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The evolution of nitrocellulose as a material for bioassays

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Abstract

The need to improve health outcomes in the developing world and to moderate healthcare costs in developed countries has resulted in an increased interest in sophisticated, inexpensive, and instrument-free point-of-care diagnostics using porous materials. One major segment of the paper-based diagnostics effort is focused on developing high-performance point-of-care tests using porous nitrocellulose membranes. This review provides a perspective on the nature, history, and future of nitrocellulose-based assays. Beginning as a protein blotting substrate, porous nitrocellulose membranes have grown to be the most commonly used lateral flow substrate and are the primary membranes used in two-dimensional paper networks for user-friendly multistep assays. In addition to the historical context, we examine assay development considerations, such as the physics of flow in porous media, reagent deposition and storage, and detection methods.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the University of Washington NanoTech User Facility and Paul Wallace for the use of and assistance with the SEM. Funding was provided by NIH (1 R01 AI 096184–01) and DARPA DSO (HR0011–11–2-0007). This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DGE-0718124 (GEF and CAH). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bioengineering Department, University of Washington, USA

    Gina E. Fridley, Carly A. Holstein, Shefali B. Oza & Paul Yager

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  1. Gina E. Fridley
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  2. Carly A. Holstein
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  3. Shefali B. Oza
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  4. Paul Yager
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Correspondence to Gina E. Fridley.

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These authors all contributed equally to this article.

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Fridley, G.E., Holstein, C.A., Oza, S.B. et al. The evolution of nitrocellulose as a material for bioassays. MRS Bulletin 38, 326–330 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs.2013.60

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