Long-Term Stability Monitoring of Printed Proteins on Paper-Based Membranes

Abstract

Monitoring of long-term stability of proteins on paper-based membranes is important as it is directly related to paper-based sensor fabrication. By using a simple piezo printhead inkjet printer, recombinant proteins and antibodies were printed on paper-based membranes to test their stability and sensitivity under varying lengths of storage and temperature conditions. Our data show that a printed IgG-HRP antibody on simple printing paper maintains >50% functionality up to ∼2 months under 4 and −20 °C storage. Antibodies printed on polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) and nitrocellulose showed 5.3 and 9.7% decreases, respectively, in initial signal intensities compared to printing paper. Prostate-specific membrane antigen and tumor necrosis factor alpha recombinant proteins printed on paper-based membranes can be detected by antibodies, and antibody signal intensities can be detected up to 28 days after storage at 4 and −20 °C when printed on PVDF membrane or printing paper. These data suggest that printed proteins on simple printing paper and PVDF membrane can maintain their functionality up to few months when stored at 4 °C or lower and can be potentially applied in paper-based sensor development.

Integrated membranes within centrifugal microfluidic devices: a review

“…Structural stability depends fundamentally upon the fabrication method, with electrospun fibers being especially susceptible to compressive forces. [192][193][194] Surface stability is a function of both the material as well as any additional surface modifications performed, with enzymaticfunctionalized surfaces typically vulnerable to thermal extremes 195 or PDMS hydrophilicity to age. 196 Therefore, each method for membrane insertion within a microfluidic device comes with a unique set of advantages and challenges.…”