Microscale immiscible phase magnetic processing for bioanalytical applications

Bioanalytical processes such as ligand-binding assays, nucleic acid amplification tests and cancer cell identification methods require multiple steps including sampling, transport, sample preparation, chemical reaction/s, detection and interpretation. These necessitate trained personnel and laboratory infrastructure, and are often time-consuming and labor-intensive. Integrated platforms capable of combining the aforementioned steps are generally challenging to realize. Approaches employing immiscible phases constrained in the microscale and paramagnetic particles have emerged as pathways to extract proteins, nucleic acids and whole cells from complex matrices via affinity purification and magnetic actuation. In recent years, further steps for detection and readout of these bioanalytes have been incorporated, providing versatile lab-on-a-chip platforms for multiple integrated bioanalytical workflows and with great potential as point-of-need devices. In this manuscript, we review and summarize the different strategies employed and lay out further avenues for development and implementation.