Chemical cytometry on microfluidic chips

Single Cell Proteomics for Molecular Targets in Lung Cancer: High-Dimensional Data Acquisition and Analysis

In the proteomic and genomic era, lung cancer researchers are increasingly under challenge with traditional protein analyzing tools. High output, multiplexed analytical procedures are in demand for disclosing the post-translational modification, molecular interactions and signaling pathways of proteins precisely, specifically, dynamically and systematically, as well as for identifying novel proteins and their functions. This could be better realized by single-cell proteomic methods than conventional proteomic methods. Using single-cell proteomic tools including flow cytometry, mass cytometry, microfluidics and chip technologies, chemical cytometry, single-cell western blotting, the quantity and functions of proteins are analyzed simultaneously. Aside from deciphering disease mechanisms, single-cell proteomic techniques facilitate the identification and screening of biomarkers, molecular targets and promising compounds as well. This review summarized single-cell proteomic tools and their use in lung cancer.

The effect of contact angles and capillary dimensions on the burst frequency of super hydrophilic and hydrophilic centrifugal microfluidic platforms, a CFD study

This paper employs the volume of fluid (VOF) method to numerically investigate the effect of the width, height, and contact angles on burst frequencies of super hydrophilic and hydrophilic capillary valves in centrifugal microfluidic systems. Existing experimental results in the literature have been used to validate the implementation of the numerical method. The performance of capillary valves in the rectangular and the circular microfluidic structures on super hydrophilic centrifugal microfluidic platforms is studied. The numerical results are also compared with the existing theoretical models and the differences are discussed. Our experimental and computed results show a minimum burst frequency occurring at square capillaries and this result is useful for designing and developing more sophisticated networks of capillary valves. It also predicts that in super hydrophilic microfluidics, the fluid leaks consistently from the capillary valve at low pressures which can disrupt the biomedical procedures in centrifugal microfluidic platforms.

Single-cell assays

This review presents an overview of literature that describes the applications of microfluidics to assay individual cells. We quantify the content of an individual mammalian cell, so that we can understand what criteria a single-cell assay must satisfy to be successful. We put in context the justification for single-cell assays and identify the characteristics that are relevant to single-cell assays. We review the literature from the past 24 months that describe the methods that use microfabrication-conventional or otherwise-and microfluidics in particular to study individual cells, and we present our views on how an increasing emphasis on three-dimensional cell culture and the demonstration of the first chemically defined cell might impact single-cell assays.

Integrated electrical concentration and lysis of cells in a microfluidic chip

Lysing cells is an important step in the analysis of intracellular contents. Concentrating cells is often required in order to acquire adequate cells for lysis. This work presents an integrated concentration and lysis of mammalian cells in a constriction microchannel using dc-biased ac electric fields. By adjusting the dc component, the electrokinetic cell motion can be precisely controlled, leading to an easy switch between concentration and lysis of red blood cells in the channel constriction. These two operations are also used in conjunction to demonstrate a continuous concentration and separation of leukemia cells from red blood cells in the same microchannel. The observed cell behaviors agree reasonably with the simulation results.

Review: Microfluidic applications in metabolomics and metabolic profiling

Metabolomics is an emerging area of research focused on measuring small molecules in biological samples. There are a number of different types of metabolomics, ranging from global profiling of all metabolites in a single sample to measurement of a selected group of analytes. Microfluidics and related technologies have been used in this research area with good success. The aim of this review article is to summarize the use of microfluidics in metabolomics. Direct application of microfluidics to the determination of small molecules is covered first. Next, important sample preparation methods developed for microfluidics and applicable to metabolomics are covered. Finally, a summary of metabolomic work as it relates to analysis of cellular events using microfluidics is covered.

Electrokinetic instability effects in microchannels with and without nanofilm coatings

This paper presents a parametric experimental investigation into the electrokinetic instability (EKI) phenomenon within three different types of microfluidic device, namely T-type, cross-shaped, and cross-form with an expansion configuration. The critical electric field strength at which the EKI phenomenon is induced is examined as a function of the conductivity ratio, the microchannel width, the expansion ratio, and the surface treatment of the microchannel walls. It is found that the critical electric field strength associated with the onset of EKI is strongly dependent on the conductivity ratio of the two samples within the microfluidic device and reduces as the channel width increases. The surfaces of the microchannel walls are coated with hydrophilic or hydrophobic organic-based spin-on-glass (SOG) nanofilms for glass-based microchips. The experimental results indicate that no significant difference exists in the critical electric field strengths in the hydrophilic or hydrophobic SOG-coated microchannels, respectively. However, for a given conductivity ratio and microchannel width, the critical strength of the electric field is slightly lower in the SOG-coated microchannels than in the non-coated channels. In general, the results presented in this study demonstrate the potential for designing and controlling on-chip assays requiring the manipulation of samples with high conductivity gradients, and provide a useful general reference for avoiding EKI effects in capillary electrophoresis analysis applications.

Quantitative imaging for discovery and assembly of the metabo-regulome

Little is known about regulatory networks that control metabolic flux in plant cells. Detailed understanding of regulation is crucial for synthetic biology. The difficulty of measuring metabolites with cellular and subcellular precision is a major roadblock. New tools have been developed for monitoring extracellular, cytosolic, organellar and vacuolar ion and metabolite concentrations with a time resolution of milliseconds to hours. Genetically encoded sensors allow quantitative measurement of steady-state concentrations of ions, signaling molecules and metabolites and their respective changes over time. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) sensors exploit conformational changes in polypeptides as a proxy for analyte concentrations. Subtle effects of analyte binding on the conformation of the recognition element are translated into a FRET change between two fused green fluorescent protein (GFP) variants, enabling simple monitoring of analyte concentrations using fluorimetry or fluorescence microscopy. Fluorimetry provides information averaged over cell populations, while microscopy detects differences between cells or populations of cells. The genetically encoded sensors can be targeted to subcellular compartments or the cell surface. Confocal microscopy ultimately permits observation of gradients or local differences within a compartment. The FRET assays can be adapted to high-throughput analysis to screen mutant populations in order to systematically identify signaling networks that control individual steps in metabolic flux.