Integrated, DC voltage-driven nucleic acid diagnostic platform for real sample analysis: Detection of oral cancer

• Integrated platform for sample-to-answer nucleic acid detection.
• Sample pretreatment by electrophoretic separation.
• Concentration of target nucleic acids using cation exchange membrane.
• Specific detection of nucleic acids using anion exchange membrane.
• Testing of microRNA (miRNA 146a) biomarker associated with oral cancer.

We present an integrated and low-cost microfluidic platform capable of extraction of nucleic acids from real biological samples. We demonstrate the application of this platform in pathogen detection and cancer screening. The integrated platform consists of three units including a pretreatment unit for separation of nucleic acids from lysates, a preconcentration unit for concentration of isolated nucleic acids and a sensing unit localized at a designated position on the chip for specific detection of the target nucleic acid. The platform is based on various electrokinetic phenomena exhibited by ion exchange membranes in a DC electrical field that allow them to serve as molecular filters, analyte preconcentrators and sensors. In this manuscript, we describe each unit of the integrated chip separately and show specific detection of a microRNA (miRNA 146a) biomarker associated with oral cancer as a proof-of-concept experiment. This platform technology can easily be extended to other targets of interest by optimizing the properties of the ion exchange membranes and the specific probes functionalized onto the sensors.

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