Quantum Dot-Bead-DNA Probe-Based Hybridization Fluorescence Assays on Microfluidic Chips

The development of chip-based, quantum dot (QD)-bead-DNA conjugate probes for hybridization detection is a prime research focus in the field of microfluidics. QD-Bead-DNA probe-based hybridization detection methods are often called "bead-based assays," and their success is substantially influenced by the dispensing and manipulation capabilities of microfluidic technology. Met was identified as a prognostic marker in different cancers including lung, renal, liver, head and neck, stomach, and breast. In this report, the cancer causing Met gene was detected with QDs attached to polystyrene microbeads. We constructed a microfluidic platform using a flexible PDMS polymer. The chip consists of two channels, with two inlets and two outlets. The two channels were integrated with QD-bead-DNA probes for simultaneous detection of wild type target DNA and mutant DNA, containing three nucleotide changes compared to the wild type sequence. The fluorescence quenching ability of QDs within the channels of microfluidic chips were compared for both DNAs.