Research highlights: aptamers on a chip

Abstract

Aptamers, oligonucleic acid or peptide molecules with binding affinity to a specific molecule, have gained broad scientific attention due to their stability, ease of production and modification, and durability, and therefore have been employed in a wide range of applications both in basic research and clinical science. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing are poised to revolutionize the selection of aptamers, while microfluidic and microarray approaches have helped automate these processes of selection. Here we highlight work addressing several challenges in using aptamers more widely. We discuss array-based discovery of multivalent aptamers which is used to develop high affinity or paired aptamers by cleverly selecting new aptamers that bind to previously aptamer-bound proteins. Other highlighted work is addressing problems in analyzing local cell secretions, as well as refreshable sensors that detect signals over hundreds of cycles and can be refreshed with DI water scavenged from the air, leading to less reagent storage towards wearable sensors.