Fiber-coupler-based microfluidic system for trapping of DNA biomolecules

A miniature fiber-coupler-based microfluidic system is proposed for trapping of DNA biomolecules. The loop-shaped fiber-coupler is fabricated by using flame tapering technique and integrated in a microfluidic channel. Probe-DNA immobilized on the fiber-coupler surface enables specific recognition of target DNA sequences and effectively facilitates the trapping of target DNA molecules. The binding characteristics of biomolecules on the fiber-coupler surface have been theoretically analyzed and experimentally demonstrated. Experimental results indicate that the spectral response of the loop-shaped fiber coupler immobilized with probe DNA exhibits a red-shift with the trapping of the DNA biomolecules. The proposed microfluidic system possesses such desirable merits as simple structure, label-free method and high integration, which make it a promising candidate for applications in molecular biology and related bioengineering areas.