Lab-in-a-Tip: a multiplex immunoassay platform based on a self-assembled barcoded protein array
Abstract High throughput immunoassay is increasingly crucial for both scientific and clinical applications. Here we propose a “Lab-in-a-Tip” (LIT) concept to fabricate a pipette tip containing a high-density protein array and other essential reagents. The protein array is made by self-assembling dig...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59390-1 |
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| author | Yiran He Min Jiang Zhenlong Liang Zhaoxu Luo Jingyi Qin Ye Shen Yayun Gu Xiaodong Ma Hong Wang Xin Li Ying Shi Yanhua Chen Kefeng Pu Jiong Li |
| author_facet | Yiran He Min Jiang Zhenlong Liang Zhaoxu Luo Jingyi Qin Ye Shen Yayun Gu Xiaodong Ma Hong Wang Xin Li Ying Shi Yanhua Chen Kefeng Pu Jiong Li |
| author_sort | Yiran He |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract High throughput immunoassay is increasingly crucial for both scientific and clinical applications. Here we propose a “Lab-in-a-Tip” (LIT) concept to fabricate a pipette tip containing a high-density protein array and other essential reagents. The protein array is made by self-assembling digitally encoded microparticles inside the modified tip. Mounted on a robotic workstation, it automates liquid-handling steps. Notably, compared with Luminex, the current gold standard in multiplex immunoassays, such a design enables LIT to demonstrate multiple advantages in terms of analytical sensitivity, speed, and throughput. It detects analyte concentrations as low as fg/ml, representing a sensitivity improvement of two orders of magnitude over Luminex. Incubation time is reduced to 15 minutes from Luminex’s 210 minutes. Furthermore, LIT requires only 10 µl of sample, one-fifth of what Luminex needs. This makes LIT ideal for rapid diagnostics and studies with limited biological samples, greatly expanding its application scope. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-41d0ac2364804b8c8fd0ba26b6198ccd |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-41d0ac2364804b8c8fd0ba26b6198ccd2025-08-20T01:47:29ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-04-0116111410.1038/s41467-025-59390-1Lab-in-a-Tip: a multiplex immunoassay platform based on a self-assembled barcoded protein arrayYiran He0Min Jiang1Zhenlong Liang2Zhaoxu Luo3Jingyi Qin4Ye Shen5Yayun Gu6Xiaodong Ma7Hong Wang8Xin Li9Ying Shi10Yanhua Chen11Kefeng Pu12Jiong Li13School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of ChinaSuzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of laboratory, the first Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General HospitalSuzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of SciencesSuzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of SciencesSuzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of SciencesSuzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of SciencesSuzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of SciencesSuzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of SciencesSuzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of SciencesSuzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of SciencesSuzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of SciencesSuzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of SciencesSuzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract High throughput immunoassay is increasingly crucial for both scientific and clinical applications. Here we propose a “Lab-in-a-Tip” (LIT) concept to fabricate a pipette tip containing a high-density protein array and other essential reagents. The protein array is made by self-assembling digitally encoded microparticles inside the modified tip. Mounted on a robotic workstation, it automates liquid-handling steps. Notably, compared with Luminex, the current gold standard in multiplex immunoassays, such a design enables LIT to demonstrate multiple advantages in terms of analytical sensitivity, speed, and throughput. It detects analyte concentrations as low as fg/ml, representing a sensitivity improvement of two orders of magnitude over Luminex. Incubation time is reduced to 15 minutes from Luminex’s 210 minutes. Furthermore, LIT requires only 10 µl of sample, one-fifth of what Luminex needs. This makes LIT ideal for rapid diagnostics and studies with limited biological samples, greatly expanding its application scope.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59390-1 |
| spellingShingle | Yiran He Min Jiang Zhenlong Liang Zhaoxu Luo Jingyi Qin Ye Shen Yayun Gu Xiaodong Ma Hong Wang Xin Li Ying Shi Yanhua Chen Kefeng Pu Jiong Li Lab-in-a-Tip: a multiplex immunoassay platform based on a self-assembled barcoded protein array Nature Communications |
| title | Lab-in-a-Tip: a multiplex immunoassay platform based on a self-assembled barcoded protein array |
| title_full | Lab-in-a-Tip: a multiplex immunoassay platform based on a self-assembled barcoded protein array |
| title_fullStr | Lab-in-a-Tip: a multiplex immunoassay platform based on a self-assembled barcoded protein array |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lab-in-a-Tip: a multiplex immunoassay platform based on a self-assembled barcoded protein array |
| title_short | Lab-in-a-Tip: a multiplex immunoassay platform based on a self-assembled barcoded protein array |
| title_sort | lab in a tip a multiplex immunoassay platform based on a self assembled barcoded protein array |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59390-1 |
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