Undergraduate Laboratory Module for Implementing ELISA on the High Performance Microfluidic Platform.

Implementing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in microchannels offers several advantages over its traditional microtiter plate-based format, including a reduced sample volume requirement, shorter incubation period, and greater sensitivity. Moreover, microfluidic ELISA platforms are inexpensive to fabricate and allow integration of analytical procedures, such as sample preconcentration, that further enhance the performance of the immunoassay. In view of the scientific potential of microfluidic ELISAs, inclusion of this technique into an undergraduate curriculum is valuable in preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers. Here, an experimental module is presented for this immunoassay method that can be completed in an undergraduate laboratory setting within two 3-h periods (including all incubation and data analyses procedures) using only a microliter of sample and reagents per assay. In addition to acquainting students with the microfluidic technology, the reported module provides training in quantitating ELISAs using the kinetic format of the assay. Furthermore, it offers a useful educational tool for introducing undergraduates to basic image analysis techniques, as well as signal-to-noise ratio and limit of detection calculations that are valuable in characterizing any analytical method.