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Kelly AR, Glover DJ. Information Transmission through Biotic-Abiotic Interfaces to Restore or Enhance Human Function. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2024; 7:3605-3628. [PMID: 38729914 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.4c00435] [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: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Advancements in reliable information transfer across biotic-abiotic interfaces have enabled the restoration of lost human function. For example, communication between neuronal cells and electrical devices restores the ability to walk to a tetraplegic patient and vision to patients blinded by retinal disease. These impactful medical achievements are aided by tailored biotic-abiotic interfaces that maximize information transfer fidelity by considering the physical properties of the underlying biological and synthetic components. This Review develops a modular framework to define and describe the engineering of biotic and abiotic components as well as the design of interfaces to facilitate biotic-abiotic information transfer using light or electricity. Delineating the properties of the biotic, interface, and abiotic components that enable communication can serve as a guide for future research in this highly interdisciplinary field. Application of synthetic biology to engineer light-sensitive proteins has facilitated the control of neural signaling and the restoration of rudimentary vision after retinal blindness. Electrophysiological methodologies that use brain-computer interfaces and stimulating implants to bypass spinal column injuries have led to the rehabilitation of limb movement and walking ability. Cellular interfacing methodologies and on-chip learning capability have been made possible by organic transistors that mimic the information processing capacity of neurons. The collaboration of molecular biologists, material scientists, and electrical engineers in the emerging field of biotic-abiotic interfacing will lead to the development of prosthetics capable of responding to thought and experiencing touch sensation via direct integration into the human nervous system. Further interdisciplinary research will improve electrical and optical interfacing technologies for the restoration of vision, offering greater visual acuity and potentially color vision in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Kelly
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Dominic J Glover
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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Zhu J, Wang Y, Tang S, Su H, Wang X, Du W, Wang Y, Liu BF. A PDMS-Agar Hybrid Microfluidic Device for the Investigation of Chemical-Mechanical Associative Learning Behavior of C. elegans. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1576. [PMID: 37630112 PMCID: PMC10456236 DOI: 10.3390/mi14081576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Associative learning is a critical survival trait that promotes behavioral plasticity in response to changing environments. Chemosensation and mechanosensation are important sensory modalities that enable animals to gather information about their internal state and external environment. However, there is a limited amount of research on these two modalities. In this paper, a novel PDMS-agar hybrid microfluidic device is proposed for training and analyzing chemical-mechanical associative learning behavior in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The microfluidic device consisted of a bottom agar gel layer and an upper PDMS layer. A chemical concentration gradient was generated on the agar gel layer, and the PDMS layer served to mimic mechanical stimuli. Based on this platform, C. elegans can perform chemical-mechanical associative learning behavior after training. Our findings indicated that the aversive component of training is the primary driver of the observed associative learning behavior. In addition, the results indicated that the neurotransmitter octopamine is involved in regulating this associative learning behavior via the SER-6 receptor. Thus, the microfluidic device provides a highly efficient platform for studying the associative learning behavior of C. elegans, and it may be applied in mutant screening and drug testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinchi Zhu
- School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, China
| | - Yu Wang
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- Department of Cell Biology, College of Medicine, Jiaxing University, 118 Jiahang Road, Jiaxing 314001, China
| | - Shuting Tang
- School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, China
| | - Huiying Su
- School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, China
| | - Xixian Wang
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Wei Du
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Yun Wang
- School of Bioengineering, Huainan Normal University, Huainan 232038, China
| | - Bi-Feng Liu
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
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Konoplev G, Agafonova D, Bakhchova L, Mukhin N, Kurachkina M, Schmidt MP, Verlov N, Sidorov A, Oseev A, Stepanova O, Kozyrev A, Dmitriev A, Hirsch S. Label-Free Physical Techniques and Methodologies for Proteins Detection in Microfluidic Biosensor Structures. Biomedicines 2022; 10:207. [PMID: 35203416 PMCID: PMC8868674 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10020207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins in biological fluids (blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid) are important biomarkers of various pathological conditions. Protein biomarkers detection and quantification have been proven to be an indispensable diagnostic tool in clinical practice. There is a growing tendency towards using portable diagnostic biosensor devices for point-of-care (POC) analysis based on microfluidic technology as an alternative to conventional laboratory protein assays. In contrast to universally accepted analytical methods involving protein labeling, label-free approaches often allow the development of biosensors with minimal requirements for sample preparation by omitting expensive labelling reagents. The aim of the present work is to review the variety of physical label-free techniques of protein detection and characterization which are suitable for application in micro-fluidic structures and analyze the technological and material aspects of label-free biosensors that implement these methods. The most widely used optical and impedance spectroscopy techniques: absorption, fluorescence, surface plasmon resonance, Raman scattering, and interferometry, as well as new trends in photonics are reviewed. The challenges of materials selection, surfaces tailoring in microfluidic structures, and enhancement of the sensitivity and miniaturization of biosensor systems are discussed. The review provides an overview for current advances and future trends in microfluidics integrated technologies for label-free protein biomarkers detection and discusses existing challenges and a way towards novel solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgii Konoplev
- Faculty of Electronics, Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI”, 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia; (D.A.); (A.S.); (O.S.); (A.K.)
| | - Darina Agafonova
- Faculty of Electronics, Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI”, 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia; (D.A.); (A.S.); (O.S.); (A.K.)
| | - Liubov Bakhchova
- Institute for Automation Technology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany;
| | - Nikolay Mukhin
- Faculty of Electronics, Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI”, 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia; (D.A.); (A.S.); (O.S.); (A.K.)
- Department of Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Brandenburg, 14770 Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany; (M.K.); (S.H.)
| | - Marharyta Kurachkina
- Department of Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Brandenburg, 14770 Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany; (M.K.); (S.H.)
| | - Marc-Peter Schmidt
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany;
| | - Nikolay Verlov
- Molecular and Radiation Biophysics Division, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute Named by B.P. Konstantinov, National Research Centre Kurchatov Institute, 188300 Gatchina, Russia;
| | - Alexander Sidorov
- Faculty of Electronics, Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI”, 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia; (D.A.); (A.S.); (O.S.); (A.K.)
- Fuculty of Photonics, ITMO University, 197101 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Aleksandr Oseev
- FEMTO-ST Institute, CNRS UMR-6174, University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 25000 Besançon, France;
| | - Oksana Stepanova
- Faculty of Electronics, Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI”, 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia; (D.A.); (A.S.); (O.S.); (A.K.)
| | - Andrey Kozyrev
- Faculty of Electronics, Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI”, 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia; (D.A.); (A.S.); (O.S.); (A.K.)
| | - Alexander Dmitriev
- Department of Ecological Physiology, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Institute of Experimental Medicine” (FSBSI “IEM”), 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Soeren Hirsch
- Department of Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Brandenburg, 14770 Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany; (M.K.); (S.H.)
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