Shipping Conditions May Impact the Reliability of At-Home Microsampling Devices

Targeted proteomics offers high precision, reproducibility, and multiplexing capabilities for quantifying proteins in complex biological samples, making the technology into a powerful tool for biomarker discovery and clinical diagnostics. When combined with at-home microsampling, this approach has the potential to transform population-level screening and longitudinal studies and can pave the way for decentralized healthcare. One of the main advantages of this combined approach is that samples can be collected offsite and then transported and stored as dried blood spots (DBSs). Currently, innovative volumetric microfluidic devices have also enabled DBS microsampling of consistently precise volumes. However, the reliability of the molecular data obtained with this mode of sampling still needs to be investigated and validated. In this study, 72 deidentified blood samples from two individuals were collected using DBS microsampling device CapitainerB and analyzed using targeted mass spectrometry and quantitative recombinant protein standards (qRePSs). The DBSs were subjected to three simulated and realistic shipping environmental conditions and stored in two different types of containers to assess sample stability. The results suggest that shipping conditions and storage at high temperatures often observed during summer have an impact on protein identification and quantification results, highlighting the need for further research to ensure biomarker reliability for dispersed microsampling.