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Cole J, Schulman R. Limiting the Broadcast Range of a Secreting Cell during Intercellular Signaling Using Protease-Mediated Degradation. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:2019-2028. [PMID: 38885472 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic biology is revolutionizing our approaches to biocomputing, diagnostics, and environmental monitoring through the use of designed genetic circuits that perform a function within a single cell. More complex functions can be performed by multiple cells that coordinate as they perform different subtasks. Cell-cell communication using molecular signals is particularly suited for aiding in this communication, but the number of molecules that can be used in different communication channels is limited. Here we investigate how proteases can limit the broadcast range of communicating cells. We find that adding barrierpepsin to Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells in two-dimensional multicellular networks that use α-factor signaling prevents cells beyond a specific radius from responding to α-factor signals. Such limiting of the broadcast range of cells could allow multiple cells to use the same signaling molecules to direct different communication processes and functions, provided that they are far enough from one another. These results suggest a means by which complex synthetic cellular networks using only a few signals for communication could be created by structuring a community of cells to create distinct broadcast environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Cole
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Rebecca Schulman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
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2
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Leal-Alves C, Deng Z, Kermeci N, Shih SCC. Integrating microfluidics and synthetic biology: advancements and diverse applications across organisms. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2834-2860. [PMID: 38712893 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc01090b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic biology is the design and modification of biological systems for specific functions, integrating several disciplines like engineering, genetics, and computer science. The field of synthetic biology is to understand biological processes within host organisms through the manipulation and regulation of their genetic pathways and the addition of biocontrol circuits to enhance their production capabilities. This pursuit serves to address global challenges spanning diverse domains that are difficult to tackle through conventional routes of production. Despite its impact, achieving precise, dynamic, and high-throughput manipulation of biological processes is still challenging. Microfluidics offers a solution to those challenges, enabling controlled fluid handling at the microscale, offering lower reagent consumption, faster analysis of biochemical reactions, automation, and high throughput screening. In this review, we diverge from conventional focus on automating the synthetic biology design-build-test-learn cycle, and instead, focus on microfluidic platforms and their role in advancing synthetic biology through its integration with host organisms - bacterial cells, yeast, fungi, animal cells - and cell-free systems. The review illustrates how microfluidic devices have been instrumental in understanding biological systems by showcasing microfluidics as an essential tool to create synthetic genetic circuits, pathways, and organisms within controlled environments. In conclusion, we show how microfluidics expedite synthetic biology applications across diverse domains including but not limited to personalized medicine, bioenergy, and agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Leal-Alves
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1515 Ste-Catherine St. W, Montréal, QC, H3G1M8 Canada
| | - Zhiyang Deng
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1515 Ste-Catherine St. W, Montréal, QC, H3G1M8 Canada
| | - Natalia Kermeci
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada.
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada
| | - Steve C C Shih
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1515 Ste-Catherine St. W, Montréal, QC, H3G1M8 Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada
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3
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Allard P, Papazotos F, Potvin-Trottier L. Microfluidics for long-term single-cell time-lapse microscopy: Advances and applications. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:968342. [PMID: 36312536 PMCID: PMC9597311 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.968342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells are inherently dynamic, whether they are responding to environmental conditions or simply at equilibrium, with biomolecules constantly being made and destroyed. Due to their small volumes, the chemical reactions inside cells are stochastic, such that genetically identical cells display heterogeneous behaviors and gene expression profiles. Studying these dynamic processes is challenging, but the development of microfluidic methods enabling the tracking of individual prokaryotic cells with microscopy over long time periods under controlled growth conditions has led to many discoveries. This review focuses on the recent developments of one such microfluidic device nicknamed the mother machine. We overview the original device design, experimental setup, and challenges associated with this platform. We then describe recent methods for analyzing experiments using automated image segmentation and tracking. We further discuss modifications to the experimental setup that allow for time-varying environmental control, replicating batch culture conditions, cell screening based on their dynamic behaviors, and to accommodate a variety of microbial species. Finally, this review highlights the discoveries enabled by this technology in diverse fields, such as cell-size control, genetic mutations, cellular aging, and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige Allard
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Fotini Papazotos
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Laurent Potvin-Trottier
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Physics, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Laurent Potvin-Trottier,
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Richter F, Bindschedler S, Calonne-Salmon M, Declerck S, Junier P, Stanley CE. Fungi-on-a-Chip: microfluidic platforms for single-cell studies on fungi. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:6674677. [PMID: 36001464 PMCID: PMC9779915 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This review highlights new advances in the emerging field of 'Fungi-on-a-Chip' microfluidics for single-cell studies on fungi and discusses several future frontiers, where we envisage microfluidic technology development to be instrumental in aiding our understanding of fungal biology. Fungi, with their enormous diversity, bear essential roles both in nature and our everyday lives. They inhabit a range of ecosystems, such as soil, where they are involved in organic matter degradation and bioremediation processes. More recently, fungi have been recognized as key components of the microbiome in other eukaryotes, such as humans, where they play a fundamental role not only in human pathogenesis, but also likely as commensals. In the food sector, fungi are used either directly or as fermenting agents and are often key players in the biotechnological industry, where they are responsible for the production of both bulk chemicals and antibiotics. Although the macroscopic fruiting bodies are immediately recognizable by most observers, the structure, function, and interactions of fungi with other microbes at the microscopic scale still remain largely hidden. Herein, we shed light on new advances in the emerging field of Fungi-on-a-Chip microfluidic technologies for single-cell studies on fungi. We discuss the development and application of microfluidic tools in the fields of medicine and biotechnology, as well as in-depth biological studies having significance for ecology and general natural processes. Finally, a future perspective is provided, highlighting new frontiers in which microfluidic technology can benefit this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Richter
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Saskia Bindschedler
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Maryline Calonne-Salmon
- Laboratory of Mycology, Université catholique de Louvain, Place Croix du Sud 2, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Stéphane Declerck
- Laboratory of Mycology, Université catholique de Louvain, Place Croix du Sud 2, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Pilar Junier
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Claire E Stanley
- Corresponding author: Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom. E-mail:
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Aspert T, Hentsch D, Charvin G. DetecDiv, a generalist deep-learning platform for automated cell division tracking and survival analysis. eLife 2022; 11:79519. [PMID: 35976090 PMCID: PMC9444243 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Automating the extraction of meaningful temporal information from sequences of microscopy images represents a major challenge to characterize dynamical biological processes. So far, strong limitations in the ability to quantitatively analyze single-cell trajectories have prevented large-scale investigations to assess the dynamics of entry into replicative senescence in yeast. Here, we have developed DetecDiv, a microfluidic-based image acquisition platform combined with deep learning-based software for high-throughput single-cell division tracking. We show that DetecDiv can automatically reconstruct cellular replicative lifespans with high accuracy and performs similarly with various imaging platforms and geometries of microfluidic traps. In addition, this methodology provides comprehensive temporal cellular metrics using time-series classification and image semantic segmentation. Last, we show that this method can be further applied to automatically quantify the dynamics of cellular adaptation and real-time cell survival upon exposure to environmental stress. Hence, this methodology provides an all-in-one toolbox for high-throughput phenotyping for cell cycle, stress response, and replicative lifespan assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théo Aspert
- Department of Developmental Biology and Stem Cells, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Illkirch, France
| | - Didier Hentsch
- Department of Developmental Biology and Stem Cells, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Illkirch, France
| | - Gilles Charvin
- Department of Developmental Biology and Stem Cells, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Illkirch, France
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Wang Y, Zhu Z, Liu K, Xiao Q, Geng Y, Xu F, Ouyang S, Zheng K, Fan Y, Jin N, Zhao X, Marchisio MA, Pan D, Huang QA. A high-throughput microfluidic diploid yeast long-term culturing (DYLC) chip capable of bud reorientation and concerted daughter dissection for replicative lifespan determination. J Nanobiotechnology 2022; 20:171. [PMID: 35361237 PMCID: PMC8973578 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-022-01379-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has been extensively favored as a model organism in aging and age-related studies, thanks to versatile microfluidic chips for cell dynamics assay and replicative lifespan (RLS) determination at single-cell resolution. However, previous microfluidic structures aiming to immobilize haploid yeast may impose excessive spatial constraint and mechanical stress on cells, especially for larger diploid cells that sprout in a bipolar pattern. Results We developed a high-throughput microfluidic chip for diploid yeast long-term culturing (DYLC), optical inspection and cell-aging analysis. The DYLC chip features 1100 “leaky bowl”-shaped traps formatted in an array to dock single cells under laminar-perfused medium and effectively remove daughter cells by hydraulic shear forces. The delicate microstructures of cell traps enable hydrodynamic rotation of newborn buds, so as to ensure bud reorientation towards downstream and concerted daughter dissection thereafter. The traps provide sufficient space for cell-volume enlargement during aging, and thus properly alleviate structural compression and external stress on budding yeast. Trapping efficiency and long-term maintenance of single cells were optimized according to computational fluid dynamics simulations and experimental characterization in terms of critical parameters of the trap and array geometries. Owing to the self-filling of daughter cells dissected from traps upstream, an initial trapping efficiency of about 70% can rapidly reach a high value of over 92% after 4-hour cell culturing. During yeast proliferation and aging, cellular processes of growth, budding and daughter dissection were continuously tracked for over 60 h by time-lapse imaging. Yeast RLS and budding time interval (BTI) were directly calculated by the sequential two-digit codes indicating the budding status in images. With the employed diploid yeast strain, we obtained an RLS of 24.29 ± 3.65 generations, and verified the extension of BTI in the first couple of generations after birth and the last several generations approaching death, as well as cell de-synchronization along diploid yeast aging. Conclusions The DYLC chip offers a promising platform for reliable capture and culturing of diploid yeast cells and for life-long tracking of cell dynamics and replicative aging processes so that grasping comprehensive insights of aging mechanism in complex eukaryotic cells. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12951-022-01379-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Wang
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Zhen Zhu
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, 210096, China.
| | - Ke Liu
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Qin Xiao
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Yangye Geng
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Feng Xu
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Shuiping Ouyang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Longpan Road 159, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Ke Zheng
- College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Longpan Road 159, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Yimin Fan
- College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Longpan Road 159, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Nan Jin
- ZhongDa Hospital, Southeast University, Dingjiaqiao 87, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Xiangwei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Mario A Marchisio
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Dejing Pan
- Cambridge-Suda Genomic Resource Center and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases Research, Soochow University, Ren-ai Road 199, Suzhou, 215213, China
| | - Qing-An Huang
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, 210096, China
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7
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Zhang KS, Nadkarni AV, Paul R, Martin AM, Tang SKY. Microfluidic Surgery in Single Cells and Multicellular Systems. Chem Rev 2022; 122:7097-7141. [PMID: 35049287 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Microscale surgery on single cells and small organisms has enabled major advances in fundamental biology and in engineering biological systems. Examples of applications range from wound healing and regeneration studies to the generation of hybridoma to produce monoclonal antibodies. Even today, these surgical operations are often performed manually, but they are labor intensive and lack reproducibility. Microfluidics has emerged as a powerful technology to control and manipulate cells and multicellular systems at the micro- and nanoscale with high precision. Here, we review the physical and chemical mechanisms of microscale surgery and the corresponding design principles, applications, and implementations in microfluidic systems. We consider four types of surgical operations: (1) sectioning, which splits a biological entity into multiple parts, (2) ablation, which destroys part of an entity, (3) biopsy, which extracts materials from within a living cell, and (4) fusion, which joins multiple entities into one. For each type of surgery, we summarize the motivating applications and the microfluidic devices developed. Throughout this review, we highlight existing challenges and opportunities. We hope that this review will inspire scientists and engineers to continue to explore and improve microfluidic surgical methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin S Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Ambika V Nadkarni
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Rajorshi Paul
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Adrian M Martin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Sindy K Y Tang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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Täuber S, Schmitz J, Blöbaum L, Fante N, Steinhoff H, Grünberger A. How to Perform a Microfluidic Cultivation Experiment—A Guideline to Success. BIOSENSORS 2021; 11:bios11120485. [PMID: 34940242 PMCID: PMC8699335 DOI: 10.3390/bios11120485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
As a result of the steadily ongoing development of microfluidic cultivation (MC) devices, a plethora of setups is used in biological laboratories for the cultivation and analysis of different organisms. Because of their biocompatibility and ease of fabrication, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-glass-based devices are most prominent. Especially the successful and reproducible cultivation of cells in microfluidic systems, ranging from bacteria over algae and fungi to mammalians, is a fundamental step for further quantitative biological analysis. In combination with live-cell imaging, MC devices allow the cultivation of small cell clusters (or even single cells) under defined environmental conditions and with high spatio-temporal resolution. Yet, most setups in use are custom made and only few standardised setups are available, making trouble-free application and inter-laboratory transfer tricky. Therefore, we provide a guideline to overcome the most frequently occurring challenges during a MC experiment to allow untrained users to learn the application of continuous-flow-based MC devices. By giving a concise overview of the respective workflow, we give the reader a general understanding of the whole procedure and its most common pitfalls. Additionally, we complement the listing of challenges with solutions to overcome these hurdles. On selected case studies, covering successful and reproducible growth of cells in MC devices, we demonstrate detailed solutions to solve occurring challenges as a blueprint for further troubleshooting. Since developer and end-user of MC devices are often different persons, we believe that our guideline will help to enhance a broader applicability of MC in the field of life science and eventually promote the ongoing advancement of MC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Täuber
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (S.T.); (J.S.); (L.B.); (N.F.); (H.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Julian Schmitz
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (S.T.); (J.S.); (L.B.); (N.F.); (H.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Luisa Blöbaum
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (S.T.); (J.S.); (L.B.); (N.F.); (H.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Niklas Fante
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (S.T.); (J.S.); (L.B.); (N.F.); (H.S.)
| | - Heiko Steinhoff
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (S.T.); (J.S.); (L.B.); (N.F.); (H.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (S.T.); (J.S.); (L.B.); (N.F.); (H.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
- Correspondence:
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9
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Zhang Z, Huang X, Liu K, Lan T, Wang Z, Zhu Z. Recent Advances in Electrical Impedance Sensing Technology for Single-Cell Analysis. BIOSENSORS 2021; 11:470. [PMID: 34821686 PMCID: PMC8615761 DOI: 10.3390/bios11110470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Cellular heterogeneity is of significance in cell-based assays for life science, biomedicine and clinical diagnostics. Electrical impedance sensing technology has become a powerful tool, allowing for rapid, non-invasive, and label-free acquisition of electrical parameters of single cells. These electrical parameters, i.e., equivalent cell resistance, membrane capacitance and cytoplasm conductivity, are closely related to cellular biophysical properties and dynamic activities, such as size, morphology, membrane intactness, growth state, and proliferation. This review summarizes basic principles, analytical models and design concepts of single-cell impedance sensing devices, including impedance flow cytometry (IFC) to detect flow-through single cells and electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to monitor immobilized single cells. Then, recent advances of both electrical impedance sensing systems applied in cell recognition, cell counting, viability detection, phenotypic assay, cell screening, and other cell detection are presented. Finally, prospects of impedance sensing technology in single-cell analysis are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing 210018, China; (Z.Z.); (K.L.); (T.L.)
| | - Xiaowen Huang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Province Hospital), Department of Orthopedics, Nanjing 210029, China;
| | - Ke Liu
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing 210018, China; (Z.Z.); (K.L.); (T.L.)
| | - Tiancong Lan
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing 210018, China; (Z.Z.); (K.L.); (T.L.)
| | - Zixin Wang
- School of Electronics and Information Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Xingang Xi Road 135, Guangzhou 510275, China;
| | - Zhen Zhu
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing 210018, China; (Z.Z.); (K.L.); (T.L.)
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10
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Bedekovic T, Brand AC. Microfabrication and its use in investigating fungal biology. Mol Microbiol 2021; 117:569-577. [PMID: 34592794 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Advances in microfabrication technology, and its increasing accessibility, allow us to explore fungal biology as never before. By coupling molecular genetics with fluorescence live-cell imaging in custom-designed chambers, we can now probe single yeast cell responses to changing conditions over a lifetime, characterise population heterogeneity and investigate its underlying causes. By growing filamentous fungi in complex physical environments, we can identify cross-species commonalities, reveal species-specific growth responses and examine physiological differences relevant to diverse fungal lifestyles. As affordability and expertise broadens, microfluidic platforms will become a standard technique for examining the role of fungi in cross-kingdom interactions, ranging from rhizosphere to microbiome to interconnected human organ systems. This review brings together the perspectives already gained from studying fungal biology in microfabricated systems and outlines their potential in understanding the role of fungi in the environment, health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Bedekovic
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Alexandra C Brand
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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11
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Xu X, Zhu Z, Wang Y, Geng Y, Xu F, Marchisio MA, Wang Z, Pan D. Investigation of daughter cell dissection coincidence of single budding yeast cells immobilized in microfluidic traps. Anal Bioanal Chem 2021; 413:2181-2193. [PMID: 33517467 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-021-03186-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidic methodologies allow for automatic and high-throughput replicative lifespan (RLS) determination of single budding yeast cells. However, the resulted RLS is highly impacted by the robustness of experimental conditions, especially the microfluidic yeast-trapping structures, which are designed for cell retention, growth, budding, and daughter cell dissection. In this work, four microfluidic yeast-trapping structures, which were commonly used to immobilize mother cells and remove daughter cells for entire lifespan of budding yeast, were systematically investigated by means of finite element modeling (FEM). The results from this analysis led us to propose an optimized design, the yeast rotation (YRot) trap, which is a "leaky bowl"-shaped structure composed of two mirrored microcolumns facing each other. The YRot trap enables stable retention of mother cells in its "bowl" and hydrodynamic rotation of buds into its "leaky orifice" such that matured progenies can be dissected in a coincident direction. We validated the functions of the YRot trap in terms of cell rotation and daughter dissection by both FEM simulations and experiments. With the integration of denser YRot traps in microchannels, the microfluidic platform with stable single-yeast immobilization, long-term cell culturing, and coincident daughter dissection could potentially improve the robustness of experimental conditions for precise RLS determination in yeast aging studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Xu
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, 210096, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhen Zhu
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, 210096, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yingying Wang
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, 210096, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yangye Geng
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, 210096, Jiangsu, China
| | - Feng Xu
- Key Laboratory of MEMS of Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Sipailou 2, Nanjing, 210096, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Mario A Marchisio
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Zixin Wang
- School of Electronics and Information Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Xingang Xi Road 135, Guangzhou, 510275, Guangdong, China
| | - Dejing Pan
- CAM-SU Genomic Resource Center, Soochow University, Ren-ai Road 199, Suzhou, 215213, Jiangsu, China
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12
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Bhattacharya S, Bouklas T, Fries BC. Replicative Aging in Pathogenic Fungi. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 7:6. [PMID: 33375605 PMCID: PMC7824483 DOI: 10.3390/jof7010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans, Candida auris, Candida glabrata, and Cryptococcus neoformans are pathogenic yeasts which can cause systemic infections in immune-compromised as well as immune-competent individuals. These yeasts undergo replicative aging analogous to a process first described in the nonpathogenic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The hallmark of replicative aging is the asymmetric cell division of mother yeast cells that leads to the production of a phenotypically distinct daughter cell. Several techniques to study aging that have been pioneered in S. cerevisiae have been adapted to study aging in other pathogenic yeasts. The studies indicate that aging is relevant for virulence in pathogenic fungi. As the mother yeast cell progressively ages, every ensuing asymmetric cell division leads to striking phenotypic changes, which results in increased antifungal and antiphagocytic resistance. This review summarizes the various techniques that are used to study replicative aging in pathogenic fungi along with their limitations. Additionally, the review summarizes some key phenotypic variations that have been identified and are associated with changes in virulence or resistance and thus promote persistence of older cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somanon Bhattacharya
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (T.B.); (B.C.F.)
| | - Tejas Bouklas
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (T.B.); (B.C.F.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York College at Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Bettina C. Fries
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (T.B.); (B.C.F.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Veterans Administration Medical Center, Northport, NY 11768, USA
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13
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Durán DC, Hernández CA, Suesca E, Acevedo R, Acosta IM, Forero DA, Rozo FE, Pedraza JM. Slipstreaming Mother Machine: A Microfluidic Device for Single-Cell Dynamic Imaging of Yeast. MICROMACHINES 2020; 12:mi12010004. [PMID: 33374994 PMCID: PMC7822021 DOI: 10.3390/mi12010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most basic model organisms for studies of aging and other phenomena such as division strategies. These organisms have been typically studied with the use of microfluidic devices to keep cells trapped while under a flow of fresh media. However, all of the existing devices trap cells mechanically, subjecting them to pressures that may affect cell physiology. There is evidence mechanical pressure affects growth rate and the movement of intracellular components, so it is quite possible that it affects other physiological aspects such as aging. To allow studies with the lowest influence of mechanical pressure, we designed and fabricated a device that takes advantage of the slipstreaming effect. In slipstreaming, moving fluids that encounter a barrier flow around it forming a pressure gradient behind it. We trap mother cells in this region and force daughter cells to be in the negative pressure gradient region so that they are taken away by the flow. Additionally, this device can be fabricated using low resolution lithography techniques, which makes it less expensive than devices that require photolithography masks with resolution under 5 µm. With this device, it is possible to measure some of the most interesting aspects of yeast dynamics such as growth rates and Replicative Life Span. This device should allow future studies to eliminate pressure bias as well as extending the range of labs that can do these types of measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C. Durán
- Laboratorio de Biofísica, Departamento de Física, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia; (E.S.); (R.A.); (I.M.A.); (D.A.F.); (F.E.R.)
- Correspondence: (D.C.D.); (J.M.P.); Tel.: +57-1-3394949 (ext. 5179 (COL)) (J.M.P.)
| | - César A. Hernández
- Centro de Microelectrónica, Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica, Universidad de los Andes CMUA, Bogotá 111711, Colombia;
| | - Elizabeth Suesca
- Laboratorio de Biofísica, Departamento de Física, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia; (E.S.); (R.A.); (I.M.A.); (D.A.F.); (F.E.R.)
| | - Rubén Acevedo
- Laboratorio de Biofísica, Departamento de Física, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia; (E.S.); (R.A.); (I.M.A.); (D.A.F.); (F.E.R.)
| | - Ivón M. Acosta
- Laboratorio de Biofísica, Departamento de Física, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia; (E.S.); (R.A.); (I.M.A.); (D.A.F.); (F.E.R.)
- Proyecto Curricular Licenciatura en Física, Facultad de Ciencias y Educación, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá 110311, Colombia
| | - Diana A. Forero
- Laboratorio de Biofísica, Departamento de Física, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia; (E.S.); (R.A.); (I.M.A.); (D.A.F.); (F.E.R.)
- Proyecto Curricular Licenciatura en Física, Facultad de Ciencias y Educación, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá 110311, Colombia
| | - Francisco E. Rozo
- Laboratorio de Biofísica, Departamento de Física, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia; (E.S.); (R.A.); (I.M.A.); (D.A.F.); (F.E.R.)
- Proyecto Curricular Licenciatura en Física, Facultad de Ciencias y Educación, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá 110311, Colombia
| | - Juan M. Pedraza
- Laboratorio de Biofísica, Departamento de Física, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá 111711, Colombia; (E.S.); (R.A.); (I.M.A.); (D.A.F.); (F.E.R.)
- Correspondence: (D.C.D.); (J.M.P.); Tel.: +57-1-3394949 (ext. 5179 (COL)) (J.M.P.)
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14
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Luan Q, Macaraniag C, Zhou J, Papautsky I. Microfluidic systems for hydrodynamic trapping of cells and clusters. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2020; 14:031502. [PMID: 34992704 PMCID: PMC8719525 DOI: 10.1063/5.0002866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic devices have been widely applied to trapping and isolation of cells and clusters for controllable intercellular environments and high-throughput analysis, triggering numerous advances in disease diagnosis and single-cell analysis. Passive hydrodynamic cell trapping is one of the simple and effective methods that has been gaining attention in recent years. Our aim here is to review the existing passive microfluidic trapping approaches, including microposts, microfiltration, microwells, and trapping chambers, with emphasis on design principles and performance. We summarize the remarkable advances that hydrodynamic trapping methods offer, as well as the existing challenges and prospects for development. Finally, we hope that an improved understanding of hydrodynamic trapping approaches can lead to sophisticated and useful platforms to advance medical and biological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyue Luan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
| | - Celine Macaraniag
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
| | | | - Ian Papautsky
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:. Tel.: +1 312 413 3800
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15
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Täuber S, von Lieres E, Grünberger A. Dynamic Environmental Control in Microfluidic Single-Cell Cultivations: From Concepts to Applications. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e1906670. [PMID: 32157796 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201906670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic single-cell cultivation (MSCC) is an emerging field within fundamental as well as applied biology. During the last years, most MSCCs were performed at constant environmental conditions. Recently, MSCC at oscillating and dynamic environmental conditions has started to gain significant interest in the research community for the investigation of cellular behavior. Herein, an overview of this topic is given and microfluidic concepts that enable oscillating and dynamic control of environmental conditions with a focus on medium conditions are discussed, and their application in single-cell research for the cultivation of both mammalian and microbial cell systems is demonstrated. Furthermore, perspectives for performing MSCC at complex dynamic environmental profiles of single parameters and multiparameters (e.g., pH and O2 ) in amplitude and time are discussed. The technical progress in this field provides completely new experimental approaches and lays the foundation for systematic analysis of cellular metabolism at fluctuating environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Täuber
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Eric von Lieres
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
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16
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Abstract
Living cell microarrays in microfluidic chips allow the non-invasive multiplexed molecular analysis of single cells. Here, we developed a simple and affordable perfusion microfluidic chip containing a living yeast cell array composed of a population of cell variants (green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged Saccharomyces cerevisiae clones). We combined mechanical patterning in 102 microwells and robotic piezoelectric cell dispensing in the microwells to construct the cell arrays. Robotic yeast cell dispensing of a yeast collection from a multiwell plate to the microfluidic chip microwells was optimized. The developed microfluidic chip and procedure were validated by observing the growth of GFP-tagged yeast clones that are linked to the cell cycle by time-lapse fluorescence microscopy over a few generations. The developed microfluidic technology has the potential to be easily upscaled to a high-density cell array allowing us to perform dynamic proteomics and localizomics experiments.
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17
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O'Laughlin R, Jin M, Li Y, Pillus L, Tsimring LS, Hasty J, Hao N. Advances in quantitative biology methods for studying replicative aging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE OF AGING 2019; 4:151-160. [PMID: 33880425 PMCID: PMC8054985 DOI: 10.1016/j.tma.2019.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is a complex, yet pervasive phenomenon in biology. As human cells steadily succumb to the deteriorating effects of aging, so too comes a host of age-related ailments such as neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Therefore, elucidation of the molecular networks that drive aging is of paramount importance to human health. Progress toward this goal has been aided by studies from simple model organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. While work in budding yeast has already revealed much about the basic biology of aging as well as a number of evolutionarily conserved pathways involved in this process, recent technological advances are poised to greatly expand our knowledge of aging in this simple eukaryote. Here, we review the latest developments in microfluidics, single-cell analysis and high-throughput technologies for studying single-cell replicative aging in S. cerevisiae. We detail the challenges each of these methods addresses as well as the unique insights into aging that each has provided. We conclude with a discussion of potential future applications of these techniques as well as the importance of single-cell dynamics and quantitative biology approaches for understanding cell aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard O'Laughlin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Meng Jin
- BioCircuits Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Yang Li
- Section of Molecular Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Lorraine Pillus
- Section of Molecular Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.,UCSD Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Lev S Tsimring
- BioCircuits Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Jeff Hasty
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.,BioCircuits Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.,Section of Molecular Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Nan Hao
- BioCircuits Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.,Section of Molecular Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
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18
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Libberton B, Binz M, van Zalinge H, Nicolau DV. Efficiency of the flagellar propulsion of Escherichia coli in confined microfluidic geometries. Phys Rev E 2019; 99:012408. [PMID: 30780339 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.99.012408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial movement in confined spaces is routinely encountered either in a natural environment or in artificial structures. Consequently, the ability to understand and predict the behavior of motile bacterial cells in confined geometries is essential to many applications, spanning from the more classical, such as the management complex microbial networks involved in diseases, biomanufacturing, mining, and environment, to the more recent, such as single cell DNA sequencing and computation with biological agents. Fortunately, the development of this understanding can be helped by the decades-long advances in semiconductor microfabrication, which allow the design and the construction of complex confining structures used as test beds for the study of bacterial motility. To this end, here we use microfabricated channels with varying sizes to study the interaction of Escherichia coli with solid confining spaces. It is shown that an optimal channel size exists for which the hydrostatic potential allows the most efficient movement of the cells. The improved understanding of how bacteria move will result in the ability to design better microfluidic structures based on their interaction with bacterial movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Libberton
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, L69 3GJ Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Marie Binz
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, L69 3GJ Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Harm van Zalinge
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, L69 3GJ Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Dan V Nicolau
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, L69 3GJ Liverpool, United Kingdom
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19
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Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Aging is a complex trait that is influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Although many cellular and physiological changes have been described to occur with aging, the precise molecular causes of aging remain unknown. Given the biological complexity and heterogeneity of the aging process, understanding the mechanisms that underlie aging requires integration of data about age-dependent changes that occur at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organismal levels. Recent Advances: The development of high-throughput technologies such as next-generation sequencing, proteomics, metabolomics, and automated imaging techniques provides researchers with new opportunities to understand the mechanisms of aging. Using these methods, millions of biological molecules can be simultaneously monitored during the aging process with high accuracy and specificity. CRITICAL ISSUES Although the ability to produce big data has drastically increased over the years, integration and interpreting of high-throughput data to infer regulatory relationships between biological factors and identify causes of aging remain the major challenges. In this review, we describe recent advances and survey emerging omics approaches in aging research. We then discuss their limitations and emphasize the need for the further development of methods for the integration of different types of data. FUTURE DIRECTIONS Combining omics approaches and novel methods for single-cell analysis with systems biology tools would allow building interaction networks and investigate how these networks are perturbed with aging and disease states. Together, these studies are expected to provide a better understanding of the aging process and could provide insights into the pathophysiology of many age-associated human diseases. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 29, 985-1002.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared S Lorusso
- 1 Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Oleg A Sviderskiy
- 2 Department of Ecology and Life Safety, Samara National Research University , Samara, Russia
| | - Vyacheslav M Labunskyy
- 1 Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, Massachusetts
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20
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Bakker E, Swain PS, Crane MM. Morphologically constrained and data informed cell segmentation of budding yeast. Bioinformatics 2018; 34:88-96. [PMID: 28968663 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btx550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Motivation Although high-content image cytometry is becoming increasingly routine, processing the large amount of data acquired during time-lapse experiments remains a challenge. The majority of approaches for automated single-cell segmentation focus on flat, uniform fields of view covered with a single layer of cells. In the increasingly popular microfluidic devices that trap individual cells for long term imaging, these conditions are not met. Consequently, most techniques for segmentation perform poorly. Although potentially constraining the generalizability of software, incorporating information about the microfluidic features, flow of media and the morphology of the cells can substantially improve performance. Results Here we present DISCO (Data Informed Segmentation of Cell Objects), a framework for using the physical constraints imposed by microfluidic traps, the shape based morphological constraints of budding yeast and temporal information about cell growth and motion to allow tracking and segmentation of cells in microfluidic devices. Using manually curated datasets, we demonstrate substantial improvements in both tracking and segmentation when compared with existing software. Availability and implementation The MATLAB code for the algorithm and for measuring performance is available at https://github.com/pswain/segmentation-software and the test images and the curated ground-truth results used for comparing the algorithms are available at http://datashare.is.ed.ac.uk/handle/10283/2002. Contact mcrane2@uw.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elco Bakker
- SynthSys-Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Peter S Swain
- SynthSys-Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Matthew M Crane
- SynthSys-Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
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21
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Puza S, Gencturk E, Odabasi IE, Iseri E, Mutlu S, Ulgen KO. Fabrication of cyclo olefin polymer microfluidic devices for trapping and culturing of yeast cells. Biomed Microdevices 2017; 19:40. [PMID: 28466286 DOI: 10.1007/s10544-017-0182-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
A microfluidic platform is designed and fabricated to investigate the role of uncharacterized YOR060C (Sld7) protein in aging in yeast cells for the first time. Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells are trapped in the series of C-shaped regions (0.5 nL) of COP (cyclo olefin polymer), PMMA (poly methylmethacrylate), or PS (polystyrene) microbioreactors. The devices are fabricated using hot embossing and thermo-compression bonding methods. Photolithography and electrochemical etching are used to form the steel mold needed for hot embossing. The cell cycle processes are investigated by monitoring green fluorescent protein (GFP) tagged Sld7 expressions under normal as well as calorie restricted conditions. The cells are loaded at 1 μL/min flowrate and trapped successfully within each chamber. The medium is continuously fed at 0.1 μL/min throughout the experiments. Fluorescent signals of the low abundant Sld7 proteins could be distinguished only on COP devices. The background fluorescence of COP is found 1.22 and 7.24 times lower than that of PMMA, and PS, respectively. Hence, experiments are continued with COP, and lasted for more than 40 h without any contamination. The doubling time of the yeast cells are found as 72 min and 150 min, and the growth rates as 9.63 × 10-3 min-1 and 4.62 × 10-3 min-1, in 2% glucose containing YPD and YNB medium, respectively. The product concentration (Sld7p:GFP) increased in accordance with cell growth. The dual role of Sld7 protein in both cell cycle and chronological aging needs to be further investigated following the preliminary experimental results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sevde Puza
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Biosystems Engineering Laboratory, Bogazici University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Elif Gencturk
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Biosystems Engineering Laboratory, Bogazici University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Irem E Odabasi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Biosystems Engineering Laboratory, Bogazici University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Emre Iseri
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, BUMEMS Laboratory, Bogazici University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Senol Mutlu
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, BUMEMS Laboratory, Bogazici University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Kutlu O Ulgen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Biosystems Engineering Laboratory, Bogazici University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey.
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22
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja M. Weiz
- Institute for Integrative Nanosciences (IIN); IFW Dresden; Helmholtzstraße 20 01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Mariana Medina-Sánchez
- Institute for Integrative Nanosciences (IIN); IFW Dresden; Helmholtzstraße 20 01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Oliver G. Schmidt
- Institute for Integrative Nanosciences (IIN); IFW Dresden; Helmholtzstraße 20 01069 Dresden Germany
- Material Systems for Nanoelectronics; Chemnitz University of Technology; Reichenhainer Straße 70 09107 Chemnitz Germany
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23
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Messner JJ, Glenn HL, Meldrum DR. Laser-fabricated cell patterning stencil for single cell analysis. BMC Biotechnol 2017; 17:89. [PMID: 29258486 PMCID: PMC5735507 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-017-0408-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Precise spatial positioning and isolation of mammalian cells is a critical component of many single cell experimental methods and biological engineering applications. Although a variety of cell patterning methods have been demonstrated, many of these methods subject cells to high stress environments, discriminate against certain phenotypes, or are a challenge to implement. Here, we demonstrate a rapid, simple, indiscriminate, and minimally perturbing cell patterning method using a laser fabricated polymer stencil. The stencil fabrication process requires no stencil-substrate alignment, and is readily adaptable to various substrate geometries and experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Honor L Glenn
- Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines, and Virotherapy, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Deirdre R Meldrum
- Center for Biosignatures Discovery Automation, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave., P.O. Box 877101, Tempe, AZ, 85287-7101, USA.
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24
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Shin K, Yu H, Kim J. Determination of diffusion coefficient and partition coefficient of photoinitiator 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone in nanoporous polydimethylsiloxane network and aqueous poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate solution. J IND ENG CHEM 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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25
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Chen KL, Crane MM, Kaeberlein M. Microfluidic technologies for yeast replicative lifespan studies. Mech Ageing Dev 2017; 161:262-269. [PMID: 27015709 PMCID: PMC5035173 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2016.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used as a model organism for the study of aging for over 50 years. In this time, the canonical aging experiment-replicative lifespan analysis by manual microdissection-has remained essentially unchanged. Recently, microfluidic technologies have been developed that may be able to substitute for this time- and labor-intensive procedure. These technologies also allow cell physiology to be observed throughout the entire lifetime. Here, we review these devices, novel observations they have made possible, and some of the current system limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth L Chen
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Matthew M Crane
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Matt Kaeberlein
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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26
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Pörtner
- Hamburg University of Technology; Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering; Denickestr. 15 D21071 Hamburg Germany
| | - Uwe Jandt
- Hamburg University of Technology; Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering; Denickestr. 15 D21071 Hamburg Germany
| | - An-Ping Zeng
- Hamburg University of Technology; Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering; Denickestr. 15 D21071 Hamburg Germany
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27
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Jo MC, Qin L. Microfluidic Platforms for Yeast-Based Aging Studies. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2016; 12:5787-5801. [PMID: 27717149 PMCID: PMC5554731 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201602006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been a powerful model for the study of aging and has enabled significant contributions to our understanding of basic mechanisms of aging in eukaryotic cells. However, the laborious low-throughput nature of conventional methods of performing aging assays limits the pace of discoveries in this field. Some of the technical challenges of conventional aging assay methods can be overcome by use of microfluidic systems coupled to time-lapse microscopy. One of the major advantages is the ability of a microfluidic system to perform long-term cell culture under well-defined environmental conditions while tracking individual yeast. Here, recent advancements in microfluidic platforms for various yeast-based studies including replicative lifespan assay, long-term culture and imaging, gene expression, and cell signaling are discussed. In addition, emerging problems and limitations of current microfluidic approaches are examined and perspectives on the future development of this dynamic field are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myeong Chan Jo
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Lidong Qin
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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28
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Liu P, Young TZ, Acar M. Yeast Replicator: A High-Throughput Multiplexed Microfluidics Platform for Automated Measurements of Single-Cell Aging. Cell Rep 2015; 13:634-644. [PMID: 26456818 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Revised: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a model organism for replicative aging studies; however, conventional lifespan measurement platforms have several limitations. Here, we present a microfluidics platform that facilitates simultaneous lifespan and gene expression measurements of aging yeast cells. Our multiplexed high-throughput platform offers the capability to perform independent lifespan experiments using different yeast strains or growth media. Using this platform in minimal media environments containing glucose, we measured the full lifespan of individual yeast cells in wild-type and canonical gene deletion backgrounds. Compared to glucose, in galactose we observed a 16.8% decrease in replicative lifespan accompanied by an ∼2-fold increase in single-cell oxidative stress levels reported by PSOD1-mCherry. Using PGAL1-YFP to measure the activity of the bistable galactose network, we saw that OFF and ON cells are similar in their lifespan. Our work shows that aging cells are committed to a single phenotypic state throughout their lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Liu
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, 219 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, 840 West Campus Drive, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Thomas Z Young
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, 219 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, 840 West Campus Drive, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Murat Acar
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, 219 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, 840 West Campus Drive, West Haven, CT 06516, USA; Department of Physics, Yale University, 217 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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31
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Jo MC, Liu W, Gu L, Dang W, Qin L. High-throughput analysis of yeast replicative aging using a microfluidic system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:9364-9. [PMID: 26170317 PMCID: PMC4522780 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1510328112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been an important model for studying the molecular mechanisms of aging in eukaryotic cells. However, the laborious and low-throughput methods of current yeast replicative lifespan assays limit their usefulness as a broad genetic screening platform for research on aging. We address this limitation by developing an efficient, high-throughput microfluidic single-cell analysis chip in combination with high-resolution time-lapse microscopy. This innovative design enables, to our knowledge for the first time, the determination of the yeast replicative lifespan in a high-throughput manner. Morphological and phenotypical changes during aging can also be monitored automatically with a much higher throughput than previous microfluidic designs. We demonstrate highly efficient trapping and retention of mother cells, determination of the replicative lifespan, and tracking of yeast cells throughout their entire lifespan. Using the high-resolution and large-scale data generated from the high-throughput yeast aging analysis (HYAA) chips, we investigated particular longevity-related changes in cell morphology and characteristics, including critical cell size, terminal morphology, and protein subcellular localization. In addition, because of the significantly improved retention rate of yeast mother cell, the HYAA-Chip was capable of demonstrating replicative lifespan extension by calorie restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myeong Chan Jo
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065
| | - Wei Liu
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Liang Gu
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Weiwei Dang
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Lidong Qin
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065;
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32
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Hansen AS, Hao N, O'Shea EK. High-throughput microfluidics to control and measure signaling dynamics in single yeast cells. Nat Protoc 2015; 10:1181-97. [PMID: 26158443 PMCID: PMC4593625 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2015.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidics coupled to quantitative time-lapse fluorescence microscopy is transforming our ability to control, measure and understand signaling dynamics in single living cells. Here we describe a pipeline that incorporates multiplexed microfluidic cell culture, automated programmable fluid handling for cell perturbation, quantitative time-lapse microscopy and computational analysis of time-lapse movies. We illustrate how this setup can be used to control the nuclear localization of the budding yeast transcription factor Msn2. By using this protocol, we generate oscillations of Msn2 localization and measure the dynamic gene expression response of individual genes in single cells. The protocol allows a single researcher to perform up to 20 different experiments in a single day, while collecting data for thousands of single cells. Compared with other protocols, the present protocol is relatively easy to adopt and of higher throughput. The protocol can be widely used to control and monitor single-cell signaling dynamics in other signal transduction systems in microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders S Hansen
- 1] Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [2] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Northwest Laboratory, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [3] Faculty of Arts and Sciences Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Northwest Laboratory, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nan Hao
- Section of Molecular Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Erin K O'Shea
- 1] Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [2] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Northwest Laboratory, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [3] Faculty of Arts and Sciences Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Northwest Laboratory, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [4] Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Northwest Laboratory, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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33
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Vasdekis AE, Stephanopoulos G. Review of methods to probe single cell metabolism and bioenergetics. Metab Eng 2015; 27:115-135. [PMID: 25448400 PMCID: PMC4399830 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2014.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2014] [Revised: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Single cell investigations have enabled unexpected discoveries, such as the existence of biological noise and phenotypic switching in infection, metabolism and treatment. Herein, we review methods that enable such single cell investigations specific to metabolism and bioenergetics. Firstly, we discuss how to isolate and immobilize individuals from a cell suspension, including both permanent and reversible approaches. We also highlight specific advances in microbiology for its implications in metabolic engineering. Methods for probing single cell physiology and metabolism are subsequently reviewed. The primary focus therein is on dynamic and high-content profiling strategies based on label-free and fluorescence microspectroscopy and microscopy. Non-dynamic approaches, such as mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance, are also briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas E Vasdekis
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PO Box 999, Richland, WA 99354, USA.
| | - Gregory Stephanopoulos
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Room 56-469, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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34
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Park JW, Na SC, Nguyen TQ, Paik SM, Kang M, Hong D, Choi IS, Lee JH, Jeon NL. Live cell imaging compatible immobilization of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in microfluidic platform for biodiesel research. Biotechnol Bioeng 2014; 112:494-501. [PMID: 25220860 DOI: 10.1002/bit.25453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Revised: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 09/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
This paper describes a novel surface immobilization method for live-cell imaging of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii for continuous monitoring of lipid droplet accumulation. Microfluidics allows high-throughput manipulation and analysis of single cells in precisely controlled microenvironment. Fluorescence imaging based quantitative measurement of lipid droplet accumulation in microalgae had been difficult due to their intrinsic motile behavior. We present a simple surface immobilization method using gelatin coating as the "biological glue." We take advantage of hydroxyproline (Hyp)-based non-covalent interaction between gelatin and the outer cell wall of microalgae to anchor the cells inside the microfluidic device. We have continuously monitored single microalgal cells for up to 6 days. The immobilized microalgae remain viable (viability was comparable to bulk suspension cultured controls). When exposed to wall shear stress, most of the cells remain attached up to 0.1 dyne/cm(2) . Surface immobilization allowed high-resolution, live-cell imaging of mitotic process in real time-which followed previously reported stages in mitosis of suspension cultured cells. Use of gelatin coated microfluidics devices can result in better methods for microalgae strain screening and culture condition optimization that will help microalgal biodiesel become more economically viable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Woo Park
- Division of WCU (World Class University) Multiscale Mechanical Design, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
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35
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Grünberger A, Wiechert W, Kohlheyer D. Single-cell microfluidics: opportunity for bioprocess development. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2014; 29:15-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2014.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2013] [Revised: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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A microfluidic system for studying ageing and dynamic single-cell responses in budding yeast. PLoS One 2014; 9:e100042. [PMID: 24950344 PMCID: PMC4065030 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2013] [Accepted: 05/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Recognition of the importance of cell-to-cell variability in cellular decision-making and a growing interest in stochastic modeling of cellular processes has led to an increased demand for high density, reproducible, single-cell measurements in time-varying surroundings. We present ALCATRAS (A Long-term Culturing And TRApping System), a microfluidic device that can quantitatively monitor up to 1000 cells of budding yeast in a well-defined and controlled environment. Daughter cells are removed by fluid flow to avoid crowding allowing experiments to run for over 60 hours, and the extracellular media may be changed repeatedly and in seconds. We illustrate use of the device by measuring ageing through replicative life span curves, following the dynamics of the cell cycle, and examining history-dependent behaviour in the general stress response.
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37
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Carmona-Gutierrez D, Büttner S. The many ways to age for a single yeast cell. Yeast 2014; 31:289-98. [PMID: 24842537 PMCID: PMC4140606 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2014] [Revised: 05/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification and characterization of the molecular determinants governing ageing represents the key to counteracting age-related diseases and eventually prolonging our health span. A large number of fundamental insights into the ageing process have been provided by research into the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which couples a wide array of technical advantages with a high degree of genetic, proteomic and mechanistic conservation. Indeed, this unicellular organism harbours regulatory pathways, such as those related to programmed cell death or nutrient signalling, that are crucial for ageing control and are reminiscent of other eukaryotes, including mammals. Here, we summarize and discuss three different paradigms of yeast ageing: replicative, chronological and colony ageing. We address their physiological relevance as well as the specific and common characteristics and regulators involved, providing an overview of the network underlying ageing in one of the most important eukaryotic model organisms.
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38
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Microfluidic platforms for generating dynamic environmental perturbations to study the responses of single yeast cells. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1205:111-29. [PMID: 25213242 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1363-3_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidic platforms are ideal for generating dynamic temporal and spatial perturbations in extracellular environments. Single cells and organisms can be trapped and maintained in microfluidic platforms for long periods of time while their responses to stimuli are measured using appropriate fluorescence reporters and time-lapse microscopy. Such platforms have been used to study problems as diverse as C. elegans olfaction (Chronis et al. Nature Methods 4:727-731, 2007), cancer cell migration (Huang et al. Biomicrofluidics 5:13412, 2011), and E. coli chemotaxis (Ahmed et al. Integr Biol 2:604-629, 2010). In this paper we describe how to construct and use a microfluidic chip to study the response of single yeast cells to dynamic perturbations of their fluid environment. The method involves creation of a photoresist master mold followed by subsequent creation of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic chip for maintaining live yeast cells in a channel with two inputs for stimulating the cells. We emphasize simplicity and the methods discussed here are accessible to the average biological laboratory. We cover the basic toolbox for making microfluidic lab-on-a-chip devices, and the techniques discussed serve as a starting point for creating sophisticated microfluidic devices capable of implementing more complicated experimental protocols.
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39
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Construction and use of a microfluidic dissection platform for long-term imaging of cellular processes in budding yeast. Nat Protoc 2013; 8:1019-27. [DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2013.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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40
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Dhanaliwala AH, Chen JL, Wang S, Hossack JA. Liquid Flooded Flow-Focusing Microfluidic Device for in situ Generation of Monodisperse Microbubbles. MICROFLUIDICS AND NANOFLUIDICS 2013; 14:457-467. [PMID: 23439786 PMCID: PMC3579535 DOI: 10.1007/s10404-012-1064-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Current microbubble-based ultrasound contrast agents are administered intravenously resulting in large losses of contrast agent, systemic distribution, and strict requirements for microbubble longevity and diameter size. Instead we propose in situ production of microbubbles directly within the vasculature to avoid these limitations. Flow focusing microfluidic devices (FFMDs) are a promising technology for enabling in situ production as they can produce microbubbles with precisely controlled diameters in real-time. While the microfluidic chips are small, the addition of inlets and interconnects to supply the gas and liquid phase greatly increases the footprint of these devices preventing the miniaturization of FFMDs to sizes compatible with medium and small vessels. To overcome this challenge, we introduce a new method for supplying the liquid (shell) phase to an FFMD that eliminates bulky interconnects. A pressurized liquid-filled chamber is coupled to the liquid inlets of an FFMD, which we term a flooded FFMD. The microbubble diameter and production rate of flooded FFMDs were measured optically over a range of gas pressures and liquid flow rates. The smallest FFMD manufactured measured 14.5 × 2.8 × 2.3 mm. A minimum microbubble diameter of 8.1 ± 0.3 μm was achieved at a production rate of 450,000 microbubbles/s (MB/s). This represents a significant improvement with respect to any previously reported result. The flooded design also simplifies parallelization and production rates of up to 670,000 MB/s were achieved using a parallelized version of the flooded FFMD. In addition, an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheter was coupled to the flooded FFMD to produce an integrated ultrasound contrast imaging device. B-mode and IVUS images of microbubbles produced from a flooded FFMD in a gelatin phantom vessel were acquired to demonstrate the potential of in situ microbubble production and real-time imaging. Microbubble production rates of 222,000 MB/s from a flooded FFMD within the vessel lumen provided a 23 dB increase in B-mode contrast. Overall, the flooded design is a critical contribution towards the long- term goal of utilizing in situ produced microbubbles for contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging of, and drug delivery to, the vasculature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johnny L Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | - Shiying Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | - John A Hossack
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903
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41
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Zhang Y, Luo C, Zou K, Xie Z, Brandman O, Ouyang Q, Li H. Single cell analysis of yeast replicative aging using a new generation of microfluidic device. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48275. [PMID: 23144860 PMCID: PMC3493551 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2012] [Accepted: 09/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A major limitation to yeast aging study has been the inability to track mother cells and observe molecular markers during the aging process. The traditional lifespan assay relies on manual micro-manipulation to remove daughter cells from the mother, which is laborious, time consuming, and does not allow long term tracking with high resolution microscopy. Recently, we have developed a microfluidic system capable of retaining mother cells in the microfluidic chambers while removing daughter cells automatically, making it possible to observe fluorescent reporters in single cells throughout their lifespan. Here we report the development of a new generation of microfluidic device that overcomes several limitations of the previous system, making it easier to fabricate and operate, and allowing functions not possible with the previous design. The basic unit of the device consists of microfluidic channels with pensile columns that can physically trap the mother cells while allowing the removal of daughter cells automatically by the flow of the fresh media. The whole microfluidic device contains multiple independent units operating in parallel, allowing simultaneous analysis of multiple strains. Using this system, we have reproduced the lifespan curves for the known long and short-lived mutants, demonstrating the power of the device for automated lifespan measurement. Following fluorescent reporters in single mother cells throughout their lifespan, we discovered a surprising change of expression of the translation elongation factor TEF2 during aging, suggesting altered translational control in aged mother cells. Utilizing the capability of the new device to trap mother-daughter pairs, we analyzed mother-daughter inheritance and found age dependent asymmetric partitioning of a general stress response reporter between mother and daughter cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, Center for Quantitative Biology, and School of Physics, Peking University, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Chunxiong Luo
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, Center for Quantitative Biology, and School of Physics, Peking University, China
| | - Ke Zou
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, Center for Quantitative Biology, and School of Physics, Peking University, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Zhengwei Xie
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, Center for Quantitative Biology, and School of Physics, Peking University, China
| | - Onn Brandman
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Qi Ouyang
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, Center for Quantitative Biology, and School of Physics, Peking University, China
- Department of Physics, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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Abstract
Ageing, also called as senescence, is one of the most complex, intrinsic, biological processes of growing older and resulting into reduced functional ability of the organism. Telomerase, environment, low calorie diets, free radicals, etc., are all believed to affect this ageing process. A number of genetic components of ageing have been identified using model organisms. Genes, mainly the sirtuins, regulate the ageing speed by indirection and controlling organism resistance to damages by exogenous and endogenous stresses. In higher organisms, ageing is likely to be regulated, in part, through the insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 pathway. Besides this, the induction of apoptosis in stem and progenitor cells, increased p53 activity, and autophagy is also thought to trigger premature organismal ageing. Ageing has also been shown to upregulate expression of inflammatory mediators in mouse adipose tissue. The understanding of pathophysiology of ageing over the past few years has posed tremendous challenges for the development of anti-ageing medicine for targeted therapy. Future research areas must include targeted role of systemic inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein and interleukin 6 and other biochemical and genetic studies including gene signaling pathways, gene microarray analysis, gene modulation, gene therapy, and development of animal/human models for potential therapeutic measures and evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjana Nigam
- Department of Surgery, Pt. J. N. M. Medical College, Raipur, CG, India
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43
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Xie Z, Zhang Y, Zou K, Brandman O, Luo C, Ouyang Q, Li H. Molecular phenotyping of aging in single yeast cells using a novel microfluidic device. Aging Cell 2012; 11:599-606. [PMID: 22498653 DOI: 10.1111/j.1474-9726.2012.00821.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Budding yeast has served as an important model organism for aging research, and previous genetic studies have led to the discovery of conserved genes/pathways that regulate lifespan across species. However, the molecular causes of aging and death remain elusive, because it is very difficult to directly observe the cellular and molecular events accompanying aging in single yeast cells by the traditional approach based on micromanipulation. We have developed a microfluidic system to track individual mother cells throughout their lifespan, allowing automated lifespan measurement and direct observation of cell cycle dynamics, cell/organelle morphologies, and various molecular markers. We found that aging of the wild-type cells is characterized by an increased general stress and a progressive lengthening of the cell cycle for the last few cell divisions; these features are much less apparent in the long-lived FOB1 deletion mutant. Following the fate of individual cells revealed that there are different forms of cell death that are characterized by different terminal cell morphologies, and associated with different levels of stress and lifespan. We have identified a molecular marker - the level of the expression of Hsp104, as a good predictor for the lifespan of individual cells. Our approach allows detailed molecular phenotyping of single cells in the process of aging and thus provides new insight into its mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwei Xie
- Center for Quantitative Biology, and the State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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44
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Microfluidic technologies for studying synthetic circuits. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2012; 16:307-17. [PMID: 22609335 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2012.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2012] [Accepted: 04/15/2012] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Advances in synthetic biology have augmented the available toolkit of biomolecular modules, allowing engineering and manipulation of signaling in a variety of organisms, ranging in complexity from single bacteria and eukaryotic cells to multi-cellular systems. The richness of synthetic circuit outputs can be dramatically enhanced by sophisticated environmental control systems designed to precisely pattern spatial-temporally heterogeneous environmental stimuli controlling these circuits. Moreover, the performance of the synthetic modules and 'blocks' needed to assemble more complicated networks requires more complete characterization as a function of arbitrarily complex environmental inputs. Microfluidic technologies are poised to meet these needs through a variety of innovative designs capitalizing on the unique benefits of manipulating fluids on the micro-scales and nano-scales. This review discusses the utility of microfluidics for the study of synthetic circuits and highlights recent work in the area.
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45
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Hanke C, Dittrich PS, Reyes DR. Dielectrophoretic cell capture on polyester membranes. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2012; 4:1878-1882. [PMID: 22462623 DOI: 10.1021/am300270k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
A new system for dielectrophoretic cell capture on permeable polyester membranes is presented. Conventional photolithographic techniques were used to fabricate gold microelectrodes on a polyester membrane. The characterization of the microelectrodes showed that there were no differences regarding roughness, permeability, and hydrophilicity of the membrane before and after processing. Finally, dielectrophoretic cell capture and viability in a microfluidic device was demonstrated on the patterned membrane. These membranes could ultimately be combined with multilayer microfluidic devices to form a powerful tool for studies of cell-cell interactions in coculture, whereby spatial separation of different cell types and/or microenvironments are required.
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46
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Whole lifespan microscopic observation of budding yeast aging through a microfluidic dissection platform. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:4916-20. [PMID: 22421136 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1113505109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Important insights into aging have been generated with the genetically tractable and short-lived budding yeast. However, it is still impossible today to continuously track cells by high-resolution microscopic imaging (e.g., fluorescent imaging) throughout their entire lifespan. Instead, the field still needs to rely on a 50-y-old laborious and time-consuming method to assess the lifespan of yeast cells and to isolate differentially aged cells for microscopic snapshots via manual dissection of daughter cells from the larger mother cell. Here, we are unique in achieving continuous and high-resolution microscopic imaging of the entire replicative lifespan of single yeast cells. Our microfluidic dissection platform features an optically prealigned single focal plane and an integrated array of soft elastomer-based micropads, used together to allow for trapping of mother cells, removal of daughter cells, monitoring gradual changes in aging, and unprecedented microscopic imaging of the whole aging process. Using the platform, we found remarkable age-associated changes in phenotypes (e.g., that cells can show strikingly differential cell and vacuole morphologies at the moment of their deaths), indicating substantial heterogeneity in cell aging and death. We envision the microfluidic dissection platform to become a major tool in aging research.
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47
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Melamed S, Elad T, Belkin S. Microbial sensor cell arrays. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2012; 23:2-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2011.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2011] [Revised: 11/16/2011] [Accepted: 11/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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48
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Hanke C, Waide S, Kettler R, Dittrich PS. Monitoring induced gene expression of single cells in a multilayer microchip. Anal Bioanal Chem 2011; 402:2577-85. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-011-5595-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2011] [Revised: 11/02/2011] [Accepted: 11/20/2011] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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49
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Li Z, Qiu D, Xu K, Sridharan I, Qian X, Wang R. Analysis of affinity maps of membrane proteins on individual human embryonic stem cells. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2011; 27:8294-8301. [PMID: 21657204 DOI: 10.1021/la200817b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The heterogeneity found in many cell types has greatly inspired research in single-cell gene and protein profiling for discovering the origin of heterogeneity and its role in cell fate decisions. Among the existing techniques to probe heterogeneity, atomic force microscopy (AFM) utilizes an antibody/ligand-modified tip to explore the distribution of a target membrane protein on individual cells in their native environment. In this paper, we establish a practical model to analyze the data systematically, and attempt the quantification of membrane protein abundance on single cells by taking account issues, such as the level of nonspecific interaction, the probe resolution, and the reproducibility of detecting protein distribution. We demonstrated the application in examining the heterogeneous distribution and the local protein abundance of TRA-1-81 antigen on human embryonic stem (hES) cells at the subcellular level. Heterogeneity in TRA-1-81 expression was also detected at the single cell level, suggesting the presence of subpopulation cells within an undifferentiated hES cell colony. The method provides a platform to unveiling the correlation between heterogeneity of membrane proteins and cell development in a complex cell community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoxia Li
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 60616, USA
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Vinuselvi P, Park S, Kim M, Park JM, Kim T, Lee SK. Microfluidic technologies for synthetic biology. Int J Mol Sci 2011; 12:3576-93. [PMID: 21747695 PMCID: PMC3131579 DOI: 10.3390/ijms12063576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2011] [Revised: 05/20/2011] [Accepted: 05/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Microfluidic technologies have shown powerful abilities for reducing cost, time, and labor, and at the same time, for increasing accuracy, throughput, and performance in the analysis of biological and biochemical samples compared with the conventional, macroscale instruments. Synthetic biology is an emerging field of biology and has drawn much attraction due to its potential to create novel, functional biological parts and systems for special purposes. Since it is believed that the development of synthetic biology can be accelerated through the use of microfluidic technology, in this review work we focus our discussion on the latest microfluidic technologies that can provide unprecedented means in synthetic biology for dynamic profiling of gene expression/regulation with high resolution, highly sensitive on-chip and off-chip detection of metabolites, and whole-cell analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisutham Vinuselvi
- School of Nano-Bioscience and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, 100 Banyeon-ri, Ulsan 689–798, Korea; E-Mails: (P.V.); (J.M.P.)
| | - Seongyong Park
- School of Mechanical and Advanced Materials Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, 100 Banyeon-ri, Ulsan 689–798, Korea; E-Mails: (S.P.); (M.K.)
| | - Minseok Kim
- School of Mechanical and Advanced Materials Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, 100 Banyeon-ri, Ulsan 689–798, Korea; E-Mails: (S.P.); (M.K.)
| | - Jung Min Park
- School of Nano-Bioscience and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, 100 Banyeon-ri, Ulsan 689–798, Korea; E-Mails: (P.V.); (J.M.P.)
| | - Taesung Kim
- School of Mechanical and Advanced Materials Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, 100 Banyeon-ri, Ulsan 689–798, Korea; E-Mails: (S.P.); (M.K.)
| | - Sung Kuk Lee
- School of Nano-Bioscience and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, 100 Banyeon-ri, Ulsan 689–798, Korea; E-Mails: (P.V.); (J.M.P.)
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