This article presents a microfluidic approach for the integration of the process of aptamer selection via systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). The approach employs bead-based biochemical reactions in which affinity-selected target-binding oligonucleotides are electrokinetically transferred for amplification, while the amplification product is transferred back for affinity selection via pressure-driven fluid flow. The hybrid approach simplifies the device design and operation procedures by reduced pressure-driven flow control requirements and avoids the potentially deleterious exposure of targets to electric fields prior to and during affinity selection. In addition, bead-based reactions are used to achieve the on-chip coupling of affinity selection and amplification of target-binding oligonucleotides, thereby realizing on-chip loop closure and integration of the entire SELEX process without requiring offline procedures. The microfluidic approach is thus capable of closed-loop, multiround aptamer enrichment as demonstrated by selection of DNA aptamers against the protein immunoglobulin E with high affinity ( KD = 12 nM) in a rapid manner (4 rounds in approximately 10 h).
Keywords: lab-on-a-chip; microfluidics; molecular biology; systems.