DNA Nanolithography Enables a Highly Ordered Recognition Interface in a Microfluidic Chip for the Efficient Capture and Release of Circulating Tumor Cells

Abstract Microfluidic chips with nano‐scale structures have shown great potential, but the fabrication and cost issues restrict their application. Herein, we propose a conceptually new “DNA nanolithography in a microfluidic chip” by using sub‐10 nm three‐dimensional DNA structures (TDNs) as frameworks with a pendant aptamer at the top vertex (ApTDN‐Chip). The nano‐scale framework ensures that the aptamer is in a highly ordered upright orientation, avoiding the undesired orientation or crowding effects caused by conventional microfluidic interface fabrication processes. Compared with a monovalent aptamer modified chip, the capture efficiency of ApTDN‐Chip was enhanced nearly 60 % due to the highly precise dimension and rigid framework of TDNs. In addition, the scaffolds make DNase I more accessible to the aptamer with up to 83 % release efficiency and 91 % cell viability, which is fully compatible with downstream molecular analysis. Overall, this strategy provides a novel perspective on engineering nano‐scaffolds to achieve a more ordered nano‐topography of microfluidic chips.