Magneto-hydrodynamic focusing: A novel method for highly sensitive biomolecule detection

Magnetic bead handling is a common tool in purification of biomolecules and subsequent analysis of molecule concentrations. The knowledge of forces acting on magnetizable beads in magnetic fields enables to use them not only as a purification instrument but also for analytical purposes. We wanted to use this to design and build up a novel bioanalytical instrument, which is able to analyze proteins in unpurified samples. Therefore magnetic beads are forced to describe certain trajectories via oscillating magnetic fields. This allows us to move magnetic beads periodically in a hydrodynamic system. This movement creates a dynamic fluorescence signal, which gives an insight about how many molecules are bound to the particle surface. This MHF technology can be combined with several assays, which are already on the market, maximizing signal to noise ratio