Abstract

Advances in Paper-Based and 3D Printed Microfluidics for Emerging Disease Detection

Charles Henry, Professor and Chair, Colorado State University

There is a continuing interest in the development of low-cost fabrication methods and materials to create microfluidic devices for applications ranging from point-of-care monitoring to in vitro studies of disease biology. Two newer methods for fabricating devices include paper-based microfluidics and 3D printed devices. This talk will discuss novel aspects of both types of microfluidic devices and their use for detecting pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Paper-based analytic devices have been used for centuries but a renewed interest in the substrate as a material for microfluidics started a decade ago when patterned paper was used to carry out multiplexed chemical analysis of urine samples. Recent results from our groups has focused on detecting bacteria, including anti-microbial resistant bacteria, as well as emerging viral pathogens. We have shown that chemistry can be developed with a range of selectivity from very specific (immunoassay and DNA-based) to general (enzyme-based). Use of the system to detect antimicrobial resistance in surface water will be presented as an effort towards understanding horizontal transfer of resistance within the environment. We have also developed an electrochemical paper device that can detect virus particles from complex sample matrices. While paper-based devices have utility for point of care measurements, there is also interest in the use of 3D printed microfluidic devices for this application. Development of a reusable 3D printed microfluidic system for virus and bacteria detection will be presented.