Microfluidic sieve and detector for rapid ultrasensitive assays with single-molecule sensitivity

The microfluidic sieve and detector (MFSD) captures and quantifies analytes from 200 microlitres in one minute and four minutes total, reaching zeptomolar (10^-19M) sensitivity.

• Why it matters: Ultrasensitive assays still take hours to deliver results, limiting clinical and research impact. MFSD targets faster, single-molecule–level readout with predictable capture under flow.
• What they did: MFSD uses half a million 8-m-diameter pores that bind analytes via Brownian motion-induced wall collisions, guided by ensemble and stochastic Brownian agent dynamics. It completes digital sandwich assays by sequentially flowing sample and reagents, partitioning pores, and enzymatically revealing single trapped analytes.
• The result: MFSD tests are specific and reproducible with a large dynamic range, measuring proteins including influenza A nucleoprotein in clinical samples and nucleic acids. It is faster and more sensitive than PCR, enabling rapid ultrasensitive diagnostics.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.