Issue 13, 2014

Advances in the production and handling of encoded microparticles

Abstract

Here we highlight emerging technologies in the synthesis, handling, and application of encoded microparticles for multiplexed assays. Traditionally, in drug discovery and life sciences research, multiple reactions will be conducted in parallel using microwell plate formats or microfluidic implementations, in which volumes are confined and reactions annotated by knowledge of what reagents were added to each volume. Microparticle-based information carriers provide an alternative approach to performing such multiplexed reactions, in which reactions and events are instead annotated with unique codes associated with the solid-phase particle. One challenge has been in creating a unique and large enough code set that is also easily readout, and we highlight two approaches that have brought orthogonal optical tagging techniques to bear. Another challenge has been that in such approaches, reactions have usually been confined to the surface of, or within the bulk of the specifically-tagged particle. We also highlight a creative approach and strategy for multiplexing – called “partipetting” – in which the coded particle can be a carrier of a unique fluid reagent.

Graphical abstract: Advances in the production and handling of encoded microparticles

Article information

Article type
Highlight
First published
22 May 2014

Lab Chip, 2014,14, 2212-2216

Advances in the production and handling of encoded microparticles

H. E. Muñoz, J. Che, J. E. Kong and D. Di Carlo, Lab Chip, 2014, 14, 2212 DOI: 10.1039/C4LC90042A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements