An Inside Look at Digital Microfluidic SERS Detection

In this video clip from our coverage of the Spring SciX conference, Sian Sloan-Dennison, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Strathclyde, recaps her talk from the Spring SciX conference, which was titled, “Droplets to Diagnosis: Digital Microfluidic SERS Detection of microRNA-122.”^1,2

What is the Spring SciX Conference?

The Spring SciX conference is a biennial show that integrates spectroscopy, mass spectrometry (MS), and sensing technologies within a single program oriented to academic, clinical and biomedical, and industrial workflows.¹ As part of the conference program, there were 11 technical sessions that took place. These sessions focused on topics from handheld spectroscopy and process analytical control to plasmonics and nanomaterials, frontiers in IR, and advances in biological MS.^1,2 This year, there was also a dedicated “AI in analytical chemistry” session that focused on machine-learning (ML) approaches that are increasingly shaping data reduction, pattern recognition, and instrument performance optimization.¹

What did Sloan-Dennison’s talk cover?

In her talk at the conference, Sloan-Dennison discussed a point-of-care platform combining digital microfluidics (DMF) with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect liver injury biomarkers, specifically microRNA-122. DMF, which is a lab-on-chip technology, uses electro-wetting to manipulate microliter droplets for various assays. By pairing DMF with handheld SERS measurements, they aim to enhance the limit of detection for biomarkers, achieving a tenfold increase in sensitivity for micro-RNA 122, from 10 picomolar to 500 femtomolar. Sloan-Dennison mentioned in her talk that her team’s plan was to test this technology with clinical samples to further advance its potential in medical diagnostics.

Is there additional coverage of the Spring SciX conference?

Yes! As part of our coverage of this conference, we spoke with three experts who delivered talks at the show: Thomas Bocklitz; Sian Sloan-Dennison; and Jennifer “Jenny” Ferguson. To view our coverage of Spring SciX, you can visit our conference landing page.

References

1. Wetzel, W.; Spectroscopy Staff. Previewing Spring SciX 2026. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/previewing-spring-scix-2026 (accessed 2026-05-06).
2. Sloan-Dennison, S. Droplets to Diagnosis: Digital Microfluidic SERS Detection of microRNA-122. Presented at Spring SciX, Exeter, United Kingdom, 2026. Available at: https://rapide-diagnostics.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Spring-SciX-Programme.pdf