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Open Access Article Issue
Tip optofluidic immunoassay: Evaluating COVID-19 antibody protection with 1 μL fingertip blood
hLife 2025, 3(7): 338-356
Published: 01 July 2025
Abstract Collect

Infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continue to pose significant global health challenges. Effective management of reinfection risks depends on sustained levels of binding and neutralizing antibodies. However, conventional methods—such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and virus neutralization tests (VNT)—are limited by complex workflows, long assay durations, and high sample volume requirements, making them less suitable for routine, decentralized, or time-sensitive surveillance. This study presents a custom-developed tip optofluidic immunoassay (TOI) platform that enables rapid, multiplexed antibody profiling using only 1 μL of fingertip blood. The system integrates batch-fabricated microfluidic immunoreactors with a portable chemiluminescent imaging station, completing both binding and neutralization capability assessments within 40 min. TOI achieves a broad dynamic range (3–4 orders of magnitude), high signal-to-noise ratio (~10,000), and excellent sensitivity for immunoglobulin G (IgG) detection. A renovated version of the rapid in vitro inhibition assay (RIVIA) is incorporated to evaluate neutralizing antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with greater speed and cost-efficiency. In clinical studies, TOI successfully quantified antibody protection against multiple variants, identifying individuals with broad-spectrum immunity to both wild-type and XBB strains. With its high-precision, rapid turnaround, and minimal sample requirement, TOI offers a valuable tool for decentralized immune surveillance and personalized immunization strategy development.

Open Access Research Article Issue
Real-time observation and synchronous nanomanipulation platform based on microlens and atomic force microscopy coupling
Nano Research 2025, 18(6): 94907397
Published: 04 June 2025
Abstract PDF (27.2 MB) Collect
Downloads:446

Nanomanipulation based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) is widely used in various fields, including nanoparticle assembly, nanostructure construction, and semiconductor device manufacturing. However, a challenge remains in the lack of nanoscale visual feedback, which limits operational efficiency and accuracy. Here, we present a method for nanomanipulation under the visual guidance of real-time super-resolution imaging. The method involves coupling a microlens to the end of a conventional AFM probe cantilever and depositing a diamond tip onto the surface of the microlens using focused ion beam (FIB). The resulting microlens-AFM probe enhances the imaging resolution of traditional AFM optical systems, providing super-resolution capability with a multiple 3× increase in optical imaging magnification and enabling synchronous imaging and manipulation of silver nanowires with a characteristic size of 200 nm. This advancement bridges the key gap in AFM-based nanomanipulation by providing in-situ, real-time, non-destructive, and ultra-high-resolution visual feedback. This technology has the potential to provide new methods and key technologies for research in a wide range of applications, including nanorobots, nanoobservation, nanomanipulation, and manufacturing.

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