Integrated microfluidic system enabling (bio)chemical reactions with on-line MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

Anal Chem. 2002 Aug 15;74(16):3972-6. doi: 10.1021/ac020185n.

Abstract

A continuous flow micro total analysis system (micro-TAS) consisting of an on-chip microfluidic device connected to a matrix assisted laser desorption ionization [MALDI] time-of-flight [TOF] mass spectrometer (MS) as an analytical screening system is presented. Reaction microchannels and inlet/outlet reservoirs were fabricated by powderblasting on glass wafers that were then bonded to silicon substrates. The novel lab-on-a-chip was realized by integrating the microdevice with a MALDI-TOFMS standard sample plate used as carrier to get the microfluidic device in the MALDI instrument. A novel pressure-driven pumping mechanism using the vacuum of the instrument as a driving force induces flow in the reaction microchannel in a self-activating way. Organic syntheses as well as biochemical reactions are carried out entirely inside the MALDI-MS ionization vacuum chamber and analyzed on-line by MALDI-TOFMS in real time. The effectiveness of the micro-TAS system has been successfully demonstrated with several examples of (bio)chemical reactions.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Base Sequence
  • Microchemistry / instrumentation*
  • Microchemistry / methods
  • Oligonucleotides / analysis
  • Online Systems
  • Peptides / analysis
  • Sequence Analysis
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization*

Substances

  • Oligonucleotides
  • Peptides