Suspension arrays of hydrogel microparticles prepared by photopatterning for multiplexed protein-based bioassays

Suspension arrays for protein-based assays have been developed using shape-coded poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel microparticles to overcome the problems with current systems which use color-coded rigid microparticles as protein supports. Various shapes of hydrogel microparticles were fabricated by a two-step process consisting of photopatterning and flushing using a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) channel as a molding insert. Hydrogel microparticles with lateral dimensions ranging from 50 to 300 μm were fabricated using different molecular weights of PEG (700, 3,400, and 8,000 Da), by which the water content and swelling behavior of the hydrogel microparticles could be controlled. Protein-entrapped hydrogel microparticles were prepared in a suspension array format, and PEG hydrogel could encapsulate proteins without deactivation for a week due to its high water content and soft nature. The sequential bienzymatic reaction of hydrogel-entrapped glucose oxidase (GOX) and peroxidase (POD) was successfully investigated using fluorescence detection, demonstrating one possible application of suspension arrays. Furthermore, a mixture of two different shapes of hydrogel microparticles containing GOX/POD and alkaline phosphatase (AP), respectively, was prepared and the shape-coded suspension array was used for simultaneous characterization of two different enzyme-catalyzed reactions.