Hydrogel biosensor array platform indexed by shape

A multi-analyte sensor array platform has been developed which consists of analyte specific features that are indexed by shape. The array features are batch-fabricated lithographically from poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate hydrogel pre-polymer and can accommodate a wide variety of different sensing chemistries. Depending on the physical scale of the sensing moiety, it is either copolymerized to the hydrogel matrix (e.g., oligonucleotides, aptamers), or it is merely physically encapsulated, an important strategy for preserving the biological activity of the larger and more complex sensing elements (e.g., antibodies, proteins, cells). This three-dimensional hydrogel sensor platform has an advantage over two-dimensional platforms in that it offers an increased signal density, and because the array is constructed of poly(ethylene glycol), it has virtually no background noise due to nonspecific adsorption of labeled analytes. To highlight the capabilities of this platform to make high signal-to-noise measurements using diverse sensing chemistries, two demonstrations are described herein that illustrate the platform's efficacy in oligonucleotide sensing and cell-based sensing.