Autonomous capillary microfluidics for rapid nanoreceptor assembly and biosensing

We report an autonomous integrated microsystem comprising capillary microfluidics and impedimetric sensors for rapid nanoprobe assembly and antibody detection. Using open-channel microfluidics, Tobacco mosaic virus-like particles (VLPs) are autonomously delivered on the impedance sensor, forming a dense functional sensing layer due to enhanced surface evaporation-assisted assembly. The process utilizes 5μL of VLP solution (0.2mg/mL) and requires 6 minutes at room temperature compared to 3 hours in static environments. The functionalized impedance sensor is able to detect the presence of 1.2μg/mL target antibody within 10 minutes after functionalization. These results highlight the significant potential of the integrated system for rapid transducer functionalization and biosensing.