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Biomolecular Adsorption in Microfluidics

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Microfluidics and Nanofluidics

Synonyms

Protein adsorption; Cell adhesion; Lab on a Chip

Definition

Biomolecular adsorption in microfluidics usually refers to the nonspecific adsorption of biomolecules (amino acids, peptides, DNA, RNA, proteins, and cells) onto the surfaces of microfluidic devices. In this sense, this is often referred as biofouling in microfluidics. This causes many problems including reduced device sensitivity, poorer detection limits and selectivity, and diminished device lifetime. Among the above adsorbing species, proteins (including protective proteins of cells) cause the biggest problems resulting from irreversible adsorption and subsequent denaturation.

Overview

The microfluidic device is probably the most popular lab-on-a-chip, and major breakthroughs have been made for its development over the last five years. Microfluidic devices have been demonstrated for many chemical and biological assays [1]. In the early 1990s, several problems in microfluidic actuation were identified. One problem...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Jeong-Yeol Yoon

  2. Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Robin L. Garrell

Authors
  1. Jeong-Yeol Yoon
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  2. Robin L. Garrell
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, VU Station B 351592, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN, 37235-1592, USA

    Dongqing Li Prof.

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© 2008 Springer-Verlag

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Yoon, JY., Garrell, R.L. (2008). Biomolecular Adsorption in Microfluidics. In: Li, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Microfluidics and Nanofluidics. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-48998-8_87

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