101
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Jeong HH, Yadavali S, Issadore D, Lee D. Liter-scale production of uniform gas bubbles via parallelization of flow-focusing generators. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:2667-2673. [PMID: 28702573 PMCID: PMC5636638 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00295e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Microscale gas bubbles have demonstrated enormous utility as versatile templates for the synthesis of functional materials in medicine, ultra-lightweight materials and acoustic metamaterials. In many of these applications, high uniformity of the size of the gas bubbles is critical to achieve the desired properties and functionality. While microfluidics have been used with success to create gas bubbles that have a uniformity not achievable using conventional methods, the inherently low volumetric flow rate of microfluidics has limited its use in most applications. Parallelization of liquid droplet generators, in which many droplet generators are incorporated onto a single chip, has shown great promise for the large scale production of monodisperse liquid emulsion droplets. However, the scale-up of monodisperse gas bubbles using such an approach has remained a challenge because of possible coupling between parallel bubbles generators and feedback effects from the downstream channels. In this report, we systematically investigate the effect of factors such as viscosity of the continuous phase, capillary number, and gas pressure as well as the channel uniformity on the size distribution of gas bubbles in a parallelized microfluidic device. We show that, by optimizing the flow conditions, a device with 400 parallel flow focusing generators on a footprint of 5 × 5 cm2 can be used to generate gas bubbles with a coefficient of variation of less than 5% at a production rate of approximately 1 L h-1. Our results suggest that the optimization of flow conditions using a device with a small number (e.g., 8) of parallel FFGs can facilitate large-scale bubble production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heon-Ho Jeong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
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102
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Sesen M, Alan T, Neild A. Droplet control technologies for microfluidic high throughput screening (μHTS). LAB ON A CHIP 2017. [PMID: 28631799 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00005g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The transition from micro well plate and robotics based high throughput screening (HTS) to chip based screening has already started. This transition promises reduced droplet volumes thereby decreasing the amount of fluids used in these studies. Moreover, it significantly boosts throughput allowing screening to keep pace with the overwhelming number of molecular targets being discovered. In this review, we analyse state-of-the-art droplet control technologies that exhibit potential to be used in this new generation of screening devices. Since these systems are enclosed and usually planar, even some of the straightforward methods used in traditional HTS such as pipetting and reading can prove challenging to replicate in microfluidic high throughput screening (μHTS). We critically review the technologies developed for this purpose in depth, describing the underlying physics and discussing the future outlooks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhsincan Sesen
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
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103
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Xu
- Institute of Nuclear and
New Energy Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced
Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tingliang Xie
- Institute of Nuclear and
New Energy Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced
Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People’s Republic of China
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104
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Liu D, Zhang H, Fontana F, Hirvonen JT, Santos HA. Microfluidic-assisted fabrication of carriers for controlled drug delivery. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:1856-1883. [PMID: 28480462 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00242d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The microfluidic technique has brought unique opportunities toward the full control over the production processes for drug delivery carriers, owing to the miniaturisation of the fluidic environment. In comparison to the conventional batch methods, the microfluidic setup provides a range of advantages, including the improved controllability of material characteristics, as well as the precisely controlled release profiles of payloads. This review gives an overview of different fluidic principles used in the literature to produce either polymeric microparticles or nanoparticles, focusing on the materials that could have an impact on drug delivery. We also discuss the relations between the particle size and size distribution of the obtained carriers, and the design and configuration of the microfluidic setups. Overall, the use of microfluidic technologies brings exciting opportunities to expand the body of knowledge in the field of controlled drug delivery and great potential to clinical translation of drug delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongfei Liu
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Drug Research Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
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105
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Li H, Xue Y, Xu M, Zhao W, Zong C, Liu X, Zhang Q. Viscosity based droplet size controlling in negative pressure driven droplets generator for large-scale particle synthesis. Electrophoresis 2017; 38:1736-1742. [DOI: 10.1002/elps.201700023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hanlin Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Synthesis for Functional Materials; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Jiangsu Normal University; Xuzhou Jiangsu P. R. China
| | - Yijun Xue
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Synthesis for Functional Materials; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Jiangsu Normal University; Xuzhou Jiangsu P. R. China
| | - Meng Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Synthesis for Functional Materials; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Jiangsu Normal University; Xuzhou Jiangsu P. R. China
| | - Wenfeng Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Synthesis for Functional Materials; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Jiangsu Normal University; Xuzhou Jiangsu P. R. China
| | - Chenghua Zong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Synthesis for Functional Materials; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Jiangsu Normal University; Xuzhou Jiangsu P. R. China
| | - Xiaojun Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Synthesis for Functional Materials; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Jiangsu Normal University; Xuzhou Jiangsu P. R. China
| | - Qingquan Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Synthesis for Functional Materials; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Jiangsu Normal University; Xuzhou Jiangsu P. R. China
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106
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Amstad E, Chen X, Eggersdorfer M, Cohen N, Kodger TE, Ren CL, Weitz DA. Parallelization of microfluidic flow-focusing devices. Phys Rev E 2017; 95:043105. [PMID: 28505795 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.95.043105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidic flow-focusing devices offer excellent control over fluid flow, enabling formation of drops with a narrow size distribution. However, the throughput of microfluidic flow-focusing devices is limited and scale-up through operation of multiple drop makers in parallel often compromises the robustness of their operation. We demonstrate that parallelization is facilitated if the outer phase is injected from the direction opposite to that of the inner phase, because the fluid injection flow rate, where the drop formation transitions from the squeezing into the dripping regime, is shifted towards higher values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Amstad
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.,Institute of Materials, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Xiaoming Chen
- Department of Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Max Eggersdorfer
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Noa Cohen
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Thomas E Kodger
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Carolyn L Ren
- Department of Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - David A Weitz
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.,Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
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107
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Urbanski M, Reyes CG, Noh J, Sharma A, Geng Y, Subba Rao Jampani V, Lagerwall JPF. Liquid crystals in micron-scale droplets, shells and fibers. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2017; 29:133003. [PMID: 28199222 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/aa5706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The extraordinary responsiveness and large diversity of self-assembled structures of liquid crystals are well documented and they have been extensively used in devices like displays. For long, this application route strongly influenced academic research, which frequently focused on the performance of liquid crystals in display-like geometries, typically between flat, rigid substrates of glass or similar solids. Today a new trend is clearly visible, where liquid crystals confined within curved, often soft and flexible, interfaces are in focus. Innovation in microfluidic technology has opened for high-throughput production of liquid crystal droplets or shells with exquisite monodispersity, and modern characterization methods allow detailed analysis of complex director arrangements. The introduction of electrospinning in liquid crystal research has enabled encapsulation in optically transparent polymeric cylinders with very small radius, allowing studies of confinement effects that were not easily accessible before. It also opened the prospect of functionalizing textile fibers with liquid crystals in the core, triggering activities that target wearable devices with true textile form factor for seamless integration in clothing. Together, these developments have brought issues center stage that might previously have been considered esoteric, like the interaction of topological defects on spherical surfaces, saddle-splay curvature-induced spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking, or the non-trivial shape changes of curved liquid crystal elastomers with non-uniform director fields that undergo a phase transition to an isotropic state. The new research thrusts are motivated equally by the intriguing soft matter physics showcased by liquid crystals in these unconventional geometries, and by the many novel application opportunities that arise when we can reproducibly manufacture these systems on a commercial scale. This review attempts to summarize the current understanding of liquid crystals in spherical and cylindrical geometry, the state of the art of producing such samples, as well as the perspectives for innovative applications that have been put forward.
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108
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Yelleswarapu VR, Jeong HH, Yadavali S, Issadore D. Ultra-high throughput detection (1 million droplets per second) of fluorescent droplets using a cell phone camera and time domain encoded optofluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:1083-1094. [PMID: 28225099 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc01489e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Droplet-based assays-in which ultra-sensitive molecular measurements are made by performing millions of parallel experiments in picoliter droplets-have generated enormous enthusiasm due to their single molecule resolution and robustness to reaction conditions. These assays have great untapped potential for point of care diagnostics but are currently confined to laboratory settings due to the instrumentation necessary to serially generate, control, and measure tens of millions of droplets. To address this challenge, we have developed the microdroplet megascale detector (μMD) that can generate and detect the fluorescence of millions of droplets per second (1000× faster than conventional approaches) using only a conventional cell phone camera. The key innovation of our approach is borrowed from the telecommunications industry, wherein we modulate the excitation light with a pseudorandom sequence that enables individual droplets to be resolved that would otherwise overlap due to the limited frame rate of digital cameras. Using this approach, the μMD measures droplets at a rate of 106 droplets per sec (ϕ = 166 mL h-1) in 120 parallel microfluidic channels and achieves a limit of detection LOD = 1 μM Rhodamine dye, sufficient for typical droplet based assays. We incorporate this new droplet detection technology with our previously reported parallelized droplet production strategy, incorporating 200 parallel droplet makers and only one set of continuous and droplet phase inputs and one output line. By miniaturizing and integrating droplet based diagnostics into a handheld format, the μMD platform can translate ultra-sensitive droplet based assays into a self-contained platform for practical use in clinical and industrial settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkata R Yelleswarapu
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Heon-Ho Jeong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sagar Yadavali
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - David Issadore
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. and Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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109
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110
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Eggersdorfer ML, Zheng W, Nawar S, Mercandetti C, Ofner A, Leibacher I, Koehler S, Weitz DA. Tandem emulsification for high-throughput production of double emulsions. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:936-942. [PMID: 28197593 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc01553k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Core-shell double emulsions produced using microfluidic methods with controlled structural parameters exhibit great potential in a wide range of applications, but the low production rate of microfluidic methods hinders the exploitation of the capabilities of microfluidics to produce double emulsions with well-defined features. A major obstacle towards the scaled-up production of core-shell double emulsions is the difficulty of achieving robust spatially controlled wettability in integrated microfluidic devices. Here, we use tandem emulsification, a two-step process with microfluidic devices, to scale up the production. With this method, single emulsions are generated in a first device and are re-injected directly into a second device to form uniform double emulsions. We demonstrate the application of tandem emulsification for scalable core-shell emulsion production with both integrated flow focusing and millipede devices and obtain emulsions of which over 90% are single-core monodisperse double emulsion drops. With both mechanisms, the shell thickness can be controlled, so that shells as thin as 3 μm are obtained for emulsions 50 μm in radius.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Eggersdorfer
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
| | - W Zheng
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - S Nawar
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
| | - C Mercandetti
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
| | - A Ofner
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
| | - I Leibacher
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
| | - S Koehler
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
| | - D A Weitz
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. and Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
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111
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Brower K, White AK, Fordyce PM. Multi-step Variable Height Photolithography for Valved Multilayer Microfluidic Devices. J Vis Exp 2017:55276. [PMID: 28190039 PMCID: PMC5352304 DOI: 10.3791/55276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Microfluidic systems have enabled powerful new approaches to high-throughput biochemical and biological analysis. However, there remains a barrier to entry for non-specialists who would benefit greatly from the ability to develop their own microfluidic devices to address research questions. Particularly lacking has been the open dissemination of protocols related to photolithography, a key step in the development of a replica mold for the manufacture of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) devices. While the fabrication of single height silicon masters has been explored extensively in literature, fabrication steps for more complicated photolithography features necessary for many interesting device functionalities (such as feature rounding to make valve structures, multi-height single-mold patterning, or high aspect ratio definition) are often not explicitly outlined. Here, we provide a complete protocol for making multilayer microfluidic devices with valves and complex multi-height geometries, tunable for any application. These fabrication procedures are presented in the context of a microfluidic hydrogel bead synthesizer and demonstrate the production of droplets containing polyethylene glycol (PEG diacrylate) and a photoinitiator that can be polymerized into solid beads. This protocol and accompanying discussion provide a foundation of design principles and fabrication methods that enables development of a wide variety of microfluidic devices. The details included here should allow non-specialists to design and fabricate novel devices, thereby bringing a host of recently developed technologies to their most exciting applications in biological laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara Brower
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University; Microfluidic Foundry, Stanford University; Chem-H Institute, Stanford University
| | - Adam K White
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University; Microfluidic Foundry, Stanford University
| | - Polly M Fordyce
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University; Microfluidic Foundry, Stanford University; Department of Genetics, Stanford University; Chem-H Institute, Stanford University;
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112
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Kim SC, Premasekharan G, Clark IC, Gemeda HB, Paris PL, Abate AR. Measurement of copy number variation in single cancer cells using rapid-emulsification digital droplet MDA. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2017; 3:17018. [PMID: 30147985 PMCID: PMC6108428 DOI: 10.1038/micronano.2017.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Revised: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Uniform amplification of low input DNA is important for applications across biology, including single-cell genomics, forensic science, and microbial and viral sequencing. However, the requisite biochemical amplification methods are prone to bias, skewing sequence proportions and obscuring signals relating to copy number. Digital droplet multiple displacement amplification enables uniform amplification, but requires expert knowledge of microfluidics to generate monodisperse emulsions. In addition, existing microfluidic methods are tedious and labor intensive for preparing many samples. Here, we introduce rapid emulsification multiple displacement amplification, a method to generate monodisperse droplets with a hand-held syringe and hierarchical droplet splitter. While conventional microfluidic devices require >10 minutes to emulsify a sample, our system takes tens of seconds and yields data of equivalent quality. We demonstrate the approach by using it to accurately measure copy number variation in single cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel C. Kim
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Gayatri Premasekharan
- Department of Urology, Division of Hematology & Oncology, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Iain C. Clark
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Hawi B. Gemeda
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Pamela L. Paris
- Department of Urology, Division of Hematology & Oncology, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Adam R. Abate
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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113
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Ofner A, Moore DG, Rühs PA, Schwendimann P, Eggersdorfer M, Amstad E, Weitz DA, Studart AR. High‐Throughput Step Emulsification for the Production of Functional Materials Using a Glass Microfluidic Device. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.201600472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Ofner
- Complex Materials Department of Materials ETH Zurich 8093 Zurich Switzerland
| | - David G. Moore
- Complex Materials Department of Materials ETH Zurich 8093 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Patrick A. Rühs
- Complex Materials Department of Materials ETH Zurich 8093 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Pascal Schwendimann
- Complex Materials Department of Materials ETH Zurich 8093 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Maximilian Eggersdorfer
- Department of Physics and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University Cambridge MA 02138 USA
| | - Esther Amstad
- Institute of Materials EPF Lausanne 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - David A. Weitz
- Department of Physics and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University Cambridge MA 02138 USA
| | - André R. Studart
- Complex Materials Department of Materials ETH Zurich 8093 Zurich Switzerland
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114
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Santos JL, Ren Y, Vandermark J, Archang MM, Williford JM, Liu HW, Lee J, Wang TH, Mao HQ. Continuous Production of Discrete Plasmid DNA-Polycation Nanoparticles Using Flash Nanocomplexation. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2016; 12:6214-6222. [PMID: 27717227 PMCID: PMC5149445 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201601425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Despite successful demonstration of linear polyethyleneimine (lPEI) as an effective carrier for a wide range of gene medicine, including DNA plasmids, small interfering RNAs, mRNAs, etc., and continuous improvement of the physical properties and biological performance of the polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles prepared from lPEI and nucleic acids, there still exist major challenges to produce these nanocomplexes in a scalable manner, particularly for lPEI/DNA nanoparticles. This has significantly hindered the progress toward clinical translation of these nanoparticle-based gene medicine. Here the authors report a flash nanocomplexation (FNC) method that achieves continuous production of lPEI/plasmid DNA nanoparticles with narrow size distribution using a confined impinging jet device. The method involves the complex coacervation of negatively charged DNA plasmid and positive charged lPEI under rapid, highly dynamic, and homogeneous mixing conditions, producing polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles with narrow distribution of particle size and shape. The average number of plasmid DNA packaged per nanoparticles and its distribution are similar between the FNC method and the small-scale batch mixing method. In addition, the nanoparticles prepared by these two methods exhibit similar cell transfection efficiency. These results confirm that FNC is an effective and scalable method that can produce well-controlled lPEI/plasmid DNA nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Luis Santos
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Yong Ren
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - John Vandermark
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Maani M. Archang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - John-Michael Williford
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Heng-wen Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Jason Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Tza-Huei Wang
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Hai-Quan Mao
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Translational Tissue Engineering Center and Whitaker Biomedical Engineering Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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115
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Di Lorenzo F, Seiffert S. Effect of Droplet Size in Acrylamide-Based Microgel Formation by Microfluidics. MACROMOL REACT ENG 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/mren.201500061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fany Di Lorenzo
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin; Soft Matter and Functional Materials; Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1 D-14109 Berlin Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Freie Universität Berlin; Takustr. 3 D-14195 Berlin Germany
- Helmholtz Virtual Institute “Multifunctional Materials for Medicine,”; Kantstr. 55 D-14513 Teltow Germany
| | - Sebastian Seiffert
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin; Soft Matter and Functional Materials; Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1 D-14109 Berlin Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Freie Universität Berlin; Takustr. 3 D-14195 Berlin Germany
- Helmholtz Virtual Institute “Multifunctional Materials for Medicine,”; Kantstr. 55 D-14513 Teltow Germany
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116
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Jiang W, Li M, Chen Z, Leong KW. Cell-laden microfluidic microgels for tissue regeneration. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:4482-4506. [PMID: 27797383 PMCID: PMC5110393 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc01193d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Regeneration of diseased tissue is one of the foremost concerns for millions of patients who suffer from tissue damage each year. Local delivery of cell-laden hydrogels offers an attractive approach for tissue repair. However, due to the typical macroscopic size of these cell constructs, the encapsulated cells often suffer from poor nutrient exchange. These issues can be mitigated by incorporating cells into microscopic hydrogels, or microgels, whose large surface-to-volume ratio promotes efficient mass transport and enhanced cell-matrix interactions. Using microfluidic technology, monodisperse cell-laden microgels with tunable sizes can be generated in a high-throughput manner, making them useful building blocks that can be assembled into tissue constructs with spatially controlled physicochemical properties. In this review, we examine microfluidics-generated cell-laden microgels for tissue regeneration applications. We provide a brief overview of the common biomaterials, gelation mechanisms, and microfluidic device designs that are used to generate these microgels, and summarize the most recent works on how they are applied to tissue regeneration. Finally, we discuss future applications of microfluidic cell-laden microgels as well as existing challenges that should be resolved to stimulate their clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqian Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Mingqiang Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Zaozao Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Kam W Leong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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117
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Amstad E, Chemama M, Eggersdorfer M, Arriaga LR, Brenner MP, Weitz DA. Robust scalable high throughput production of monodisperse drops. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:4163-4172. [PMID: 27714028 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc01075j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Monodisperse drops with diameters between 20 μm and 200 μm can be used to produce particles or capsules for many applications such as for cosmetics, food, and biotechnology. Drops composed of low viscosity fluids can be conveniently made using microfluidic devices. However, the throughput of microfluidic devices is limited and scale-up, achieved by increasing the number of devices run in parallel, can compromise the narrow drop-size distribution. In this paper, we present a microfluidic device, the millipede device, which forms drops through a static instability such that the fluid volume that is pinched off is the same every time a drop forms. As a result, the drops are highly monodisperse because their size is solely determined by the device geometry. This makes the operation of the device very robust. Therefore, the device can be scaled to a large number of nozzles operating simultaneously on the same chip; we demonstrate the operation of more than 500 nozzles on a single chip that produces up to 150 mL h-1 of highly monodisperse drops.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Amstad
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. and Institute of Materials, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
| | - M Chemama
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
| | - M Eggersdorfer
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
| | - L R Arriaga
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
| | - M P Brenner
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
| | - D A Weitz
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. and Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
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118
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Silva BF, Rodríguez-Abreu C, Vilanova N. Recent advances in multiple emulsions and their application as templates. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2016.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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119
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Nisisako T. Recent advances in microfluidic production of Janus droplets and particles. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2016.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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120
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Lee TY, Choi TM, Shim TS, Frijns RAM, Kim SH. Microfluidic production of multiple emulsions and functional microcapsules. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:3415-40. [PMID: 27470590 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc00809g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in microfluidics have enabled the controlled production of multiple-emulsion drops with onion-like topology. The multiple-emulsion drops possess an intrinsic core-shell geometry, which makes them useful as templates to create microcapsules with a solid membrane. High flexibility in the selection of materials and hierarchical order, achieved by microfluidic technologies, has provided versatility in the membrane properties and microcapsule functions. The microcapsules are now designed not just for storage and release of encapsulants but for sensing microenvironments, developing structural colours, and many other uses. This article reviews the current state of the art in the microfluidic-based production of multiple-emulsion drops and functional microcapsules. The three main sections of this paper discuss distinct microfluidic techniques developed for the generation of multiple emulsions, four representative methods used for solid membrane formation, and various applications of functional microcapsules. Finally, we outline the current limitations and future perspectives of microfluidics and microcapsules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Yong Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, South Korea.
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121
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Ran R, Middelberg APJ, Zhao CX. Microfluidic synthesis of multifunctional liposomes for tumour targeting. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2016; 148:402-410. [PMID: 27639490 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2016.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Nanotechnology has started a new era in engineering multifunctional nanoparticles for diagnosis and therapeutics by incorporating therapeutic drugs, targeting ligands, stimuli-responsive release and imaging molecules. However, more functionality requires more complex synthesis processes, resulting in poor reproducibility, low yield and high production cost, hence difficulties in clinical translation. Herein we report a one-step microfluidic method for making multifunctional liposomes. Three formulations were prepared using this simple method, including plain liposomes, PEGylated liposomes and folic acid functionalised liposomes, all with a fluorescence dye encapsulated for imaging. The size and surface properties of these liposomes can be precisely controlled by simply tuning the flow rate ratio and the ratio of the lipids to PEGylated lipid (DSPE-PEG2000) and to the DSPE-PEG2000-Folate, respectively. The synthesised liposomes remained stable under mimic serum conditions. Compared to the plain liposomes and PEGylated liposomes, the targeted folic acid functionalised liposomes exhibited enhanced cellular uptake by the FA receptor positive SKOV3 cells, but not the negative MCF7 cells, and this enhanced uptake could be inhibited by adding excess free folic acid, indicating high specificity of FA ligand-receptor endocytosis. Further evaluation using the 3D tumour spheroid model also showed higher internalisation of the targeted liposome formulation in comparison with the PEGylated one. To the best of our knowledge, this work demonstrates for the first time the versatility of this microfluidic method for making different liposome formulations in a single step, their superior physicochemical properties as well as the enhanced cellular uptake and tumour spheroid uptake of the targeted liposomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Ran
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Anton P J Middelberg
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Chun-Xia Zhao
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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122
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123
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Seiffert S. Microfluidics and Macromolecules: Top-Down Analytics and Bottom-Up Engineering of Soft Matter at Small Scales. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.201600280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Seiffert
- Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz; Institute of Physical Chemistry; Duesbergweg 10-14 55128 Mainz Germany
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124
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Lan F, Haliburton JR, Yuan A, Abate AR. Droplet barcoding for massively parallel single-molecule deep sequencing. Nat Commun 2016; 7:11784. [PMID: 27353563 PMCID: PMC4931254 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to accurately sequence long DNA molecules is important across biology, but existing sequencers are limited in read length and accuracy. Here, we demonstrate a method to leverage short-read sequencing to obtain long and accurate reads. Using droplet microfluidics, we isolate, amplify, fragment and barcode single DNA molecules in aqueous picolitre droplets, allowing the full-length molecules to be sequenced with multi-fold coverage using short-read sequencing. We show that this approach can provide accurate sequences of up to 10 kb, allowing us to identify rare mutations below the detection limit of conventional sequencing and directly link them into haplotypes. This barcoding methodology can be a powerful tool in sequencing heterogeneous populations such as viruses. The ability to accurately sequence long DNA molecules is important across biology. Here, Lan et al. report a droplet-based method that barcodes single DNA molecules, allowing the full-length molecules to be sequenced with multi-fold coverage using short-read next-generation sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freeman Lan
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA.,UC Berkeley - UCSF Bioengineering Graduate program, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - John R Haliburton
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA.,Integrative Program in Quantitative Biology (iPQB) Biophysics Graduate program, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Aaron Yuan
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA.,Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS), Computer Science Division (CS), University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Adam R Abate
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA.,UC Berkeley - UCSF Bioengineering Graduate program, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA.,Integrative Program in Quantitative Biology (iPQB) Biophysics Graduate program, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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125
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Zhang Q, Xu M, Liu X, Zhao W, Zong C, Yu Y, Wang Q, Gai H. Fabrication of Janus droplets by evaporation driven liquid-liquid phase separation. Chem Commun (Camb) 2016; 52:5015-8. [PMID: 26983706 DOI: 10.1039/c6cc00249h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
We present a universal and scalable method to fabricate Janus droplets based on evaporation driven liquid-liquid phase separation. In this work, the morphologies and chemical properties of separate parts of the Janus droplets can be flexibly regulated, and more complex Janus droplets (such as core-shell Janus droplets, ternary Janus droplets, and multiple Janus droplets) can be constructed easily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingquan Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Synthesis for Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, P. R. China.
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126
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Koppula KS, Fan R, Veerapalli KR, Wan J. Integrated microfluidic system with simultaneous emulsion generation and concentration. J Colloid Interface Sci 2016; 466:162-7. [PMID: 26722797 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2015.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Revised: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Because the size, size distribution, and concentration of emulsions play an important role in most of the applications, controlled emulsion generation and effective concentration are of great interest in fundamental and applied studies. While microfluidics has been demonstrated to be able to produce emulsion drops with controlled size, size distribution, and hierarchical structures, progress of controlled generation of concentrated emulsions is limited. Here, we present an effective microfluidic emulsion generation system integrated with an orifice structure to separate aqueous droplets from the continuous oil phase, resulting in concentrated emulsion drops in situ. Both experimental and simulation results show that the efficiency of separation is determined by a balance between pressure drop and droplet accumulation near the orifice. By manipulating this balance via changing flow rates and microfluidic geometry, we can achieve monodisperse droplets on chip that have a concentration as high as 80,000 drops per microliter (volume fraction of 66%). The present approach thus provides insights to the design of microfluidic device that can be used to concentrate emulsions (drops and bubbles), colloidal particles (drug delivery polymer particles), and biological particles (cells and bacteria) when volume fractions as high as 66% are necessary.
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127
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Chan HF, Ma S, Leong KW. Can microfluidics address biomanufacturing challenges in drug/gene/cell therapies? Regen Biomater 2016; 3:87-98. [PMID: 27047674 PMCID: PMC4817324 DOI: 10.1093/rb/rbw009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Translation of any inventions into products requires manufacturing. Development of drug/gene/cell delivery systems will eventually face manufacturing challenges, which require the establishment of standardized processes to produce biologically-relevant products of high quality without incurring prohibitive cost. Microfluidicu technologies present many advantages to improve the quality of drug/gene/cell delivery systems. They also offer the benefits of automation. What remains unclear is whether they can meet the scale-up requirement. In this perspective, we discuss the advantages of microfluidic-assisted synthesis of nanoscale drug/gene delivery systems, formation of microscale drug/cell-encapsulated particles, generation of genetically engineered cells and fabrication of macroscale drug/cell-loaded micro-/nano-fibers. We also highlight the scale-up challenges one would face in adopting microfluidic technologies for the manufacturing of these therapeutic delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hon Fai Chan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Siying Ma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Kam W Leong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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128
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Jeong HH, Issadore D, Lee D. Recent developments in scale-up of microfluidic emulsion generation via parallelization. KOREAN J CHEM ENG 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11814-016-0041-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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129
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de Lange N, Tran TM, Abate AR. Electrical lysis of cells for detergent-free droplet assays. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2016; 10:024114. [PMID: 27051471 PMCID: PMC4808063 DOI: 10.1063/1.4944742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Efficient lysis is critical when analyzing single cells in microfluidic droplets, but existing methods utilize detergents that can interfere with the assays to be performed. We demonstrate robust cell lysis without the use of detergents or other chemicals. In our method, cells are exposed to electric field immediately before encapsulation in droplets, resulting in cell lysis. We characterize lysis efficiency as a function of control parameters and demonstrate compatibility with enzymatic assays by measuring the catalysis of β-glucosidase, an important cellulase used in the conversion of biomass to biofuel. Our method enables assays in microfluidic droplets that are incompatible with detergents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - T M Tran
- Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco , San Francisco, California 14958, USA
| | - A R Abate
- Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco , San Francisco, California 14958, USA
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130
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Konry T, Sarkar S, Sabhachandani P, Cohen N. Innovative Tools and Technology for Analysis of Single Cells and Cell-Cell Interaction. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2016; 18:259-84. [PMID: 26928209 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-090215-112735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Heterogeneity in single-cell responses and intercellular interactions results from complex regulation of cell-intrinsic and environmental factors. Single-cell analysis allows not only detection of individual cellular characteristics but also correlation of genetic content with phenotypic traits in the same cell. Technological advances in micro- and nanofabrication have benefited single-cell analysis by allowing precise control of the localized microenvironment, cell manipulation, and sensitive detection capabilities. Additionally, microscale techniques permit rapid, high-throughput, multiparametric screening that has become essential for -omics research. This review highlights innovative applications of microscale platforms in genetic, proteomic, and metabolic detection in single cells; cell sorting strategies; and heterotypic cell-cell interaction. We discuss key design aspects of single-cell localization and isolation in microfluidic systems, dynamic and endpoint analyses, and approaches that integrate highly multiplexed detection of various intracellular species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Konry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115; , , ,
| | - Saheli Sarkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115; , , ,
| | - Pooja Sabhachandani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115; , , ,
| | - Noa Cohen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115; , , ,
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131
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Li S, Gong X, Mc Nally CS, Zeng M, Gaule T, Anduix-Canto C, Kulak AN, Bawazer LA, McPherson MJ, Meldrum FC. Rapid preparation of highly reliable PDMS double emulsion microfluidic devices. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra03225g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This article presents a simple and highly reliable method for preparing PDMS microfluidic double emulsion devices that employs a single-step oxidative plasma treatment to both pattern the wettability of the microchannels and to bond the chips.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunbo Li
- School of Chemistry
- University of Leeds
- Leeds
- UK
| | | | | | - Muling Zeng
- School of Chemistry
- University of Leeds
- Leeds
- UK
| | - Thembaninkosi Gaule
- School of Chemistry
- University of Leeds
- Leeds
- UK
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology
| | | | | | | | - Michael J. McPherson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology
- University of Leeds
- Leeds
- UK
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132
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Cole RH, Tran TM, Abate AR. Double Emulsion Generation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Co-axial Flow Focus Device. J Vis Exp 2015:e53516. [PMID: 26780079 DOI: 10.3791/53516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Double emulsions are useful in a number of biological and industrial applications in which it is important to have an aqueous carrier fluid. This paper presents a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic device capable of generating water/oil/water double emulsions using a coaxial flow focusing geometry that can be fabricated entirely using soft lithography. Similar to emulsion devices using glass capillaries, double emulsions can be formed in channels with uniform wettability and with dimensions much smaller than the channel sizes. Three dimensional flow focusing geometry is achieved by casting a pair of PDMS slabs using two layer soft lithography, then mating the slabs together in a clamshell configuration. Complementary locking features molded into the PDMS slabs enable the accurate registration of features on each of the slab surfaces. Device testing demonstrates formation of double emulsions from 14 µm to 50 µm in diameter while using large channels that are robust against fouling and clogging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell H Cole
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Tuan M Tran
- Joint UCSF/UCB Bioengineering Graduate Group, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Adam R Abate
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco; California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco;
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133
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Sidore AM, Lan F, Lim SW, Abate AR. Enhanced sequencing coverage with digital droplet multiple displacement amplification. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 44:e66. [PMID: 26704978 PMCID: PMC4838355 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sequencing small quantities of DNA is important for applications ranging from the assembly of uncultivable microbial genomes to the identification of cancer-associated mutations. To obtain sufficient quantities of DNA for sequencing, the small amount of starting material must be amplified significantly. However, existing methods often yield errors or non-uniform coverage, reducing sequencing data quality. Here, we describe digital droplet multiple displacement amplification, a method that enables massive amplification of low-input material while maintaining sequence accuracy and uniformity. The low-input material is compartmentalized as single molecules in millions of picoliter droplets. Because the molecules are isolated in compartments, they amplify to saturation without competing for resources; this yields uniform representation of all sequences in the final product and, in turn, enhances the quality of the sequence data. We demonstrate the ability to uniformly amplify the genomes of single Escherichia coli cells, comprising just 4.7 fg of starting DNA, and obtain sequencing coverage distributions that rival that of unamplified material. Digital droplet multiple displacement amplification provides a simple and effective method for amplifying minute amounts of DNA for accurate and uniform sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angus M Sidore
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA Berkeley/UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Freeman Lan
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA Berkeley/UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Shaun W Lim
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA Berkeley/UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Adam R Abate
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA Berkeley/UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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134
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Jeong HH, Yelleswarapu VR, Yadavali S, Issadore D, Lee D. Kilo-scale droplet generation in three-dimensional monolithic elastomer device (3D MED). LAB ON A CHIP 2015; 15:4387-92. [PMID: 26428950 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc01025j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Droplet-based microfluidics has led to transformational new approaches in diverse areas including materials synthesis and high-throughput biological assays. However, the translation of droplet microfluidics technology into commercial applications requires scale-up of droplet generation from the laboratory (<10 mL h(-1)) to the industrial (>1 L h(-1)) scale. To address this challenge, we develop a three-dimensional monolithic elastomer device (3D MED) for mass production of monodisperse emulsion droplets. Using double-sided imprinting, 3D microchannels are formed in a single elastomer piece that has 1000 parallel flow focusing generators (k-FFGs). Compared to previous work that parallelizes droplet generation, the 3D MED eliminates the needs for alignment and bonding of multiple pieces and thus makes it possible to achieve the high flow rates and pressure necessary for the kilo-scale generation of droplets. Using this approach, we demonstrate mass production of water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion droplets at production rates as high as 1.5 L h(-1) (>30 billion 45 μm diameter droplets per hour), with a coefficient of variation of droplet diameter of only 6.6%. Because of the simplicity, robustness, and manufacturability of our 3D MED architecture, it is well suited to bridge the gap between the continuously growing library of promising microfluidic technologies to generate microparticles that have been demonstrated in laboratory settings and their successful application in industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heon-Ho Jeong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
| | - Venkata R Yelleswarapu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
| | - Sagar Yadavali
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
| | - David Issadore
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. and Electrical and Systems Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
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135
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136
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Morinishi LS, Blainey P. Simple Bulk Readout of Digital Nucleic Acid Quantification Assays. J Vis Exp 2015. [PMID: 26436576 DOI: 10.3791/52925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Digital assays are powerful methods that enable detection of rare cells and counting of individual nucleic acid molecules. However, digital assays are still not routinely applied, due to the cost and specific equipment associated with commercially available methods. Here we present a simplified method for readout of digital droplet assays using a conventional real-time PCR instrument to measure bulk fluorescence of droplet-based digital assays. We characterize the performance of the bulk readout assay using synthetic droplet mixtures and a droplet digital multiple displacement amplification (MDA) assay. Quantitative MDA particularly benefits from a digital reaction format, but our new method applies to any digital assay. For established digital assay protocols such as digital PCR, this method serves to speed up and simplify assay readout. Our bulk readout methodology brings the advantages of partitioned assays without the need for specialized readout instrumentation. The principal limitations of the bulk readout methodology are reduced dynamic range compared with droplet-counting platforms and the need for a standard sample, although the requirements for this standard are less demanding than for a conventional real-time experiment. Quantitative whole genome amplification (WGA) is used to test for contaminants in WGA reactions and is the most sensitive way to detect the presence of DNA fragments with unknown sequences, giving the method great promise in diverse application areas including pharmaceutical quality control and astrobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul Blainey
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
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137
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Kim M, Yeo SJ, Highley CB, Burdick JA, Yoo PJ, Doh J, Lee D. One-Step Generation of Multifunctional Polyelectrolyte Microcapsules via Nanoscale Interfacial Complexation in Emulsion (NICE). ACS NANO 2015; 9:8269-78. [PMID: 26172934 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5b02702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Polyelectrolyte microcapsules represent versatile stimuli-responsive structures that enable the encapsulation, protection, and release of active agents. Their conventional preparation methods, however, tend to be time-consuming, yield low encapsulation efficiency, and seldom allow for the dual incorporation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials, limiting their widespread utilization. In this work, we present a method to fabricate stimuli-responsive polyelectrolyte microcapsules in one step based on nanoscale interfacial complexation in emulsions (NICE) followed by spontaneous droplet hatching. NICE microcapsules can incorporate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials and also can be induced to trigger the release of encapsulated materials by changes in the solution pH or ionic strength. We also show that NICE microcapsules can be functionalized with nanomaterials to exhibit useful functionality, such as response to a magnetic field and disassembly in response to light. NICE represents a potentially transformative method to prepare multifunctional nanoengineered polyelectrolyte microcapsules for various applications such as drug delivery and cell mimicry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miju Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , Pohang, Gyeongbuk 790-784, Republic of Korea
| | - Seon Ju Yeo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) , Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea
| | - Christopher B Highley
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Jason A Burdick
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Pil J Yoo
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) , Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea
| | - Junsang Doh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , Pohang, Gyeongbuk 790-784, Republic of Korea
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I-Bio), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , Pohang, Gyeongbuk 790-784, Republic of Korea
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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138
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Arriaga LR, Amstad E, Weitz DA. Scalable single-step microfluidic production of single-core double emulsions with ultra-thin shells. LAB ON A CHIP 2015; 15:3335-3340. [PMID: 26152396 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc00631g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We report a versatile and robust device for the continuous production of double emulsion drops with very thin shell thicknesses, of about 5% of the radius: for emulsions 50 μm in radius the shells can be as thin as a few micrometers. Importantly, the viscosity of the oil shell can be varied from that of water up to 70 times that of water without compromising device operation. Furthermore, this device can be easily scaled-up as it is made through soft lithography; this may enable the production of industrial quantities of double emulsion drops with ultra-thin shells, which may serve as templates to form capsules with homogeneous shell thicknesses, useful beyond scientific applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- L R Arriaga
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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139
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Kim SC, Sukovich DJ, Abate AR. Patterning microfluidic device wettability with spatially-controlled plasma oxidation. LAB ON A CHIP 2015; 15:3163-9. [PMID: 26105774 PMCID: PMC5531047 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc00626k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic devices can form double emulsions with uniform properties, but require cumbersome fabrication steps to pattern their wettability. We demonstrate spatially-controlled plasma oxidation to create wettability patterns for forming double emulsions. Our method performs comparably to chemical techniques but is simpler, more reliable, and scalable to patterning large arrays of drop makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel C. Kim
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
| | - David J. Sukovich
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
| | - Adam R. Abate
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
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140
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Zhang L, Xin F, Peng D, Zhang W, Wang Y, Chen X, Wang Y. Trajectory modeling of gas-liquid flow in microchannels with stochastic differential equation and optical measurement. AIChE J 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/aic.14938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lexiang Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology; Tianjin University; Tianjin 300072 China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin); Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Feng Xin
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology; Tianjin University; Tianjin 300072 China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin); Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Dongyue Peng
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology; Tianjin University; Tianjin 300072 China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin); Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Weihua Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology; Tianjin University; Tianjin 300072 China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin); Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Yuexing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Opto-Electronics Information Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering; Tianjin University; Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Xiaodong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Opto-Electronics Information Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering; Tianjin University; Tianjin 300072 China
| | - Yi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Opto-Electronics Information Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering; Tianjin University; Tianjin 300072 China
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141
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Lyu F, Xu M, Cheng Y, Xie J, Rao J, Tang SKY. Quantitative detection of cells expressing BlaC using droplet-based microfluidics for use in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2015; 9:044120. [PMID: 26339319 PMCID: PMC4545073 DOI: 10.1063/1.4928879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes a method for the quantitative detection of cells expressing BlaC, a β-lactamase naturally expressed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, intended for the diagnosis of tuberculosis. The method is based on the compartmentalization of bacteria in picoliter droplets at limiting dilutions such that each drop contains one or no cells. The co-encapsulation of a fluorogenic substrate probe for BlaC allows the quantification of bacteria by enumerating the number of fluorescent drops. Quantification of 10 colony forming units per milliliter is demonstrated. Furthermore, the encapsulation of single cell in drops maintains the specificity of the detection scheme even when the concentration of bacteria that do not express BlaC exceeds that expressing BlaC by one million-fold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengjiao Lyu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | | | - Yunfeng Cheng
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Departments of Radiology and Chemistry, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Jinghang Xie
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Departments of Radiology and Chemistry, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Jianghong Rao
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Departments of Radiology and Chemistry, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Sindy K Y Tang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, USA
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142
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Sarkar S, Motwani V, Sabhachandani P, Cohen N, Konry T. T Cell Dynamic Activation and Functional Analysis in Nanoliter Droplet Microarray. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 6. [PMID: 26613065 PMCID: PMC4657871 DOI: 10.4172/2155-9899.1000334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Objective Characterization of the heterogeneity in immune reactions requires assessing dynamic single cell responses as well as interactions between the various immune cell subsets. Maturation and activation of effector cells is regulated by cell contact-dependent and soluble factor-mediated paracrine signalling. Currently there are few methods available that allow dynamic investigation of both processes simultaneously without physically constraining non-adherent cells and eliminating crosstalk from neighboring cell pairs. We describe here a microfluidic droplet microarray platform that permits rapid functional analysis of single cell responses and co-encapsulation of heterotypic cell pairs, thereby allowing us to evaluate the dynamic activation state of primary T cells. Methods The microfluidic droplet platform enables generation and docking of monodisperse nanoliter volume (0.523 nl) droplets, with the capacity of monitoring a thousand droplets per experiment. Single human T cells were encapsulated in droplets and stimulated on-chip with the calcium ionophore ionomycin. T cells were also co-encapsulated with dendritic cells activated by ovalbumin peptide, followed by dynamic calcium signal monitoring. Results Ionomycin-stimulated cells depicted fluctuation in calcium signalling compared to control. Both cell populations demonstrated marked heterogeneity in responses. Calcium signalling was observed in T cells immediately following contact with DCs, suggesting an early activation signal. T cells further showed non-contact mediated increase in calcium level, although this response was delayed compared to contact-mediated signals. Conclusions Our results suggest that this nanoliter droplet array-based microfluidic platform is a promising technique for assessment of heterogeneity in various types of cellular responses, detection of early/delayed signalling events and live cell phenotyping of immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saheli Sarkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 02115 MA, USA
| | - Vinny Motwani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 02115 MA, USA
| | - Pooja Sabhachandani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 02115 MA, USA
| | - Noa Cohen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 02115 MA, USA
| | - Tania Konry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 02115 MA, USA
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143
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Femmer T, Jans A, Eswein R, Anwar N, Moeller M, Wessling M, Kuehne AJC. High-Throughput Generation of Emulsions and Microgels in Parallelized Microfluidic Drop-Makers Prepared by Rapid Prototyping. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:12635-8. [PMID: 26040198 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b03969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
We describe the preparation of rapid prototyped parallelized microfluidic drop-maker devices. The manufacturing technique facilitates stacking of the drop-makers vertically on top of each other allowing for a reduced footprint and minimized dead-volume through efficient design of the distribution channels. We showcase the potential of the additive manufacturing technique for microfluidics and the performance of the parallelized device by producing large amounts of microgels with a diameter of ca. 500 μm, a size that is inaccessible using traditional synthetic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Femmer
- †DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstrasse 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- ‡Chemical Process Engineering AVT.CVT, RWTH Aachen University, Turmstrasse 46, 52064 Aachen, Germany
| | - Alexander Jans
- †DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstrasse 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Rudi Eswein
- †DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstrasse 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Naveed Anwar
- †DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstrasse 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Martin Moeller
- †DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstrasse 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Matthias Wessling
- †DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstrasse 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- ‡Chemical Process Engineering AVT.CVT, RWTH Aachen University, Turmstrasse 46, 52064 Aachen, Germany
| | - Alexander J C Kuehne
- †DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstrasse 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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144
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Liu D, Cito S, Zhang Y, Wang CF, Sikanen TM, Santos HA. A versatile and robust microfluidic platform toward high throughput synthesis of homogeneous nanoparticles with tunable properties. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2015; 27:2298-304. [PMID: 25684077 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201405408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2014] [Revised: 01/18/2015] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
A versatile and robust microfluidic nanoprecipitation platform for high throughput synthesis of nanoparticles is fabricated. The versatility of this platform is proven through the successful preparation of different types of nanoparticles. This platform presents great robustness, with homogeneous nanoparticles always being obtained, regardless of the formulation parameters. The diameter and surface charge of the prepared nanoparticles can also be easily tuned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongfei Liu
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
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145
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Kim M, Pan M, Gai Y, Pang S, Han C, Yang C, Tang SKY. Optofluidic ultrahigh-throughput detection of fluorescent drops. LAB ON A CHIP 2015; 15:1417-23. [PMID: 25588522 DOI: 10.1039/c4lc01465k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes an optofluidic droplet interrogation device capable of counting fluorescent drops at a throughput of 254,000 drops per second. To our knowledge, this rate is the highest interrogation rate published thus far. Our device consists of 16 parallel microfluidic channels bonded directly to a filter-coated two-dimensional Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) sensor array. Fluorescence signals emitted from the drops are collected by the sensor that forms the bottom of the channel. The proximity of the drops to the sensor facilitates efficient collection of fluorescence emission from the drops, and overcomes the trade-off between light collection efficiency and field of view in conventional microscopy. The interrogation rate of our device is currently limited by the acquisition speed of CMOS sensor, and is expected to increase further as high-speed sensors become increasingly available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minkyu Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA.
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146
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Bombelli P, Müller T, Herling TW, Howe CJ, Knowles TPJ. A High Power-Density, Mediator-Free, Microfluidic Biophotovoltaic Device for Cyanobacterial Cells. ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS 2015; 5:1-6. [PMID: 26190957 PMCID: PMC4503997 DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201401299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Biophotovoltaics has emerged as a promising technology for generating renewable energy because it relies on living organisms as inexpensive, self-repairing, and readily available catalysts to produce electricity from an abundant resource: sunlight. The efficiency of biophotovoltaic cells, however, has remained significantly lower than that achievable through synthetic materials. Here, a platform is devised to harness the large power densities afforded by miniaturized geometries. To this effect, a soft-lithography approach is developed for the fabrication of microfluidic biophotovoltaic devices that do not require membranes or mediators. Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 cells are injected and allowed to settle on the anode, permitting the physical proximity between cells and electrode required for mediator-free operation. Power densities of above 100 mW m-2 are demonstrated for a chlorophyll concentration of 100 μM under white light, which is a high value for biophotovoltaic devices without extrinsic supply of additional energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Bombelli
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis
Court RoadCambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Thomas Müller
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield
RoadCambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Therese W Herling
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield
RoadCambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Christopher J Howe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis
Court RoadCambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
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147
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Dong Z, Xu H, Bai Z, Wang H, Zhang L, Luo X, Tang Z, Luque R, Xuan J. Microfluidic synthesis of high-performance monodispersed chitosan microparticles for methyl orange adsorption. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra17226h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
High-performance monodispersed chitosan microparticles for methyl orange (MO) adsorption were synthesized on a microfluidic platform coupled with a cross-linking approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Dong
- State-Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
- Shanghai
- China
| | - Hong Xu
- State-Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
- Shanghai
- China
| | - Zhishan Bai
- State-Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
- Shanghai
- China
| | - Huizhi Wang
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- Heriot-Watt University
- Edinburgh
- UK
| | - Li Zhang
- State-Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
- Shanghai
- China
| | - Xiaojiao Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Conversion Science and Engineering
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Shanghai 201210
- China
| | - Zhiyong Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Conversion Science and Engineering
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Shanghai 201210
- China
| | - Rafael Luque
- Departamento de Química Orgánica
- Universidad de Córdoba
- E14014 Córdoba
- Spain
| | - Jin Xuan
- State-Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
- Shanghai
- China
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148
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Muluneh M, Kim B, Buchsbaum G, Issadore D. Miniaturized, multiplexed readout of droplet-based microfluidic assays using time-domain modulation. LAB ON A CHIP 2014; 14:4638-46. [PMID: 25311204 PMCID: PMC4418803 DOI: 10.1039/c4lc00819g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in microfluidics to generate and control picoliter emulsions of water in oil have enabled ultra-sensitive assays for small molecules, proteins, nucleic acids, and cells. Unfortunately, the conventional fluorescence detection used to measure the outcome of these droplet-based assays has not proven suited to match the time and space multiplexing capabilities of microfluidic systems. To address this challenge, we developed an in-flow fluorescence detection platform that enables multiple streams of droplets to be monitored using only a single photodetector and no lenses. The key innovation of our technology is the amplitude modulation of the signal from fluorescent droplets using distinct micro-patterned masks for each channel. By taking advantage of the high bandwidth of electronics, our technique enables the velocity-independent recovery of weak fluorescent signals (SNR ≪ 1) using only simple hardware, obviating the need for lasers, bulky detectors, and complex fluid control. We demonstrated a handheld-sized device that simultaneously monitors four independent channels with the capability to be scaled-up to more than sixteen, limited primarily by the droplet density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melaku Muluneh
- Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Bawul Kim
- Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Gershon Buchsbaum
- Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David Issadore
- Bioengineering and Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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149
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Kim C, Park J, Kang JY. A microfluidic manifold with a single pump system to generate highly mono-disperse alginate beads for cell encapsulation. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2014; 8:066504. [PMID: 25587376 PMCID: PMC4290641 DOI: 10.1063/1.4902943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 11/18/2014] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Cell encapsulation technology is a promising strategy applicable to tissue engineering and cell therapy. Many advanced microencapsulation chips that function via multiple syringe pumps have been developed to generate mono-disperse hydrogel beads encapsulating cells. However, their operation is difficult and only trained microfluidic engineers can use them with dexterity. Hence, we propose a microfluidic manifold system, driven by a single syringe pump, which can enable the setup of automated flow sequences and generate highly mono-disperse alginate beads by minimizing disturbances to the pump pressure. The encapsulation of P19 mouse embryonic carcinoma cells and embryonic body formation are demonstrated to prove the efficiency of the proposed system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juyoung Park
- Medical Device Development Center , Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, Daegu 701-310, South Korea
| | - Ji Yoon Kang
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Korea Institute of Science and Technology , Seoul 136-791, South Korea
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150
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Breisig H, Hoppe J, Melin T, Wessling M. On the droplet formation in hollow-fiber emulsification. J Memb Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2014.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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