PDMS membrane-confined nucleic acid and antibody/antigen-functionalized microlength tube capture elements, and systems employing them, and methods of their use

A method of performing a combined protein and nucleic acid assay, comprising:

• providing a microfluidic device having a microfluidic channel network, the network having at least two microfluidic channels, each channel of the two channels arranged to receive portions of the same fluid and to be fluidicly isolatable from each other, the device having at least two micro-particles comprising a micro-length tube or a glass nano-reactor (GNR), the micro-particles disposed sequentially and retained in fixed position in the network channels, whereby the micro-particles remain in the fixed position in the channel when fluid is flowing within the channel, the micro-particles being functionalized within the micro-length tube or GNR with a capture agent, one of the micro-particles in one of the channels being functionalized with an antibody or antigen capture agent and another of the micro-particles in another of the channels being functionalized with a nucleic acid capture agent.

A method of performing a combined protein and nucleic acid assay on a target captured by a capture agent, using a microfluidic device, comprising:

• providing the microfluidic device having a microfluidic channel network having at least two microfluidic channels, each channel of the at least two channels arranged to receive portions of the same fluid and to be fluidicly isolatable from each other, the device having at least two micro-particles comprising a micro-length tube or a glass nano-reactor (GNR), the micro-particles disposed sequentially within the channel and confined in fixed position in the network channels, whereby the micro-particles remain in the fixed position in the channels when fluid is flowing within the channels, the micro-particles being functionalized within the micro-length tube or GNR with the capture agent, one of the micro-particles in one of the channels being functionalized with an antibody or antigen capture agent and another of the micro-particles in another of the channels being functionalized with a nucleic acid capture agent;
• and
• detecting both protein and nucleic acid present in an input sample using the respectively functionalized microparticles.