Paper-Based Biochip Assays and Recent Developments: A Review

Biomolecules in human body serve as biomarker for diagnosis of diseases, and paper-based biochips have become of much interest for development of biomolecule sensing. Cellulose micro-/nanofiber matrices consisting of paper allow not only capillary-driven flow without external pumping owing to abundant micro-/nanopores but also three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical micro-/nanostructures as 3D templates for microfluidic bioassays. Besides, colloidal and thermal evaporated metal nanoparticles on cellulose fibers offer huge opportunities in nanoplasmonic biosensing. Here, we review paper-based biochips including microfluidic paper-based assays and nanoplasmonic biosensors and further discuss micro-/nanofabrication of paper-based biochips and their applications in biomolecule detection.