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Hussain M, He X, Wang C, Wang Y, Wang J, Chen M, Kang H, Yang N, Ni X, Li J, Zhou X, Liu B. Recent advances in microfluidic-based spectroscopic approaches for pathogen detection. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2024; 18:031505. [PMID: 38855476 PMCID: PMC11162289 DOI: 10.1063/5.0204987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Rapid identification of pathogens with higher sensitivity and specificity plays a significant role in maintaining public health, environmental monitoring, controlling food quality, and clinical diagnostics. Different methods have been widely used in food testing laboratories, quality control departments in food companies, hospitals, and clinical settings to identify pathogens. Some limitations in current pathogens detection methods are time-consuming, expensive, and laborious sample preparation, making it unsuitable for rapid detection. Microfluidics has emerged as a promising technology for biosensing applications due to its ability to precisely manipulate small volumes of fluids. Microfluidics platforms combined with spectroscopic techniques are capable of developing miniaturized devices that can detect and quantify pathogenic samples. The review focuses on the advancements in microfluidic devices integrated with spectroscopic methods for detecting bacterial microbes over the past five years. The review is based on several spectroscopic techniques, including fluorescence detection, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and dynamic light scattering methods coupled with microfluidic platforms. The key detection principles of different approaches were discussed and summarized. Finally, the future possible directions and challenges in microfluidic-based spectroscopy for isolating and detecting pathogens using the latest innovations were also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xu He
- Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Theranostics Technology and Instruments, Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Theranostics Technology and Instruments, Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Yichuan Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Theranostics Technology and Instruments, Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Theranostics Technology and Instruments, Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Mingyue Chen
- Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Theranostics Technology and Instruments, Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Haiquan Kang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, China
| | | | - Xinye Ni
- The Affiliated Changzhou Second People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou Second People's Hospital, Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213161, China
| | | | - Xiuping Zhou
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Peoples Hospital of Rugao, Rugao Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, Nantong 226500, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
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2
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Zheng X, Ai H, Qian K, Li G, Zhang S, Zou Y, Lei C, Fu W, Hu S. Small extracellular vesicles purification and scale-up. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1344681. [PMID: 38469310 PMCID: PMC10925713 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1344681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) secreted by cells. With advances in the study of sEVs, they have shown great potential in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. However, sEV therapy usually requires a certain dose and purity of sEVs to achieve the therapeutic effect, but the existing sEV purification technology exists in the form of low yield, low purity, time-consuming, complex operation and many other problems, which greatly limits the application of sEVs. Therefore, how to obtain high-purity and high-quality sEVs quickly and efficiently, and make them realize large-scale production is a major problem in current sEV research. This paper discusses how to improve the purity and yield of sEVs from the whole production process of sEVs, including the upstream cell line selection and cell culture process, to the downstream isolation and purification, quality testing and the final storage technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinya Zheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- School of Gongli Hospital Medical Technology, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongru Ai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- School of Gongli Hospital Medical Technology, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Kewen Qian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangyao Li
- Department of Biophysics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuyi Zhang
- Department of Biophysics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yitan Zou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Changhai Lei
- Department of Biophysics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenyan Fu
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Fahe Life Science and Technology Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Shi Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- School of Gongli Hospital Medical Technology, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
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3
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Blöbaum L, Torello Pianale L, Olsson L, Grünberger A. Quantifying microbial robustness in dynamic environments using microfluidic single-cell cultivation. Microb Cell Fact 2024; 23:44. [PMID: 38336674 PMCID: PMC10854032 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02318-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microorganisms must respond to changes in their environment. Analysing the robustness of functions (i.e. performance stability) to such dynamic perturbations is of great interest in both laboratory and industrial settings. Recently, a quantification method capable of assessing the robustness of various functions, such as specific growth rate or product yield, across different conditions, time frames, and populations has been developed for microorganisms grown in a 96-well plate. In micro-titer-plates, environmental change is slow and undefined. Dynamic microfluidic single-cell cultivation (dMSCC) enables the precise maintenance and manipulation of microenvironments, while tracking single cells over time using live-cell imaging. Here, we combined dMSCC and a robustness quantification method to a pipeline for assessing performance stability to changes occurring within seconds or minutes. RESULTS Saccharomyces cerevisiae CEN.PK113-7D, harbouring a biosensor for intracellular ATP levels, was exposed to glucose feast-starvation cycles, with each condition lasting from 1.5 to 48 min over a 20 h period. A semi-automated image and data analysis pipeline was developed and applied to assess the performance and robustness of various functions at population, subpopulation, and single-cell resolution. We observed a decrease in specific growth rate but an increase in intracellular ATP levels with longer oscillation intervals. Cells subjected to 48 min oscillations exhibited the highest average ATP content, but the lowest stability over time and the highest heterogeneity within the population. CONCLUSION The proposed pipeline enabled the investigation of function stability in dynamic environments, both over time and within populations. The strategy allows for parallelisation and automation, and is easily adaptable to new organisms, biosensors, cultivation conditions, and oscillation frequencies. Insights on the microbial response to changing environments will guide strain development and bioprocess optimisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Blöbaum
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- CeBiTec, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Luca Torello Pianale
- Industrial Biotechnology Division, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Lisbeth Olsson
- Industrial Biotechnology Division, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
- Microsystems in Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
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4
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Delvigne F, Martinez JA. Advances in automated and reactive flow cytometry for synthetic biotechnology. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 83:102974. [PMID: 37515938 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.102974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Automated flow cytometry (FC) has been initially considered for bioprocess monitoring and optimization. More recently, new physical and software interfaces have been made available, facilitating the access to this technology for labs and industries. It also comes with new capabilities, such as being able to act on the cultivation conditions based on population data. This approach, known as reactive FC, extended the range of applications of automated FC to bioprocess control and the stabilization of cocultures, but also to the broad field of synthetic and systems biology for the characterization of gene circuits. However, several issues must be addressed before automated and reactive FC can be considered standard and modular technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Delvigne
- Terra Research and Teaching Center, Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI), Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
| | - Juan A Martinez
- Terra Research and Teaching Center, Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI), Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
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5
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Chatani T, Shiraishi S, Miyazako H, Onoe H, Hori Y. L-2L ladder digital-to-analogue converter for dynamics generation of chemical concentrations. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230085. [PMID: 37090965 PMCID: PMC10113815 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Cellular response to dynamic chemical stimulation encodes rich information about the underlying reaction pathways and their kinetics. Microfluidic chemical stimulators play a key role in generating dynamic concentration waveforms by mixing several aqueous solutions. In this article, we propose a multi-layer microfluidic chemical stimulator capable of modulating chemical concentrations by a simple binary logic based on the electronic-hydraulic analogy of electronic R-2R ladder circuits. The proposed device, which we call L-2L ladder digital-to-analogue converter (DAC), allows us to systematically modulate 2 n levels of concentrations from single sources of solution and solvent by a single operation of 2n membrane valves, which contrasts with existing devices that require complex channel geometry with multiple input sources and valve operations. We fabricated the L-2L ladder DAC with n = 3 bit resolution and verified the concept by comparing the generated waveforms with computational simulations. The response time of the proposed DAC was within the order of seconds because of its simple operation logic of membrane valves. Furthermore, detailed analysis of the waveforms revealed that the transient concentration can be systematically predicted by a simple addition of the transient waveforms of 2n = 6 base patterns, enabling facile optimization of the channel geometry to fine-tune the output waveforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohito Chatani
- Department of Applied Physics and Physico-informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Suguru Shiraishi
- Department of Applied Physics and Physico-informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Hiroki Miyazako
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Onoe
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Yutaka Hori
- Department of Applied Physics and Physico-informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
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6
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Täuber S, Grünberger A. Microfluidic single-cell scale-down systems: introduction, application, and future challenges. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 81:102915. [PMID: 36871470 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.102915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Performance losses during the scaling-up of bioprocesses from the laboratory to the production scale are common obstacles caused by the formation of concentration gradients in bioreactors. To overcome these obstacles, so-called scale-down bioreactors are used to analyze selected large-scale conditions and are one of the most important predictive tools for the successful transfer of bioprocesses from the lab to the industrial scale. In this regard, cellular behavior is usually measured as an averaged value, neglecting possible cell-to-cell heterogeneity within the culture. In contrast, microfluidic single-cell cultivation (MSCC) systems offer the possibility of understanding cellular processes on a single-cell level. To date, most MSCC systems have a limited choice of cultivation parameters that are not representative of bioprocess-relevant environmental conditions. Herein, we critically review recent advances in MSCC that allow the cultivation and analysis of cells under dynamic (bioprocess-relevant) environmental conditions. Finally, we discuss what technological advances and efforts are needed to bridge the gap between current MSCC systems and the use of these systems as single-cell scale-down devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Täuber
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; Microsystems in Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
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7
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Gravity-driven microfluidic device placed on a slow-tilting table enables constant unidirectional perfusion culture of human induced pluripotent stem cells. J Biosci Bioeng 2023; 135:151-159. [PMID: 36586792 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2022.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Gravity-driven microfluidics, which utilizes gravity force to drive liquid flow, offers portability and multi-condition setting flexibility because they do not require pumps or connection tubes to drive the flow. However, because the flow rate decreases with time in gravity-driven microfluidics, it is not suitable for stem cell experiments, which require long-term (at least a day) stability. In this study, gravity-driven microfluidics and a slow-tilting table were developed to culture cells under constant unidirectional perfusion. The microfluidic device was placed on a slow-tilting table, which tilts unidirectionally at a rate of approximately 7° per day to compensate for the reduction in the flow rate. Computational simulations showed that the pulsation of the flow arising from the stepwise movement of the table was less than 0.2%, and the flow was laminar. Hydrophilization of the tanks increased the flow rate, which is consistent with the theoretical values. We showed that vitronectin is better than laminin 511 fragments as a coating material for adhering human induced pluripotent stem cells on a microchamber made of polydimethylsiloxane, and succeeded in culturing the cells for 3 days. It is believed that the system offers easy-to-use cell culture tools, such as conventional multiwell culture vessels, and enables the control of the cell microenvironment.
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8
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Blöbaum L, Haringa C, Grünberger A. Microbial lifelines in bioprocesses: From concept to application. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 62:108071. [PMID: 36464144 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Bioprocesses are scaled up for the production of large product quantities. With larger fermenter volumes, mixing becomes increasingly inefficient and environmental gradients get more prominent than in smaller scales. Environmental gradients have an impact on the microorganism's metabolism, which makes the prediction of large-scale performance difficult and can lead to scale-up failure. A promising approach for improved understanding and estimation of dynamics of microbial populations in large-scale bioprocesses is the analysis of microbial lifelines. The lifeline of a microbe in a bioprocess is the experience of environmental gradients from a cell's perspective, which can be described as a time series of position, environment and intracellular condition. Currently, lifelines are predominantly determined using models with computational fluid dynamics, but new technical developments in flow-following sensor particles and microfluidic single-cell cultivation open the door to a more interdisciplinary concept. We critically review the current concepts and challenges in lifeline determination and application of lifeline analysis, as well as strategies for the integration of these techniques into bioprocess development. Lifelines can contribute to a successful scale-up by guiding scale-down experiments and identifying strain engineering targets or bioreactor optimisations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Blöbaum
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; CeBiTec, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Cees Haringa
- Bioprocess Engineering, Applied Sciences/Biotechnology, TU, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; CeBiTec, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; Microsystems in Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
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9
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Täuber S, Blöbaum L, Steier V, Oldiges M, Grünberger A. Microfluidic single-cell scale-down bioreactors: A proof-of-concept for the growth of Corynebacterium glutamicum at oscillating pH values. Biotechnol Bioeng 2022; 119:3194-3209. [PMID: 35950295 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In large-scale bioreactors, gradients in cultivation parameter such as oxygen, substrate and pH result in fluctuating cell environments. pH fluctuations were identified as a critical parameter for bioprocess performance. Traditionally, scale-down systems at the laboratory scale are used to analyze the effects of fluctuating pH values on strain and thus process performance. Here, we demonstrate the application of dynamic microfluidic single-cell cultivation (dMSCC) as a novel scale-down system for the characterization of Corynebacterium glutamicum growth using oscillating pH conditions as a model stress-factor. A detailed comparison between two-compartment reactor (two-CR) scale-down experiments and dMSCC was performed for one specific pH oscillation between reference pH 7 (~ 8 min) and disturbed pH 6 (~2 min). Similar reductions in growth rates were observed in both systems (dMSCC 21% and two-CR 27%) compared to undisturbed cultivation at pH 7. Afterwards, systematic experiments at symmetric and asymmetric pH oscillations between pH ranges of 4-6 and 8-11 and different intervals from 1 minute to 20 minutes, were performed to demonstrate the unique application range and throughput of the dMSCC system. Finally, the strength of the dMSCC application was demonstrated by mimicking fluctuating environmental conditions of a putative large-scale bioprocesse, which is difficult to conduct using two-CRs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Täuber
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.,Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Luisa Blöbaum
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.,Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Valentin Steier
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Jülich, Germany.,Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Marco Oldiges
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Jülich, Germany.,Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.,Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
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10
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Bahnemann J, Grünberger A. Microfluidics in Biotechnology: Overview and Status Quo. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 179:1-16. [DOI: 10.1007/10_2022_206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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11
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Chen L, Xiao Y, Wu Q, Yan X, Zhao P, Ruan J, Shan J, Chen D, Weitz DA, Ye F. Emulsion Designer Using Microfluidic Three-Dimensional Droplet Printing in Droplet. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2102579. [PMID: 34390183 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202102579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Hierarchical emulsions are interesting for both scientific researches and practical applications. Hierarchical emulsions prepared by microfluidics require complicated device geometry and delicate control of flow rates. Here, a versatile method is developed to design hierarchical emulsions using microfluidic 3D droplet printing in droplet. The process of droplet printing in droplet mimics the dragonfly laying eggs and has advantages of easy processing and flexible design. To demonstrate the capability of the method, double emulsions and triple emulsions with tunable core number, core size, and core composition are prepared. The hierarchical emulsions are excellent templates for the developments of functional materials. Flattened crescent-moon-shaped particles are then fabricated using double emulsions printed in confined 2D space as templates. The particles are excellent delivery vehicles for 2D interfaces, which can load and transport cargos through a well-defined trajectory under external magnetic steering. Microfluidic 3D droplet printing in droplet provides a powerful platform with improved simplicity and flexibility for the design of hierarchical emulsions and functional materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325001, P. R. China
| | - Yao Xiao
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China
| | - Qinglin Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoxiao Yan
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China
| | - Peng Zhao
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China
| | - Jian Ruan
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China
| | - Jianzhen Shan
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China
| | - Dong Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P. R. China
- College of Energy Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310027, P. R. China
| | - David A Weitz
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Fangfu Ye
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325001, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
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12
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Chen K, Rong N, Wang S, Luo C. A novel two-layer-integrated microfluidic device for high-throughput yeast proteomic dynamics analysis at the single-cell level. Integr Biol (Camb) 2021; 12:241-249. [PMID: 32995887 DOI: 10.1093/intbio/zyaa018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Current microfluidic methods for studying multicell strains (e.g., m-types) with multienvironments (e.g., n-types) require large numbers of inlets/outlets (m*n), a complicated procedure or expensive machinery. Here, we developed a novel two-layer-integrated method to combine different PDMS microchannel layers with different functions into one chip by a PDMS through-hole array, which improved the design of a PDMS-based microfluidic system. Using this method, we succeeded in converting 2 × m × n inlets/outlets into m + n inlets/outlets and reduced the time cost of loading processing (from m × n to m) of the device for studying multicell strains (e.g., m-types) in varied multitemporal environments (i.e., n-types). Using this device, the dynamic behavior of the cell-stress-response proteins was studied when the glucose concentration decreased from 2% to a series of lower concentrations. Our device could also be widely used in high-throughput studies of various stress responses, and the new concept of a multilayer-integrated fabrication method could greatly improve the design of PDMS-based microfluidic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyue Chen
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, China.,Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, China
| | - Nan Rong
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, China
| | - Shujing Wang
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, China.,Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, China
| | - Chunxiong Luo
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, China.,Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, China
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13
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Burmeister A, Akhtar Q, Hollmann L, Tenhaef N, Hilgers F, Hogenkamp F, Sokolowsky S, Marienhagen J, Noack S, Kohlheyer D, Grünberger A. (Optochemical) Control of Synthetic Microbial Coculture Interactions on a Microcolony Level. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:1308-1319. [PMID: 34075749 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic microbial cocultures carry enormous potential for applied biotechnology and are increasingly the subject of fundamental research. So far, most cocultures have been designed and characterized based on bulk cultivations without considering the potentially highly heterogeneous and diverse single-cell behavior. However, an in-depth understanding of cocultures including their interacting single cells is indispensable for the development of novel cultivation approaches and control of cocultures. We present the development, validation, and experimental characterization of an optochemically controllable bacterial coculture on a microcolony level consisting of two Corynebacterium glutamicum strains. Our coculture combines an l-lysine auxotrophic strain together with a l-lysine-producing variant carrying the genetically IPTG-mediated induction of l-lysine production. We implemented two control approaches utilizing IPTG as inducer molecule. First, unmodified IPTG was supplemented to the culture enabling a medium-based control of the production of l-lysine, which serves as the main interacting component. Second, optochemical control was successfully performed by utilizing photocaged IPTG activated by appropriate illumination. Both control strategies were validated studying cellular growth on a microcolony level. The novel microfluidic single-cell cultivation strategies applied in this work can serve as a blueprint to validate cellular control strategies of synthetic mono- and cocultures with single-cell resolution at defined environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Burmeister
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Qiratt Akhtar
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Lina Hollmann
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Niklas Tenhaef
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Fabienne Hilgers
- Institute of Molecular Enzyme Technology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Fabian Hogenkamp
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Sascha Sokolowsky
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Jan Marienhagen
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Stephan Noack
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Dietrich Kohlheyer
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Aachener Verfahrenstechnik (AVT-MSB), RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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14
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Schmitz J, Täuber S, Westerwalbesloh C, von Lieres E, Noll T, Grünberger A. Development and application of a cultivation platform for mammalian suspension cell lines with single-cell resolution. Biotechnol Bioeng 2020; 118:992-1005. [PMID: 33200818 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In bioproduction processes, cellular heterogeneity can cause unpredictable process outcomes or even provoke process failure. Still, cellular heterogeneity is not examined systematically in bioprocess research and development. One reason for this shortcoming is the applied average bulk analyses, which are not able to detect cell-to-cell differences. In this study, we present a microfluidic tool for mammalian single-cell cultivation (MaSC) of suspension cells. The design of our platform allows cultivation in highly controllable environments. As a model system, Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) were cultivated over 150 h. Growth behavior was analyzed on a single-cell level and resulted in growth rates between 0.85 and 1.16 day-1 . At the same time, heterogeneous growth and division behavior, for example, unequal division time, as well as rare cellular events like polynucleation or reversed mitosis were observed, which would have remained undetected in a standard population analysis based on average measurements. Therefore, MaSC will open the door for systematic single-cell analysis of mammalian suspension cells. Possible fields of application represent basic research topics like cell-to-cell heterogeneity, clonal stability, pharmaceutical drug screening, and stem cell research, as well as bioprocess related topics such as media development and novel scale-down approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Schmitz
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Sarah Täuber
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Christoph Westerwalbesloh
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Eric von Lieres
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Thomas Noll
- Cell Culture Technology, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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15
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Täuber S, Golze C, Ho P, von Lieres E, Grünberger A. dMSCC: a microfluidic platform for microbial single-cell cultivation of Corynebacterium glutamicum under dynamic environmental medium conditions. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:4442-4455. [PMID: 33095214 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00711k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In nature and in technical systems, microbial cells are often exposed to rapidly fluctuating environmental conditions. These conditions can vary in quality, e.g., the existence of a starvation zone, and quantity, e.g., the average residence time in this zone. For strain development and process design, cellular response to such fluctuations needs to be systematically analysed. However, the existing methods for physically imitating rapidly changing environmental conditions are limited in spatio-temporal resolution. Hence, we present a novel microfluidic system for cultivation of single cells and small cell clusters under dynamic environmental conditions (dynamic microfluidic single-cell cultivation (dMSCC)). This system enables the control of nutrient availability and composition between two media with second to minute resolution. We validate our technology using the industrially relevant model organism Corynebacterium glutamicum. The organism was exposed to different oscillation frequencies between nutrient excess (feasts) and scarcity (famine). The resulting changes in cellular physiology, such as the colony growth rate and cell morphology, were analysed and revealed significant differences in the growth rate and cell length between the different conditions. dMSCC also allows the application of defined but randomly changing nutrient conditions, which is important for reproducing more complex conditions from natural habitats and large-scale bioreactors. The presented system lays the foundation for the cultivation of cells under complex changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Täuber
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
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Ortseifen V, Viefhues M, Wobbe L, Grünberger A. Microfluidics for Biotechnology: Bridging Gaps to Foster Microfluidic Applications. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:589074. [PMID: 33282849 PMCID: PMC7691494 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.589074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Microfluidics and novel lab-on-a-chip applications have the potential to boost biotechnological research in ways that are not possible using traditional methods. Although microfluidic tools were increasingly used for different applications within biotechnology in recent years, a systematic and routine use in academic and industrial labs is still not established. For many years, absent innovative, ground-breaking and “out-of-the-box” applications have been made responsible for the missing drive to integrate microfluidic technologies into fundamental and applied biotechnological research. In this review, we highlight microfluidics’ offers and compare them to the most important demands of the biotechnologists. Furthermore, a detailed analysis in the state-of-the-art use of microfluidics within biotechnology was conducted exemplarily for four emerging biotechnological fields that can substantially benefit from the application of microfluidic systems, namely the phenotypic screening of cells, the analysis of microbial population heterogeneity, organ-on-a-chip approaches and the characterisation of synthetic co-cultures. The analysis resulted in a discussion of potential “gaps” that can be responsible for the rare integration of microfluidics into biotechnological studies. Our analysis revealed six major gaps, concerning the lack of interdisciplinary communication, mutual knowledge and motivation, methodological compatibility, technological readiness and missing commercialisation, which need to be bridged in the future. We conclude that connecting microfluidics and biotechnology is not an impossible challenge and made seven suggestions to bridge the gaps between those disciplines. This lays the foundation for routine integration of microfluidic systems into biotechnology research procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Ortseifen
- Proteome and Metabolome Research, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology/CeBiTec, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Martina Viefhues
- Experimental Biophysics and Applied Nanosciences, Faculty of Physics, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Lutz Wobbe
- Algae Biotechnology and Bioenergy Group, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology/CeBiTec, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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