High-Degree Concentration of Bio-agents using Electrokinetic Manipulations

Techniques used for the upstream collection of bio-warfare agents often result in a large, dilute sample volume composed of a wide variety of moieties. Nonetheless, current bioassays, though constantly being refined, benefit from a highly concentrated sample, leading to an enhanced signal to noise ratio and increasing the ultimate sensitivity. This report describes an electrokinetics-based sample concentration device designed to concentrate bio-agents, such as bacillus spores, from a relatively large volume (~500 mul) to be within a nanoliter volume for downstream target processing and detection. The concentrator can later be integrated with other fluidic sample processing devices and sensors for the development of a stand-alone bio-agent surveillance system