On-the-spot identification of grain variety and wheat-quality type by Lab-on-a-chip capillary electrophoresis

Lab-on-a-chip capillary electrophoresis has been used for identification of wheat variety and quality type. Analysis of each chip takes 30 minutes for 10 samples, and distinction can be made between members of a set of 40 commonly grown Australian wheat varieties. Quality type could be predicted by analysis of the HMW and LMW glutenin subunits. The technique has also been applied to the separation of proteins from other grains and legumes, and may also be useful for identifying variety and/or quality type in these crops.