Thermoresponsive protein adsorption of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-modified streptavidin on polydimethylsiloxane microchannel surfaces

The control of protein adsorption on microchannel surfaces is important for biosensors. In this study, we demonstrated protein adsorption method that is controlled through temperature change, i.e., thermoresponsive protein adsorption, on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannel surfaces using a thermoresponsive polymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm). To provide general protein adsorption control method, we adopted biotin–streptavidin chemistry and synthesized streptavidin covalently modified with PNIPAAm (PNIPAAm–StAv). Modification of streptavidin, a hydrophilic protein, with PNIPAAm induced successful thermoresponsive adsorption on a PDMS microchannel surfaces: PNIPAAm–StAv adsorbed at 37 °C and desorbed at 10 °C on the surfaces. We also demonstrated the thermoresponsive adsorption of biotinylated immunoglobulin G (IgG-b) using PNIPAAm–StAv. Conjugation of IgG-b with PNIPAAm–StAv induced successful thermoresponsive IgG-b adsorption on PDMS. Modification of PDMS surfaces with PNIPAAm reduced physical adsorption of the partially hydrophobic IgG-b on the surface and contributed to the high-contrast thermoresponsive adsorption of IgG-b: less than 1% of the IgG-b adsorbed at 37 °C was detected after the PNIPAAm–PDMS surface was washed at 10 °C. The controllable adsorption of this system is expected to be applied to the regeneration of biosensor chips and to on-chip protein manipulation.