care testing (POCT) to replace traditional large and expensive biochemical devices in certain scenarios. Herein, we propose a drip-dry strategy (2D strategy) assisted Blu-ray disc (BD) biosensor, termed BDB, for rapid and portable POCT within 30 min with the cost of a single test < $1. The platform utilizes the covered area formed by the deposition of the substance to be measured on the activated BD surface after the evaporation of water and realizes the quantitative detection of the target through the error readout of free disc quality diagnosis software. As a proof of concept, we first demonstrated the feasibility of direct quantitative detection of substances in solution in a single system through the detection of pure proteins avoiding colorimetric reagent used in traditional optical detection. For the complex mixed systems, we then innovatively utilize the principle that soluble targets promote/inhibit the dissolution of insoluble precipitates to achieve specific detection of targets and successfully apply BDB to the indirect quantitative detection of glutathione (GSH) with LOD of 0.447 mM in the range of 2-16 mM and organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) with LOD of 2.122 × 10-7 M in the range of 1.289 × 10-7-1.289 × 10-4 M. The BDB is widely applicable, easy to operate, and less time-consuming, which is anticipated to provide an alternative method for early, on-site detection or screening.

Preparation of a glucose-sensitive one-dimensional photonic crystal via top-down nanocasting

Photonic crystals have been widely explored for biosensing. However, the complicated procedure for the self-assembly of multi-dimensional photonic crystals has driven researchers to look for more economical protocols for preparing photonic crystals. Furthermore, in situ monitoring of glucose with photonic crystals is the main technique used for controlling diabetes. A one-dimensional (1-D) photonic crystal gel sensor was prepared with a top-down method using a commercially available CD-R or DVD-R disc as a nanomold. The 1-D photonic structure was cast on a glucose-sensitive hydrogel. It was observed that the 1-D photonic crystal cast by DVD-R has a good response ability to glucose, as well as a good linear response relationship in the range of 0.1-4 mM glucose, with an adjusted R² of 0.99 of the linear fitting curve. The sensor also has a good response ability to the detection of glucose in urine. The limit of detection (LOD) is 0.1 mM. The 1-D photonic crystal sensor utilizing the existing optical disc microstructure as a template shows the advantages of its simple preparation, short production cycle, and low cost. It also has great application potential in the preparation of point-of-care (POC) sensors.

Wavelength-Selective Activation of Photocaged DNAzymes for Metal Ion Sensing in Live Cells

RNA-cleaving DNAzymes are widely applied as sensors for detecting metal ions in environmental samples owing to their high sensitivity and selectivity, but their use for sensing biological metal ions in live cells is challenging because constitutive sensors fail to report the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of biological processes. Photocaged DNAzymes can be activated by light for sensing purposes that need spatial and temporal resolution. Studying complex biological processes requires logic photocontrol, but unfortunately all the literature-reported photocaged DNAzymes working in live cells cannot be selectively controlled by light irradiation at different wavelengths. In this work, we developed photocaged DNAzymes responsive to UV and visible light using a general synthetic method based on phosphorothioate chemistry. Taking the Zn²⁺-dependent DNAzyme sensor as a model, we achieved wavelength-selective activation of photocaged DNAzymes in live human cells by UV and visible light, laying the groundwork for the logic activation of DNAzyme-based sensors in biological systems.

Indirect Competitive Immunoassay on a Blu-ray Disc for Digitized Quantitation of Food Toxins

We report herein a Blu-ray disc technology enabled immunoassay (namely, assay-on-a-Blu-ray) protocol for the quantitation of food toxins. In particular, commercial Blu-ray discs (BDs) are activated as substrates to create indirect competitive immunoassays with the aid of microfluidic channel plates for the quantitation of aflatoxins; an unmodified Blu-ray drive is employed to read the digitized signal (error counts generated from gold/silver-particle-enhanced binding sites); and a free disc-quality control software is adapted to process the raw data. The performance of this BD-based digital detection platform has been tested for the quantitation of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in spiked corn samples and validated with standard high-performance liquid chromatography measurements. The detection limit attained is as low as 0.27 ppb with a dynamic response range up to 200 ppb, which meets the standards established by government agencies worldwide for food products. We truly believe that the application potential of such a BD-technology-based, portable device for multiplex on-site quantitative analysis of food products as well as environmental and biomedical samples in real time is unlimited.

Blu-Ray Discs as Universal Biochip Substrates: Lithography-Free Surface Activation and Assay Patterning

Blu-ray discs (BDs) are advantageous in comparison with other optical discs (compact discs and digital versatile discs) in terms of not only their storage capacity but also the high-quality materials fabricated from. We have recently discovered that the "Hard Coat" film of Verbatim BDs is in fact a unique type of polymeric substrates that can be readily activated and adapted for biochip fabrications. Particularly, the Hard Coat film peeled from BDs is optically transparent without any fluorescence background, which can be activated by treating with a common base (1.0 M NaOH) at a slightly elevated temperature (55 °C). The surface density of reactive carboxylic acid groups generated, 6.6 ± 0.7 × 10^-9 mol/cm², is much higher than that on polycarbonate upon UV/ozone irradiation (4.8 ± 0.2 × 10^-10 mol/cm²). There are no significant physical damages to the substrate morphology, and the aging effect is minimal. More importantly, the BD substrate can be patterned using either cut-out filter paper masks or microfluidic channel plates; both are lithography-free, bench-top methods that facilitate the device fabrication in a common laboratory setting. With classical biotin-streptavidin binding and DNA hybridization arrays as trial systems, we have also demonstrated this new type of biochip substrates for quantitative assay applications.

Consumer electronics devices for DNA genotyping based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification and array hybridisation

Consumer electronic technologies offer practical performances to develop compact biosensing systems intended for the point-of-care testing of DNA biomarkers. Herein a discrimination method for detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms, based on isothermal amplification and on-chip hybridisation, was developed and integrated into user-friendly optical devices: e.g., USB digital microscope, flatbed scanner, smartphone and DVD drive. In order to adequately identify a single base change, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) was employed, with high yields (8 orders) within 45 min. Subsequently, products were directly hybridised to the allele-specific probes attached to plastic chips in an array format. After colorimetric staining, four consumer electronic techniques were compared. Sensitive precise measurements were taken (high signal-to-noise ratios, 10-μm image resolution, 99% scan-to-scan reproducibility). These features confirmed their potential as analytical tools, are a competitive alternative to fluorescence scanners, and incorporate additional advantages, such as user-friendly interface and connectivity for telemedicine needs. The analytical performances of the integrated platform (assay and reader) in the human samples were also excellent, with a low detection limit (100 genomic DNA copies), and reproducible (<15%) and cheap assays (< 10 €/test). The correct genotyping of a genetic biomarker (single-nucleotide polymorphism located in the GRIK4 gene) was achieved as the assigned genotypes agreed with those determined by using sequencing. The portability, favourable discriminating and read-out capabilities reveal that the implementation of mass-produced low-cost devices into minimal-specialised clinical laboratories is closer to becoming a reality.

Disk-based one-dimensional photonic crystal slabs for label-free immunosensing

One-dimensional photonic crystal slabs are periodic optical nanostructures that produce guided-mode resonance. They couple part of the incident light into the waveguide generating bandgaps in the transmittance spectrum, whose position is sensitive to refractive index variations on their surface. In this study, we present one-dimensional photonic crystal slab biosensors based on the internal nanogrooved structure of Blu-ray disks for label-free immunosensing. We demonstrated that this polycarbonate structure coated with a critical thickness of TiO₂ generates guided-mode resonance. Its optical behavior was established comparing it with other compact disk structures. The results were theoretically calculated and experimentally demonstrated, all them being in agreement. The bioanalytical performance of these photonic crystals was experimentally demonstrated in a model assay to quantify IgGs as well as in two immunoassays to determine the biomarkers C-reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase (detection limits of 0.1, 87, and 13 nM, respectively). The results are promising towards the development of new low-cost, portable, and label-free optical biosensors that join these photonic crystals with dedicated bioanalytical scanners based on compact disk drives.

Hacking CD/DVD/Blu-ray for Biosensing

The optical pickup unit (OPU) within a CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive integrates 780, 650, and 405 nm wavelength lasers, diffraction-limited optics, a high-bandwidth optoelectronic transducer up to 400 MHz, and a nanoresolution x-, z-axis, and tilt actuator in a compact size. In addition, the OPU is a remarkable piece of engineering and could enable different scientific applications such as sub-angstrom displacement sensing, micro- and nanoimaging, and nanolithography. Although off-the-shelf OPUs can be easily obtained, manufacturers protect their datasheets under nondisclosure agreements to impede their availability to the public. Thus, OPUs are black boxes that few people can use for research, and only experienced researchers can access all their functions. This review details the OPU mechanism and components. In addition, we explain how to utilize three commercially available triple-wavelength OPUs from scratch and optimize sensing quality. Then, we discuss scientific research using OPUs, from standard optical drive-based turnkey-biomarker array reading and OPU direct bioapplications (cytometry, optical tweezing, bioimaging) to modified OPU-based biosensing (DNA chip fluorescence scanning, biomolecular diagnostics). We conclude by presenting future trends on optical storage devices and potential applications. Hacking low-cost and high-performance OPUs may spread micro- and nanoscale biosensing research from research laboratories to citizen scientists around the globe.

Self-Assembled Ti4+@Biospore Microspheres for Sensitive DNA Analysis

Ti⁴⁺ can be chemically adsorbed and assembled on the surface of the modified spore to form highly monodispersed Ti⁴⁺@spore microspheres. Moreover, we for the first time found that these biomicrospheres exhibit differential affinities toward ssDNA and dsDNA. As a principle-of-proof, we exploited the self-assembled Ti⁴⁺@spore microspheres for a hybridization analysis. Interestingly, in the hybridization analysis, residual ssDNA probes are selectively adsorbed on Ti⁴⁺@spore microspheres at pH 5.0 and then removed via centrifugation. By taking advantage of this property, the signal-to-noise ratio for DNA analysis was considerably increased by reducing the noise caused by the residual ssDNA probes. The proposed method features easy operation, high specificity, and sensitivity and thus exhibits potential for further applications on DNA biosensing.

Materials for Microfluidic Immunoassays: A Review

Conventional immunoassays suffer from at least one of these following limitations: long processing time, high costs, poor user-friendliness, technical complexity, poor sensitivity and specificity. Microfluidics, a technology characterized by the engineered manipulation of fluids in channels with characteristic lengthscale of tens of micrometers, has shown considerable promise for improving immunoassays that could overcome these limitations in medical diagnostics and biology research. The combination of microfluidics and immunoassay can detect biomarkers with faster assay time, reduced volumes of reagents, lower power requirements, and higher levels of integration and automation compared to traditional approaches. This review focuses on the materials-related aspects of the recent advances in microfluidics-based immunoassays for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics of biomarkers. We compare the materials for microfluidic chips fabrication in five aspects: fabrication, integration, function, modification and cost, and describe their advantages and drawbacks. In addition, we review materials for modifying antibodies to improve the performance of the reaction of immunoassay. We also review the state of the art in microfluidic immunoassays POC platforms, from the laboratory to routine clinical practice, and also commercial products in the market. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and future developments in microfluidic immunoassays.

Optical disc technology-enabled analytical devices: from hardware modification to digitized molecular detection

Beyond their essential applications in portable data storage for the past 30 years, optical discs and corresponding recording/reading technologies have been extensively explored with the ultimate goal of creating novel analytical tools for on-site chemical analysis and point-of-care (POC) medical diagnosis. In particular, the disc media (CD, DVD, and BD) are proven to be inexpensive and versatile substrate materials for the preparation of various biochips and microfluidic systems; conventional computer drives and disc players are widely adapted for biochip signal reading and microscopic imaging. Herein we provide an overview of such optical disc technology-enabled analytical devices, e.g., integrated systems developed from specifically fabricated analog disks, modified optical drives, or adapted software algorithms.

Blu-ray Technology-Based Quantitative Assays for Cardiac Markers: From Disc Activation to Multiplex Detection

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally. To reduce the number of mortalities, reliable and rapid point-of-care (POC) diagnosis of AMI is extremely critical. We herein present a Blu-ray technology-based assay platform for multiplex cardiac biomarker detection; not only off-the-shelf Blu-ray discs (BDs) were adapted as substrates to prepare standard immunoassays and DNA aptamer/antibody hybrid assays for the three key cardiac marker proteins (myoglobin, troponin I, and C-creative protein) but also an unmodified optical drive was directly employed to read the assay results digitally. In particular, we have shown that all three cardiac markers can be quantitated in their respective physiological ranges of interest, and the detection limits achieved are comparable with conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. The Blu-ray assay platform was further validated by measuring real-world samples and establishing a linear correlation with the simultaneously obtained ELISA data. Without the need to modify either the hardware (Blu-ray discs and optical drives) or the software driver, this assay-on-a-BD technique promises to be a low-cost user-friendly quantitative tool for on-site chemical analysis and POC medical diagnosis.

Fractal circuit sensors enable rapid quantification of biomarkers for donor lung assessment for transplantation

Biomarker profiling is being rapidly incorporated in many areas of modern medical practice to improve the precision of clinical decision-making. This potential improvement, however, has not been transferred to the practice of organ assessment and transplantation because previously developed gene-profiling techniques require an extended period of time to perform, making them unsuitable in the time-sensitive organ assessment process. We sought to develop a novel class of chip-based sensors that would enable rapid analysis of tissue levels of preimplantation mRNA markers that correlate with the development of primary graft dysfunction (PGD) in recipients after transplant. Using fractal circuit sensors (FraCS), three-dimensional metal structures with large surface areas, we were able to rapidly (<20 min) and reproducibly quantify small differences in the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, and ATP11B mRNA in donor lung biopsies. A proof-of-concept study using 52 human donor lungs was performed to develop a model that was used to predict, with excellent sensitivity (74%) and specificity (91%), the incidence of PGD for a donor lung. Thus, the FraCS-based approach delivers a key predictive value test that could be applied to enhance transplant patient outcomes. This work provides an important step toward bringing rapid diagnostic mRNA profiling to clinical application in lung transplantation.

Emerging technologies for biomedical analysis

Options for biomedical analysis continue to evolve from many fields of study, employing diverse detection and quantification methods. New technologies in this arena focus on improving the sensitivity of analysis and the speed of testing, as well as producing systems at low cost which can be used on site as a point-of-care device for telemedicine applications. In this article, the most important original experimental platforms as well as current commercial approaches to biomedical analysis are critically chosen and reviewed, covering January 2010 to January 2014. While literature is quite broad and numerous, there is clear emphasis on biological recognition and imaging for the most impactful works. The analytical approaches are discussed in terms of their utility in diagnostics and biomedical testing.

Isothermal solid-phase recombinase polymerase amplification on microfluidic digital versatile discs (DVDs)

The proposed device, for massive DNA-based screening in limited-resource settings, comprises a centrifugal platform to perform isothermal solid-phase amplification in microarray format and a digital versatile disc drive to read the results.

Toward point-of-care diagnostics with consumer electronic devices: the expanding role of nanoparticles

A review of the role that nanoparticles can play in point-of-care diagnostics that utilize consumer electronic devices such as cell phones and smartphones for readout, including an overview of important concepts and examples from the literature.

Inkjet-printed bioassays for direct reading with a multimode DVD/Blu-Ray optical drive

Compact disc-based bioassays have been developed as novel point-of-care (POC) tools for various applications in chemical analysis and biomedical diagnosis. For the fabrication of assay discs, the surface patterning and sample introduction have been restricted to manual delivery that is unfavorable for on-demand high throughput medical screening. Herein, we have adapted a conventional inkjet printer to prepare bioassays on regular DVD-Rs and accomplished quantitative analysis with a multimode DVD/Blu-Ray optical drive in conjunction with free disc diagnostic software. The feasibility and accuracy of this method have been demonstrated by the quantitative analysis of inkjet-printed biotin-streptavidin binding assays on DVD, which serves as a trial system for other complex, medically relevant sandwich-format or competitive immunoassays.

Ultrasensitive electrochemical biomolecular detection using nanostructured microelectrodes

Electrochemical sensors have the potential to achieve sensitive, specific, and low-cost detection of biomolecules--a capability that is ever more relevant to the diagnosis and monitored treatment of disease. The development of devices for clinical diagnostics based on electrochemical detection could provide a powerful solution for the routine use of biomarkers in patient treatment and monitoring and may overcome the many issues created by current methods, including the long sample-to-answer times, high cost, and limited prospects for lab-free use of traditional polymerase chain reaction, microarrays, and gene-sequencing technologies. In this Account, we summarize the advances in electrochemical biomolecular detection, focusing on a new and integrated platform that exploits the bottom-up fabrication of multiplexed electrochemical sensors composed of electrodeposited noble metals. We trace the evolution of these sensors from gold nanoelectrode ensembles to nanostructured microelectrodes (NMEs) and discuss the effects of surface morphology and size on assay performance. The development of a novel electrocatalytic assay based on Ru(3+) adsorption and Fe(3+) amplification at the electrode surface as a means to enable ultrasensitive analyte detection is discussed. Electrochemical measurements of changes in hybridization events at the electrode surface are performed using a simple potentiostat, which enables integration into a portable, cost-effective device. We summarize the strategies for proximal sample processing and detection in addition to those that enable high degrees of sensor multiplexing capable of measuring 100 different analytes on a single chip. By evaluating the cost and performance of various sensor substrates, we explore the development of practical lab-on-a-chip prototype devices. By functionalizing the NMEs with capture probes specific to nucleic acid, small molecule, and protein targets, we can successfully detect a wide variety of analytes at clinically relevant concentrations and speeds. Using this platform, we have achieved attomolar detection levels of nucleic acids with overall assay times as short as 2 min. We also describe the adaptation of the sensing platform to allow for the measurement of uncharged analytes--a challenge for reporter systems that rely on the charge of an analyte. Furthermore, the capabilities of this system have been applied to address the many current and important clinical challenges involving the detection of pathogenic species, including both bacterial and viral infections and cancer biomarkers. This novel electrochemical platform, which achieves large molecular-to-electrical amplification by means of its unique redox-cycling readout strategy combined with rapid and efficient analyte capture that is aided by nanostructured microelectrodes, achieves excellent specificity and sensitivity in clinical samples in which analytes are present at low concentrations in complex matrices.

DVD technology-based molecular diagnosis platform: quantitative pregnancy test on a disc

A diagnosis platform based entirely on DVD technology was developed for on-site quantitation of molecular analytes of interest, e.g., human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in urine samples ("quantitative pregnancy test on a disc"). An hCG-specific monoclonal antibody-binding assay prepared on a regular DVD-R was labeled with nanogold-streptavidin conjugates for signal enhancement with a customized silver-staining protocol. An unmodified, conventional computer optical drive was used for assay reading, and free disc-quality analysis software for data processing. The performance (sensitivity and selectivity) of this DVD assay is comparable to that of well-established colorimetric methods (determination of optical darkness ratios) and standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). As validated by examining its linear correlation with the ELISA results on the same set of samples, the DVD assay promises to be a low-cost, multiplex, point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tool for physicians and even for individuals at home, producing prompt results.

DNA as sensors and imaging agents for metal ions

Increasing interest in detecting metal ions in many chemical and biomedical fields has created demands for developing sensors and imaging agents for metal ions with high sensitivity and selectivity. This review covers recent progress in DNA-based sensors and imaging agents for metal ions. Through both combinatorial selection and rational design, a number of metal-ion-dependent DNAzymes and metal-ion-binding DNA structures that can selectively recognize specific metal ions have been obtained. By attachment of these DNA molecules with signal reporters such as fluorophores, chromophores, electrochemical tags, and Raman tags, a number of DNA-based sensors for both diamagnetic and paramagnetic metal ions have been developed for fluorescent, colorimetric, electrochemical, and surface Raman detection. These sensors are highly sensitive (with a detection limit down to 11 ppt) and selective (with selectivity up to millions-fold) toward specific metal ions. In addition, through further development to simplify the operation, such as the use of "dipstick tests", portable fluorometers, computer-readable disks, and widely available glucose meters, these sensors have been applied for on-site and real-time environmental monitoring and point-of-care medical diagnostics. The use of these sensors for in situ cellular imaging has also been reported. The generality of the combinatorial selection to obtain DNAzymes for almost any metal ion in any oxidation state and the ease of modification of the DNA with different signal reporters make DNA an emerging and promising class of molecules for metal-ion sensing and imaging in many fields of applications.