Photo-click chemistry to create nucleic acids dextran-based microarrays

The final publication is available at link.springer.com [EN] In the literature, there are reports of the utilization of various hydrogels to create generic platforms for protein microarray applications. Here, a novel strategy was developed to obtain high-performance microarrays. In it, a dextran hydrogel is used to covalently immobilize oligonucleotides and proteins. This method employs aqueous solutions of dextran methacrylate (Dx-MA), which is a biocompatible photopolymerizable monomer. Capture probes are immobilized inside the hydrogel via a light-induced thiol-acrylate coupling reaction at the same time as the dextran polymer is formed. Hydrogel microarrays based on this technique were prepared on different surfaces, such as a Blu-ray Disk and polycarbonate or alkene-functionalized glass slides, and these systems showed high probe-loading capabilities and good biorecognition yields. This methodology presents advantages such as a low cost, a short analysis time, a low limit of detection, and multiplexing capabilities, among others. Confocal fluorescence microscopy analysis demonstrated that in these hydrogel-based microarrays, receptor immobilization and the biorecognition event occurred within the hydrogel and not merely on the surface. Funding from MINECO through the project BIHOLOG CTQ/2016/75749-R is acknowledged. Díaz-Betancor, Z.; Bañuls Polo, M.; Maquieira Catala, A. (2019). Photo-click chemistry to create nucleic acids dextran-based microarrays. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 411(25):6745-6754. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-019-02050-3 Heller MJ. DNA microarray technology: devices, systems, and applications. Annu Rev Biomed Eng. 2002;4:129–53. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.bioeng.4.020702.153438 . Sassolas A, Leca-Bouvier BD, Blum LJ. DNA biosensors and microarrays. Chem Rev. 2008;108:109–39. https://doi.org/10.1021/cr0684467 . Uttamchandani M, Neo JL, Ong BNZ, Moochhala S. Applications of microarrays in pathogen detection and biodefence. Trends Biotechnol. 2009;27:53–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TIBTECH.2008.09.004 . Yu X, Schneiderhan-Marra N, Joos TO. Protein microarrays for personalized medicine. Clin Chem. 2010;56:376–87. https://doi.org/10.1373/clinchem.2009.137158 . North SH, Taitt CR. Immobilization of biomolecular probes for arrays and assay: critical aspects of biointerfaces. In: Chemoselective and bioorthogonal ligation reactions. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH; 2017. p. 459–95. Nimse S, Song K, Sonawane M, Sayyed D, Kim T. Immobili