Chuck Henry

Colorado State University

(Anand)

One major push in the field of sensor development is production of very cheap and easy to use sensors that require minimal external equipment. Microfluidic Paper-based Analytical Devices (mPADs) have received significant attention in this field because they are cheap (costing pennies per device), easy to use, and can carry out a wide range of chemical assays. mPADs are normally made from porous hydrophilic materials patterned with hydrophobic materials to create flow barriers to direct flow from a sample inlet through sample pretreatment zones to a detection zone. Furthermore, functional elements like electrodes can be readily integrated to provide additional functionality and assay selectivity. This talk will focus on recent developments in mPAD research from the Henry laboratory aimed at improving device performance and extending the range of applications. The talk will first focus on developing alternative methods to assess personal exposure to occupational and environmental pollutants ranging from heavy metals or strong oxidants using a combination of wearable samplers and mPADs. Examples of multiple modes of detection will be presented. The second part of the talk will focus on new assays for detecting both bacterial and viral-based infectious diseases using mPADs. Example assays for DNA/RNA, expressed proteins, and intact species will be demonstrated. Both electrochemical and colorimetric methods will be shown.