A rapid and label-free platform for virus enrichment based on electrostatic microfluidics.

Virus surveillance and discovery are crucial for virus prediction and outbreak preparedness. Virus samples are frequently bulky and complicated so that effective virus detection remain challenging. Herein, we develop an 3D electrostatic microfluidic platform to rapidly and label-free enrich viruses from bulky samples at low concentrations. The platform consists of double microchannels for streamlining large volume processing and electrodes for enriching viruses by electrostatic interaction. The trajectories of simulation show that particle is successfully enriched under different forces of electrostatic field and different sample flow rates. We demonstrate that the electrostatic microfluidic platform can increase the limit of detection in 100-fold higher based on real-time PCR quantified analysis. Our design thus provides a simple, rapid, label-free and high-throughput viruses concentration platform and would thus have significant utility for various viral detection. The virus samples were injected into the electrostatic microfluidics when the voltage was applied, negative charged viral particles were transferred and collected from the sample channel to the enriching channel under the electrostatic field. [Display omitted] • New electrostatic microfluidic platform to rapidly and label-free enrich viruses. • Simulation and experimental study of electrostatic microfluidic device for high-efficiency virus enrichment. • The 3D device increased the limit of detection in 100-fold higher. • Potential for overcoming the technical barrier in virus surveillance and discovery when samples are bulky and complicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]