Integration of Ni/NiO nanoparticles and a microfluidic ELISA chip to generate a sensing platform for Streptococcus pneumoniae detection

Chang-Ching Weng; Chien-Yu Chao; She-Ting Wu; Ping-Hsien Tsou; Wei-Tin Chen; Bor-Ran Li; Yaw-Kuen Li

doi:10.1039/d1ra04631d

Integration of Ni/NiO nanoparticles and a microfluidic ELISA chip to generate a sensing platform for Streptococcus pneumoniae detection

RSC Adv. 2021 Aug 24;11(46):28551-28556. doi: 10.1039/d1ra04631d. eCollection 2021 Aug 23.

Authors

Chang-Ching Weng¹, Chien-Yu Chao², She-Ting Wu², Ping-Hsien Tsou³, Wei-Tin Chen⁴, Bor-Ran Li^{2

5

6}, Yaw-Kuen Li^{1

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan.
² Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan liborran@g2.nctu.edu.tw.
³ Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch Hsinchu Taiwan.
⁴ Center for Condensed Matter Sciences, Center of Atomic Initiative for New Materials, National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan weitinchen@ntu.edu.tw.
⁵ Department of Eectrical and Computer Engineering, College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan.
⁶ Center for Emergent Functional Matter Science, Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan nctuykl@g2.nctu.edu.tw.

Abstract

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are tests that uses antibody recognition and enzyme catalytic activity to identify a substance, and they have been widely used as a diagnostic tool in the clinic. However, performing an ELISA requires various liquid handling steps and long binding times. To solve this problem, we developed a magnetic microfluidic ELISA system (MMF-ELISA). Integration with nickel magnetic nanoparticles can streamline the ELISA process in a fully automated manner for Streptococcus pneumoniae detection. First, we synthesized paramagnetic surface-oxidized nickel nanoparticles (Ni/NiO NPs) to carry protein G. Then, we assembled a SUM290 (UlaG)-specific antibody on protein G. Finally, we integrated the NPs on a microfluidics chip for S. pneumoniae detection. The chip contains three different layers to trap the solutions; the bottom layer SiO₂ is patterned on hydrophobic polymers and integrated with the middle layer PDMS and the top layer PMMA. With Arduino and motor IC, we developed an automated platform for S. pneumoniae detection. Microfluidic ELISAs can reduce the manual handling and operation time. Furthermore, the developed system can be extended to multiple areas for ELISA-related assays. This economical, rapid and portable system may become a promising platform for sensing S. pneumoniae in clinical applications.