Enzyme-inhibitor
assay using microdrops
We are developing a microfluidic device for a microdroplet enzyme-inhibitor assay. Alternating microdrops of a buffer solution containing enzyme and inhibitor reagents and perfluorodecalin (PFD) are formed in a continuous flow of hexadecane. PFD microdrops act as spacers between the reagent microdrops and keep them from coalescence. A substrate solution is then introduced into the reagent microdrops after homogeneous mixing of the enzyme and the inhibitor. The fluorescence depends on the amount of product from the reaction between the substrate and the reagents. Reaction rates were measured with long time exposure using fluoresce microscopy. We also checked probability of inter-droplet contamination of reagents by measureing the fluorescence of each microdrops using an image intensified fast camera.
Figure 1 Microfluidic channel for enzyme-inhibitor assay. Drops containing enzyme and inhibitor are formed and spaced by spacer drops. After delay time, a solution with substrate is infused into them (movie).
Collaborators:
Andrew Griffiths, University of Cambridge
Contact info:
Keunho Ahn ( kahn@deas.harvard.edu
)
DEAS
Harvard University
ESL 202
40 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138