POS9-0881
Barcode-Encoded Superabsorbent Polymer Microparticles for Simultaneous Biomarker Enrichment and Multiplex Analysis
Topic
S9. Polymer Technology for Sustainability
When and Where
Sep 30, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Heesuk KIM
Jinhye BAE
Presenter(s)
hyojeong kim (Incheon national university)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Cancer remains a major global public health challenge, underscoring the need for effective and accurate diagnostics. Although tissue biopsy remains the gold standard for cancer diagnosis, its invasiveness and patient burden limit its use for early detection and long-term monitoring. Liquid biopsy has therefore emerged as a minimally invasive approach for analyzing biomarkers in biofluids. However, single-biomarker detection is often insufficient to accurately reflect cancer heterogeneity, highlighting the importance of simultaneous multiplex detection of multiple biomarkers. In this study, we developed encoded superabsorbent polymer microparticles (E-miSAPs) for efficient multiplex biomarker detection. The E-miSAPs were fabricated via UV-induced photopolymerization, in which polyethylene glycol (PEG) was introduced as a porogen to generate controllable pore structures. Through this controlled pore formation, the E-miSAPs enabled selective capture and efficient enrichment of target biomarkers, demonstrating effective biomarker preprocessing in complex biofluids. By integrating distinct encoding patterns, we fabricated particles capable of distinguishing up to 12 different biomarkers, enabling multiplex detection within a single fluorescence detection channel (λex = 542 nm). Furthermore, by exploiting the intrinsic swelling–deswelling behavior of the polymer matrix, fluorescence signals from captured biomarkers were spatially concentrated within the particles, resulting in enhanced signal intensity. Using this strategy, clinically relevant cancer biomarkers, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), were simultaneously detected. Collectively, this platform represents a promising liquid biopsy-based diagnostic technology for simultaneous biomarker enrichment and multiplex detection, with potential applications in prostate cancer diagnosis and disease monitoring.
