TY - JOUR

T1 - MRBLES 2.0

T2 - High-throughput generation of chemically functionalized spectrally and magnetically encoded hydrogel beads using a simple single-layer microfluidic device

AU - Feng, Yinnian

AU - White, Adam K.

AU - Hein, Jamin B.

AU - Appel, Eric A.

AU - Fordyce, Polly M.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Microfluidics: high-throughput production of spectrally encoded hydrogel beads for bioassays Spectrally encoded beads provide a convenient platform for multiplexed bioassays, offering fast binding kinetics and many replicates per assay. A recently developed technology, MRBLEs, spectrally encodes hydrogel beads via the ratiometric incorporation of lanthanide nanophosphors. In the present paper, a team from Stanford University led by Polly Fordyce reports a dramatically simplified method for producing MRBLEs beads bearing various functional groups for downstream chemical coupling or on-bead synthesis. Using a 'jumper cable' tubing strategy, they route microfluidic channels in 3D without a need for complex fabrication techniques to create multi-nozzle droplet generators. Using these simple single-layer microfluidic devices, they create beads with 48 unique spectral codes bearing carboxyl and amine groups for downstream coupling with over 1000-fold increase in throughput. Finally, they demonstrate that MRBLEs can be simultaneously spectrally and magnetically encoded.The widespread adoption of bead-based multiplexed bioassays requires the ability to easily synthesize encoded microspheres and conjugate analytes of interest to their surface. Here, we present a simple method (MRBLEs 2.0) for the efficient high-throughput generation of microspheres with ratiometric barcode lanthanide encoding (MRBLEs) that bear functional groups for downstream surface bioconjugation. Bead production in MRBLEs 2.0 relies on the manual mixing of lanthanide/polymer mixtures (each of which comprises a unique spectral code) followed by droplet generation using single-layer, parallel flow-focusing devices and the off-chip batch polymerization of droplets into beads. To streamline downstream analyte coupling, MRBLEs 2.0 crosslinks copolymers bearing functional groups on the bead surface during bead generation. Using the MRBLEs 2.0 pipeline, we generate monodisperse MRBLEs containing 48 distinct well-resolved spectral codes with high throughput (>150,000/min and can be boosted to 450,000/min). We further demonstrate the efficient conjugation of oligonucleotides and entire proteins to carboxyl MRBLEs and of biotin to amino MRBLEs. Finally, we show that MRBLEs can also be magnetized via the simultaneous incorporation of magnetic nanoparticles with only a minor decrease in the potential code space. With the advantages of dramatically simplified device fabrication, elimination of the need for custom-made equipment, and the ability to produce spectrally and magnetically encoded beads with direct surface functionalization with high throughput, MRBLEs 2.0 can be directly applied by many labs towards a wide variety of downstream assays, from basic biology to diagnostics and other translational research.

AB - Microfluidics: high-throughput production of spectrally encoded hydrogel beads for bioassays Spectrally encoded beads provide a convenient platform for multiplexed bioassays, offering fast binding kinetics and many replicates per assay. A recently developed technology, MRBLEs, spectrally encodes hydrogel beads via the ratiometric incorporation of lanthanide nanophosphors. In the present paper, a team from Stanford University led by Polly Fordyce reports a dramatically simplified method for producing MRBLEs beads bearing various functional groups for downstream chemical coupling or on-bead synthesis. Using a 'jumper cable' tubing strategy, they route microfluidic channels in 3D without a need for complex fabrication techniques to create multi-nozzle droplet generators. Using these simple single-layer microfluidic devices, they create beads with 48 unique spectral codes bearing carboxyl and amine groups for downstream coupling with over 1000-fold increase in throughput. Finally, they demonstrate that MRBLEs can be simultaneously spectrally and magnetically encoded.The widespread adoption of bead-based multiplexed bioassays requires the ability to easily synthesize encoded microspheres and conjugate analytes of interest to their surface. Here, we present a simple method (MRBLEs 2.0) for the efficient high-throughput generation of microspheres with ratiometric barcode lanthanide encoding (MRBLEs) that bear functional groups for downstream surface bioconjugation. Bead production in MRBLEs 2.0 relies on the manual mixing of lanthanide/polymer mixtures (each of which comprises a unique spectral code) followed by droplet generation using single-layer, parallel flow-focusing devices and the off-chip batch polymerization of droplets into beads. To streamline downstream analyte coupling, MRBLEs 2.0 crosslinks copolymers bearing functional groups on the bead surface during bead generation. Using the MRBLEs 2.0 pipeline, we generate monodisperse MRBLEs containing 48 distinct well-resolved spectral codes with high throughput (>150,000/min and can be boosted to 450,000/min). We further demonstrate the efficient conjugation of oligonucleotides and entire proteins to carboxyl MRBLEs and of biotin to amino MRBLEs. Finally, we show that MRBLEs can also be magnetized via the simultaneous incorporation of magnetic nanoparticles with only a minor decrease in the potential code space. With the advantages of dramatically simplified device fabrication, elimination of the need for custom-made equipment, and the ability to produce spectrally and magnetically encoded beads with direct surface functionalization with high throughput, MRBLEs 2.0 can be directly applied by many labs towards a wide variety of downstream assays, from basic biology to diagnostics and other translational research.

KW - MICROPARTICLES

KW - DROPLET

KW - PROTEIN

KW - DNA

KW - PARTICLES

KW - EMULSIONS

KW - ARRAY

KW - CLASSIFICATION

KW - MICROCARRIERS

KW - TECHNOLOGIES

U2 - 10.1038/s41378-020-00220-3

DO - 10.1038/s41378-020-00220-3

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33299601

VL - 6

JO - Microsystems and Nanoengineering

JF - Microsystems and Nanoengineering

SN - 2055-7434

M1 - 109

ER -