Microfluidic Hydrogel-based Biomolecule Detection Through Novel Advection Transport

Healthcare requires the early and accurate detection of disease indicators, be they small biomolecules or viruses, which is vital for successful treatments, preventative medicine and disease prevention. Improving turnaround times for early and accurate detection will improve patient care, enable the mass screening of large populations during outbreaks and effectively reduce the diagnostic burden. We have developed a small-scale filter detection device to provide high sensitivity, while being inexpensive and portable for diagnostics at the point of care. Our device can be scaled to detect multiple biomolecules using established paradigms that are used in current standards of quantifications of proteins and other biomolecules in blood, for example, by antibody binding. Antibodies are highly specific and strong binders of unique molecule surfaces, and we have devised a novel way of implementing them for detection, using a secondary fluorescent reporter.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dae Kun Hwang

Student:

Adrian T Nash

Partner:

Springboard Atlantic

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Ryerson University