Bead-Immobilized Molecular Beacons for High Throughput SNP Genotyping Via a Microfluidic System

This paper reports the first demonstration of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping via molecular beacon probes immobilized on polystyrene microbead substrates within a dynamic microfluidic system. Additionally, we present an optimized bead immobilization technique, micropost array trapping (muPAT), for high-density and high-throughput arraying of beads. Quantitative detection was achieved at room temperature for three label-free DNA oligonucleotide sequences based on the genome of the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in humans. SNP detection technology is integral for the realization of personalized medicine and genetic disease identification, and this system offers a promising technique for fast, sensitive, and cost-effective SNP genotyping.