High density MicroArrays on Blu-ray discs for massive screening

• Blu-ray discs offer unique properties for physisoprtion of probes, eliminating the need of chemical activation of the surface.
• The reduced background noise of BD discs allows the development of high density microarrays with increased sensitivity and utility.
• Blu-ray technology provides advanced capabilities to perform high-density microarray analysis and suits well for low-level labs or outside the lab setting.

The potential and the capabilities of Blu-ray technology (discs and drives) for massive screening applications are presented. High density microarrays are fabricated onto a Blu-ray disc and applied for the determination of microcystin residues and pathogenic microorganisms. Specific probes were physisorbed onto the BD surface and the biorecognition event was displayed using labeled secondary antibody solution and subsequent signal amplification. The attenuation of the reflected light caused by the reaction product is detected by the Blu-ray drive and inversely correlated with analyte concentration.BDs preserve the optical properties according to Blu-ray specifications, ensuring maximum accuracy and sensitivity of the drive during disc scanning. Detection limits of 0.4 μg/L for microcystin LR and 100 and 101 cfu/mL for Salmonella typhimurium and Cronobacter sakazakii respectively, were achieved, improving considerably the DVD performances and reaching similar sensitivity as real-time quantitative PCR. Blu-ray technology adapted to the analysis of high density arrays highlights the enormous capabilities (high sensitivity, speed-scanning, optical resolution, portability) for point-of-care settings, diagnostics, and high-throughput screening applications.