Microsampling is revolutionizing sample collection for preclinical and clinical research and diagnostics. It is enabling significant reductions in animal use and creating new possibilities for at-home, patient-centric sampling that will have a major impact on how clinical trials will be run in the future. A key factor to success is matching microsampling methods with bioanalytical techniques such as immunoassays that enable reliable, sensitive detection of analytes in small volumes of complex matrix.
While many preclinical and clinical studies require analysis of plasma, serum or blood, some involve more challenging matrices, such as vitreous and aqueous humor, tears, synovial fluid, and bronchoalveolar lavage. These matrices often have high viscosity, high protein concentration and low analyte concentration. Added to that, the samples are almost invariably very small, expensive and difficult to source. Analytical methods must therefore match the matrix’s complex qualities and also the small volumes available. 
