Description

The development of microarrays is of crucial importance in genomics for genome sequencing or for the determination of gene expression, in proteomics for the identification of pathologic markers, and in biomedical analysis for the realization of point-of-care diagnostics

There is a need for alternative detection systems that can replace fluorescence-based detection, which requires heavy, complex and expensive equipment. Electrochemical methods can solve these problems, but individually addressing each electrode makes the system complex and integration difficult.

The aim of the invention developed by The University of Texas at Austin researchers is to fabricate a microdevice for simultaneous and multiplexed detection of a large number of biological or chemical species. It consists of a microarray of microfabricated electrodes confined within a microfluidic channel, the activation of each particular electrode being simultaneously enabled by only two wires that set the potential of the solution above the electrode. The principle of the detection is to chemically modify each sensing electrode to induce an electrogenerated chemiluminescent response signal in the presence of the target species. This configuration allows the simultaneous electrochemical control of all the sensing sites and the acquisition of the response signal at each of these sensing sites.

Benefits

• Only a single, external electric field is needed to simultaneously address multiple microelectrodes in a microfluidic channel.
  
• Electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) is emitted when the target analyte is present at the electrode surface, which allows simultaneous and easy acquisition of the response signal.
  
• The device requires light, simple and low-cost equipment compared to fluorescence-based detection.
  

Market Potential/Applications

This technology provides an efficient and simple way for the simultaneous and multiplexed detection of a large number of biological or chemical species that could favorably compete with the usual fluorescence-based microarray techniques. This system may be used for the detection of DNA, mRNA, protein or the screening of new drugs. Because of the uniqueness and simplicity of our sensing technology in controlling a large number of arrays for simultaneous sensing, this can be developed into a hand-held sensing device for environmental and medical purposes.

IP Status

One U.S. patent application filed

For further information please contact:

University of Texas,
Austin, USA
Website : www.otc.utexas.edu