Transforming microfluidics-based biosensing systems from laboratory research into clinical reality remains an elusive goal despite decades of intensive research. A fundamental obstacle for the development of fully automated microfluidic diagnostic systems is the lack of an effective strategy for combining pumping, sample preparation, and detection modules into an integrated biosensing platform. Herein, we report a universal electrode approach, which incorporates dc electrolytic pumping, ac electrokinetic sample preparation, and self-assembled monolayer based electrochemical sensing on a single microfluidic platform, to automate complicated molecular analysis procedures that will enable biosensing applications in nontraditional health care settings. Using the universal electrode approach, major microfluidic operations required in molecular analyses, such as pumping, mixing, washing, and sensing, can be performed in a single platform. We demonstrate the universal electrode platform for detecting bacterial 16S rRNA, a phylogenetic marker, toward rapid diagnostics of urinary tract infection. Since only electronic interfaces are required to operate the platform, the universal electrode approach represents an effective system integration strategy to realize the potential of microfluidics in molecular diagnostics at the point of care.

中文翻译：

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用于自动化电化学分子分析的通用电极方法

尽管进行了数十年的深入研究，但将基于微流体的生物传感系统从实验室研究转变为临床现实仍然是一个难以实现的目标。开发全自动微流体诊断系统的一个基本障碍是缺乏将泵送、样品制备和检测模块结合到集成生物传感平台中的有效策略。在此，我们报告了一种通用电极方法，该方法在单个微流体平台上结合了直流电解泵、交流电动样品制备和基于自组装单层的电化学传感，以自动化复杂的分子分析程序，这将使生物传感应用在非传统医疗保健环境中成为可能. 使用通用电极方法，分子分析所需的主要微流体操作，例如泵送、混合、洗涤和传感，可以在一个平台上进行。我们展示了用于检测细菌 16S rRNA（一种系统发育标记）的通用电极平台，可用于快速诊断尿路感染。由于只需要电子接口来操作平台，通用电极方法代表了一种有效的系统集成策略，可以在护理点实现微流体在分子诊断中的潜力。