Rare earth spatial/spectral barcodes for multiplexed biochemical testing
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsPaul Bisso, Albert Swiston, Jiseok Lee, Patrick S. Doyle
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Abstract
Hydrogel microparticles spatially and spectrally encoded using upconverting phosphor nanoparticles are described for use in biochemical testing. In each microparticle, upconversion nanocrystals having spectrally distinguishable emission spectra are disposed in different pardons of an encoding region of the microparticle.
Claims30
A microparticle for use in a biochemical or chemical assay, the microparticle comprising:
- a body comprising a hydrogel, the body including a probe region and an encoded region;
- a first plurality of upconversion nanocrystals disposed in a first portion of the encoded region, the first plurality of upconversion nanocrystals having a first spectral signature;
- and
- a second plurality of upconversion nanocrystals disposed in a second portion of the encoded region spatially separated from the first portion of the encoded region, the second plurality of upconversion nanocrystals having a second spectral signature different than the first spectral signature.
A method of making a hydrogel microparticle for use in a biochemical or chemical assay, the method comprising:
- providing a first encoded region source material including a hydrogel and a first plurality of upconversion nanocrystals having a first spectral signature;
- providing a second encoded region source material including a hydrogel and a second plurality of upconversion nanocrystals having a second spectral signature;
- providing a probe region source material including a hydrogel;
- cross-linking the first encoded region source material, the second encoded region source material and the probe region source material forming a first portion of an encoded region, a second portion of the encoded region and a probe region with the probe region crosslinked with one or both of the first portion and the second portion of the encoded region to form a contiguous microparticle.
A method of performing a biochemical or chemical assay comprising:
- exposing a sample to a plurality of microparticles, each microparticle comprising:
- a body comprising a hydrogel, the body including a probe region with one or more molecular recognition elements and an encoded region;
- a first plurality of upconversion nanocrystals disposed in a first portion of the encoded region, the first plurality of upconversion nanocrystals having a first spectral signature;
- and
- a second plurality of upconversion nanocrystals disposed in a second portion of the encoded region spatially separated from the first portion of the encoded region, the second plurality of upconversion nanocrystals having a second spectral signature different than the first spectral signature;
- for each microparticle, illuminating the microparticle with an excitation light source;
- for each microparticle, detecting light emitted from the illuminated microparticle, the detected light including upconverted luminescent light from the first plurality of upconversion nanocrystals and the second plurality of upconversion nanocrystals and light associated with the one or more molecular recognition elements;
- and
- identifying each microparticle based on the detected light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.