Novel microfluidics for rapid high-performance biosensing detection

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Non-communicable diseases are the largest cause of death worldwide, with a key one being cardiovascular diseases. Millions of people live with chronic cardiac conditions requiring regular monitoring of disease progression, also millions of people across the globe report acute cardiovascular incidents, such as pulmonary embolism or myocardial infarction. In both chronic and acute cardiac situations, it is highly desirable to have access to decentralized high-performance bioanalytical equipment offering a short time from analysis to results. Decentralized, high-performance quantitative equipment is not yet available, requiring transformative developments in biosensing, sample preparation, and miniaturization. This PhD project aims to develop an automated microfluidic-based immuno-biosensing platform for the detection of multiple biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases at a single point in time. Biomarkers like D-dimer, brain natriuretic peptide, and C-reactive protein have been shown to be good predictors of early detection of cardiovascular diseases. The ability to measure these biomarkers simultaneously at the point-of-need without access to expensive equipment would be transformative for the management and prevention of cardiovascular diseases.In particular, we aim to develop a sensing platform that is flexible and cost-effective. From a production perspective, we aim to use scalable and easily accessible materials such as polymer-based sensing platforms. Furthermore, the project aims to explore the possibility of using a high-tech and rapid printing technique for the mass production of sensors and their fabrication on various surfaces. This would not only help us lower production costs but also make these sensing platforms more widely available and accessible to patients and healthcare professionals worldwide. Additionally, by utilizing a high-tech printing technique, we can ensure the sensors are consistently accurate and reliable. In advance, we will focus on the utilization of nanoparticles to enhance the selectivity and sensitivity of the sensor. Additionally, the platform will be designed to be user-friendly, allowing individuals to easily perform the test themselves without the need for specialized training or expertise. We will deliver an advanced microfluidic detection platform built around the 'microfluidic siphon' concept pioneered by the PhD supervisor, enabling automation of high-performance immunoassays with multiplexed samples at high-throughput and low sample consumption. We will present a new advanced biosensing approach that can measure a variety of cardiac biomarkers quantitatively from a small sample of blood or human serum. We will validate the sensor using electrochemical measurements such as Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), voltammetry, and optical immune-biosensing. Development of the microfluidic designs will be assisted with Multiphysics and computational fluid dynamics simulation software like COMSOL and Ansys Fluent.dictors of early detection of cardiovascular diseases. The ability to measure simultaneously these biomarkers in the point-of-need without access to expensive equipment would be transformative for the management and prevention of cardiovascular diseases.