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Cui H, Zhang Y, Liu S, Cao Y, Ma Q, Liu Y, Lin H, Li C, Xiao Y, Hassan SU, Shum HC. Thermo-responsive aqueous two-phase system for two-level compartmentalization. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6771. [PMID: 39117632 PMCID: PMC11310206 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51043-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Hierarchical compartmentalization responding to changes in intracellular and extracellular environments is ubiquitous in living eukaryotic cells but remains a formidable task in synthetic systems. Here we report a two-level compartmentalization approach based on a thermo-responsive aqueous two-phase system (TR-ATPS) comprising poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and dextran (DEX). Liquid membraneless compartments enriched in PNIPAM are phase-separated from the continuous DEX solution via liquid-liquid phase separation at 25 °C and shrink dramatically with small second-level compartments generated at the interface, resembling the structure of colloidosome, by increasing the temperature to 35 °C. The TR-ATPS can store biomolecules, program the spatial distribution of enzymes, and accelerate the overall biochemical reaction efficiency by nearly 7-fold. The TR-ATPS inspires on-demand, stimulus-triggered spatiotemporal enrichment of biomolecules via two-level compartmentalization, creating opportunities in synthetic biology and biochemical engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanqing Cui
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Yage Zhang
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Sihan Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Yang Cao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Qingming Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, 266071, Qingdao, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Haisong Lin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Chang Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Yang Xiao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Sammer Ul Hassan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China.
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China.
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Aqueous biphasic systems as a key tool for food processing. Curr Opin Food Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cofs.2023.100991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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3
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Daradmare S, Lee CS. Recent progress in the synthesis of all-aqueous two-phase droplets using microfluidic approaches. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2022; 219:112795. [PMID: 36049253 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
An aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) is a system with liquid-liquid phase separation and shows great potential for the extraction, separation, purification, and enrichment of proteins, membranes, viruses, enzymes, nucleic acids, and other biomolecules because of its simplicity, biocompatibility, and wide applicability [1-4]. The clear aqueous-aqueous interface of ATPSs is highly advantageous for their implementation, therefore making ATPSs a green alternative approach to replace conventional emulsion systems, such as water-in-oil droplets. All aqueous emulsions (water-in-water, w-in-w) hold great promise in the biomedical field as glucose sensors [5] and promising carriers for the encapsulation and release of various biomolecules and nonbiomolecules [6-10]. However, the ultralow interfacial tension between the two phases is a hurdle in generating w-in-w emulsion droplets. In the past, bulk emulsification and electrospray techniques were employed for the generation of w-in-w emulsion droplets and the fabrication of microparticles and microcapsules in the later stage. Bulk emulsification is a simple and low-cost technique; however, it generates polydisperse w-in-w emulsion droplets. Another technique, electrospray, involves easy experimental setups that can generate monodisperse but nonspherical w-in-w emulsion droplets. In comparison, microfluidic platforms provide monodisperse w-in-w emulsion droplets with spherical shapes, deal with the small volumes of solutions and short reaction times and achieve portability and versatility in their design through rapid prototyping. Owing to several advantages, microfluidic approaches have recently been introduced. To date, several different strategies have been explored to generate w-in-w emulsions and multiple w-in-w emulsions and to fabricate microparticles and microcapsules using conventional microfluidic devices. Although a few review articles on ATPSs emulsions have been published in the past, to date, few reviews have exclusively focused on the evolution of microfluidic-based ATPS droplets. The present review begins with a brief discussion of the history of ATPSs and their fundamentals, which is followed by an account chronicling the integration of microfluidic devices with ATPSs to generate w-in-w emulsion droplets. Furthermore, the stabilization strategies of w-in-w emulsion droplets and microfluidic fabrication of microparticles and microcapsules for modern applications, such as biomolecule encapsulation and spheroid construction, are discussed in detail in this review. We believe that the present review will provide useful information to not only new entrants in the microfluidic community wanting to appreciate the findings of the field but also existing researchers wanting to keep themselves updated on progress in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sneha Daradmare
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Soo Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea.
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4
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Food-grade microgel capsules tailored for anti-obesity strategies through microfluidic preparation. Curr Opin Food Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cofs.2022.100816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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5
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Wu J, Yadavali S, Lee D, Issadore DA. Scaling up the throughput of microfluidic droplet-based materials synthesis: A review of recent progress and outlook. APPLIED PHYSICS REVIEWS 2021; 8:031304. [PMID: 34484549 PMCID: PMC8293697 DOI: 10.1063/5.0049897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The last two decades have witnessed tremendous progress in the development of microfluidic chips that generate micrometer- and nanometer-scale materials. These chips allow precise control over composition, structure, and particle uniformity not achievable using conventional methods. These microfluidic-generated materials have demonstrated enormous potential for applications in medicine, agriculture, food processing, acoustic, and optical meta-materials, and more. However, because the basis of these chips' performance is their precise control of fluid flows at the micrometer scale, their operation is limited to the inherently low throughputs dictated by the physics of multiphasic flows in micro-channels. This limitation on throughput results in material production rates that are too low for most practical applications. In recent years, however, significant progress has been made to tackle this challenge by designing microchip architectures that incorporate multiple microfluidic devices onto single chips. These devices can be operated in parallel to increase throughput while retaining the benefits of microfluidic particle generation. In this review, we will highlight recent work in this area and share our perspective on the key unsolved challenges and opportunities in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyu Wu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | | | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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Schroen K, Berton-Carabin C, Renard D, Marquis M, Boire A, Cochereau R, Amine C, Marze S. Droplet Microfluidics for Food and Nutrition Applications. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:863. [PMID: 34442486 PMCID: PMC8400250 DOI: 10.3390/mi12080863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics revolutionizes the way experiments and analyses are conducted in many fields of science, based on decades of basic research. Applied sciences are also impacted, opening new perspectives on how we look at complex matter. In particular, food and nutritional sciences still have many research questions unsolved, and conventional laboratory methods are not always suitable to answer them. In this review, we present how microfluidics have been used in these fields to produce and investigate various droplet-based systems, namely simple and double emulsions, microgels, microparticles, and microcapsules with food-grade compositions. We show that droplet microfluidic devices enable unprecedented control over their production and properties, and can be integrated in lab-on-chip platforms for in situ and time-resolved analyses. This approach is illustrated for on-chip measurements of droplet interfacial properties, droplet-droplet coalescence, phase behavior of biopolymer mixtures, and reaction kinetics related to food digestion and nutrient absorption. As a perspective, we present promising developments in the adjacent fields of biochemistry and microbiology, as well as advanced microfluidics-analytical instrument coupling, all of which could be applied to solve research questions at the interface of food and nutritional sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Schroen
- Food Process and Engineering Group, Wageningen University and Research, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands; (K.S.); (C.B.-C.)
| | - Claire Berton-Carabin
- Food Process and Engineering Group, Wageningen University and Research, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands; (K.S.); (C.B.-C.)
- INRAE, BIA Biopolymères Interactions Assemblages, F-44316 Nantes, France; (D.R.); (A.B.); (R.C.); (C.A.)
| | - Denis Renard
- INRAE, BIA Biopolymères Interactions Assemblages, F-44316 Nantes, France; (D.R.); (A.B.); (R.C.); (C.A.)
| | | | - Adeline Boire
- INRAE, BIA Biopolymères Interactions Assemblages, F-44316 Nantes, France; (D.R.); (A.B.); (R.C.); (C.A.)
| | - Rémy Cochereau
- INRAE, BIA Biopolymères Interactions Assemblages, F-44316 Nantes, France; (D.R.); (A.B.); (R.C.); (C.A.)
| | - Chloé Amine
- INRAE, BIA Biopolymères Interactions Assemblages, F-44316 Nantes, France; (D.R.); (A.B.); (R.C.); (C.A.)
| | - Sébastien Marze
- INRAE, BIA Biopolymères Interactions Assemblages, F-44316 Nantes, France; (D.R.); (A.B.); (R.C.); (C.A.)
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Pickering emulsions stabilized with
PANI‐NP
. Study of the thermoresponsive behavior under heating and radiofrequency irradiation. J Appl Polym Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/app.50625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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8
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The Importance of Interfacial Tension in Emulsification: Connecting Scaling Relations Used in Large Scale Preparation with Microfluidic Measurement Methods. CHEMENGINEERING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/chemengineering4040063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
This paper starts with short descriptions of emulsion preparation methods used at large and smaller scales. We give scaling relations as they are generally used, and focus on the central role that interfacial tension plays in these relations. The actual values of the interfacial tension are far from certain given the dynamic behavior of surface-active components, and the lack of measurement methods that can be applied to conditions as they occur during large-scale preparation. Microfluidic techniques are expected to be very instrumental in closing this gap. Reduction of interfacial tension resulting from emulsifier adsorption at the oil-water interface is a complex process that consists of various steps. We discuss them here, and present methods used to probe them. Specifically, methods based on microfluidic tools are of great interest to study short droplet formation times, and also coalescence behavior of droplets. We present the newest insights in this field, which are expected to bring interfacial tension observations to a level that is of direct relevance for the large-scale preparation of emulsions, and that of other multi-phase products.
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