Research Findings Published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

Development of a Microfluidic Device for Simultaneous microRNA Detection

Expected Applications in Precision Medicine and Personalized Diagnostics

[February 25, 2025]

YU Professor HONG Cheol-am’s Research Team (Top center to right: Participating researchers NAM Hye-jeong, JUNG Ji-yoon; Bottom left to right: Professor HONG Cheol-am, First Author LEE Chan-yeol)

A research team led by Professor HONG Cheol-am from the Department of Chemistry at Yeungnam University (YU) has developed a microfluidic device-based visual diagnostic technology that enables the rapid and precise simultaneous detection of microRNA (miRNA). Their findings were published in the January 2025 issue of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (Impact Factor: 8.5, Top 10% in Materials Science and Applications).

 The study was conducted by LEE Chan-yeol (first author), JUNG Ji-yoon, and NAM Hye-jeong, with Professor HONG as the corresponding author. The research team successfully developed a technology capable of detecting two types of microRNA simultaneously, demonstrating superior diagnostic accuracy and speed compared to conventional reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

 MicroRNA, a short RNA fragment consisting of approximately 22 nucleotides, plays a critical role in gene expression regulation and is a key molecule in early disease detection and personalized therapy. The team’s breakthrough allows for the visual detection of ultra-trace amounts of miRNA within an hour at room temperature, without the need for expensive analytical equipment or enzymes. Notably, their method also ensures high diagnostic accuracy, even in identifying base mutations in miRNA that are difficult to distinguish using RT-qPCR.

Professor HONG Cheol-am emphasized, "This research aligns with the significance of microRNA, which was a key topic in the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. It holds great potential for applications in precision medicine and personalized diagnostics." He further stated, "Moving forward, we plan to develop a microfluidic device capable of detecting over eight types of microRNA simultaneously. In collaboration with Yeungnam University Hospital, we aim to apply this technology to the early diagnosis and risk assessment of neurological and musculoskeletal rare diseases."

 The research team filed a patent on January 10, 2024, for a "Microfluidic Assay for Multiplex miRNA Detection" and will continue their efforts toward commercializing the technology.