1
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Zhang Y, Liu H, Nakagawa Y, Nagasaka Y, Ding T, Tang SY, Yalikun Y, Goda K, Li M. Enhanced CRISPR/Cas12a-based quantitative detection of nucleic acids using double emulsion droplets. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 257:116339. [PMID: 38688231 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116339] [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] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Pairing droplet microfluidics and CRISPR/Cas12a techniques creates a powerful solution for the detection and quantification of nucleic acids at the single-molecule level, due to its specificity, sensitivity, and simplicity. However, traditional water-in-oil (W/O) single emulsion (SE) droplets often present stability issues, affecting the accuracy and reproducibility of assay results. As an alternative, water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsion (DE) droplets offer superior stability and uniformity for droplet digital assays. Moreover, unlike SE droplets, DE droplets are compatible with commercially available flow cytometry instruments for high-throughput analysis. Despite these advantages, no study has demonstrated the use of DE droplets for CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection. In our study, we conducted a comparative analysis to assess the performance of SE and DE droplets in quantitative detection of human papillomavirus type 18 (HPV18) DNA based on CRISPR/Cas12a. We evaluated the stability of SEs and DEs by examining size variation, merging extent, and content interaction before and after incubation at different temperatures and time points. By integrating DE droplets with flow cytometry, we achieved high-throughput and high-accuracy CRISPR/Cas12a-based quantification of target HPV18 DNA. The DE platform, when paired with CRISPR/Cas12a and flow cytometry techniques, emerges as a reliable tool for absolute quantification of nucleic acid biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia; School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Hangrui Liu
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Yuta Nakagawa
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yuzuki Nagasaka
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Tianben Ding
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Shi-Yang Tang
- School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Yaxiaer Yalikun
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 630-0192, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Keisuke Goda
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA; Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Hubei, 430072, China
| | - Ming Li
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia; School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
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2
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Zhuang S, Semenec L, Nagy SS, Cain AK, Inglis DW. High-precision screening and sorting of double emulsion droplets. Cytometry A 2024; 105:547-554. [PMID: 38634684 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.24842] [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] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that cell populations are extremely heterogeneous, with individual cells fulfilling different roles within the population. Flow cytometry (FC) is a high-throughput tool for single-cell analysis that works at high optical resolution. Sub-populations with unique properties can be screened, isolated and sorted through fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), using intracellular fluorescent products or surface-tagged fluorescent products of interest. However, traditional FC and FACS methods cannot identify or isolate cells that secrete extracellular products of interest. Double emulsion (DE) droplets are an innovative approach to retaining these extracellular products so cells producing them can be identified and isolated with FC and FACS. The water-in-oil-in-water structure makes DE droplets compatible with the sheath flow of flow cytometry. Single cells can be encapsulated with other reagents into DEs, which act as pico-reactors. These droplets allow biological activities to take place while allowing for cell cultivation monitoring, rare mutant identification, and cellular events characterization. However, using DEs in FACS presents technical challenges, including rupture of DEs, poor accuracy and low sorting efficiency. This study presents high-performance sorting using fluorescent beads (as simulants for cells). This study aims to guide researchers in the use of DE-based flow cytometry, offering insights into how to resolve the technical difficulties associated with DE-based screening and sorting using FC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Zhuang
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lucie Semenec
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stephanie S Nagy
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Amy K Cain
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David W Inglis
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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3
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Li X, Tang S, Zhang Y, Zhu J, Forgham H, Zhao C, Zhang C, Davis TP, Qiao R. Tailored Fluorosurfactants through Controlled/Living Radical Polymerization for Highly Stable Microfluidic Droplet Generation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202315552. [PMID: 38038248 PMCID: PMC10952479 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202315552] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Droplet-based microfluidics represents a disruptive technology in the field of chemistry and biology through the generation and manipulation of sub-microlitre droplets. To avoid droplet coalescence, fluoropolymer-based surfactants are commonly used to reduce the interfacial tension between two immiscible phases to stabilize droplet interfaces. However, the conventional preparation of fluorosurfactants involves multiple steps of conjugation reactions between fluorinated and hydrophilic segments to form multiple-block copolymers. In addition, synthesis of customized surfactants with tailored properties is challenging due to the complex synthesis process. Here, we report a highly efficient synthetic method that utilizes living radical polymerization (LRP) to produce fluorosurfactants with tailored functionalities. Compared to the commercialized surfactant, our surfactants outperform in thermal cycling for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and exhibit exceptional biocompatibility for cell and yeast culturing in a double-emulsion system. This breakthrough synthetic approach has the potential to revolutionize the field of droplet-based microfluidics by enabling the development of novel designs that generate droplets with superior stability and functionality for a wide range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangke Li
- Australian Institute of Bioengineering and NanotechnologyThe University of QueenslandBrisbane, Queensland4072Australia
| | - Shi‐Yang Tang
- School of Electronics and Computer ScienceUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonSO17 1BJUK
| | - Yang Zhang
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Science and EngineeringMacquarie UniversitySydney, NSW2109Australia
| | - Jiayuan Zhu
- Australian Institute of Bioengineering and NanotechnologyThe University of QueenslandBrisbane, Queensland4072Australia
| | - Helen Forgham
- Australian Institute of Bioengineering and NanotechnologyThe University of QueenslandBrisbane, Queensland4072Australia
| | - Chun‐Xia Zhao
- Australian Institute of Bioengineering and NanotechnologyThe University of QueenslandBrisbane, Queensland4072Australia
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced MaterialsThe University of AdelaideAdelaide, SA5005Australia
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Australian Institute of Bioengineering and NanotechnologyThe University of QueenslandBrisbane, Queensland4072Australia
| | - Thomas P. Davis
- Australian Institute of Bioengineering and NanotechnologyThe University of QueenslandBrisbane, Queensland4072Australia
| | - Ruirui Qiao
- Australian Institute of Bioengineering and NanotechnologyThe University of QueenslandBrisbane, Queensland4072Australia
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4
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Aslan Y, McGleish O, Reboud J, Cooper JM. Alignment-free construction of double emulsion droplet generation devices incorporating surface wettability contrast. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:5173-5179. [PMID: 37966340 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00584d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Although polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a versatile and easy-to-use material for microfluidics, its inherent hydrophobicity often necessitates specific hydrophilic treatment to fabricate microchip architectures for generating double emulsions. These additional processing steps frequently lead to increased complexity, potentially creating barriers to the wider use of promising microfluidic techniques. Here we describe an alignment-free spatial hydrophilic PDMS patterning technique to produce devices for the creation of double emulsions using combinations of PDMS and PDMS/surfactant bilayers. The technique enables us to achieve selective patterning and alignment-free bonding, producing reliable and reproducible water-in-oil-in-water W/O/W droplet emulsions. Our method involves processing devices in a vertical orientation, with the wetting transition contrast being achieved simply by imaging whilst adjusting the PDMS pouring speed (using a mobile phone, for example). We successfully obtain hydrophilic surfaces without distinguishable hydrophobic recovery using a range of surfactant concentrations. Droplet emulsions were produced with low coefficients of variation aligned with those generated with other, more complex, techniques (e.g. 3.8% and 3.1% for the inner and outer diameters, respectively). As a further example, the methods were also demonstrated for liposome production. In future we anticipate that the technique may be applied to other fields, including e.g. reagent delivery, DNA amplification, and encapsulated cell studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunus Aslan
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK.
| | - Olivia McGleish
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK.
| | - Julien Reboud
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK.
| | - Jonathan M Cooper
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK.
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5
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Liu D, Xuanyuan T, Liu X, Fu W, Liu W. Massive and efficient encapsulation of single cells in monodisperse droplets and collagen-alginate microgels using a microfluidic device. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1281375. [PMID: 38033813 PMCID: PMC10684782 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1281375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-cell manipulation is the key foundation of life exploration at individual cell resolution. Constructing easy-to-use, high-throughput, and biomimetic manipulative tools for efficient single-cell operation is quite necessary. In this study, a facile and efficient encapsulation of single cells relying on the massive and controllable production of droplets and collagen-alginate microgels using a microfluidic device is presented. High monodispersity and geometric homogeneity of both droplet and microgel generation were experimentally demonstrated based on the well-investigated microfluidic fabricating procedure. The reliability of the microfluidic platform for controllable, high-throughput, and improved single-cell encapsulation in monodisperse droplets and microgels was also confirmed. A single-cell encapsulation rate of up to 33.6% was achieved based on the established microfluidic operation. The introduction of stromal material in droplets/microgels for encapsulation provided single cells an in vivo simulated microenvironment. The single-cell operation achievement offers a methodological approach for developing simple and miniaturized devices to perform single-cell manipulation and analysis in a high-throughput and microenvironment-biomimetic manner. We believe that it holds great potential for applications in precision medicine, cell microengineering, drug discovery, and biosensing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Wenming Liu
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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6
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Nie Y, Zhou F, Wang C. A 3D sliding-strip microfluidic device for the simultaneous determination of mta. Talanta 2023; 265:124821. [PMID: 37354626 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.124821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
A simple paper-based microfluidic device was fabricated to simultaneously detect multiple targets. Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPAD) comprise a single-layer moving sliding PAD (SPAD) to control the flow channel switch together with a folding origami PAD (OPAD) to test the target analytes. The facile assembly without any splicing materials avoids cross-contamination and non-specific adsorption of joining materials that may be caused by multi-target detection. The concentration of Fe(III), Ni(II), Cr(VI), and nitrite in standard solutions and actual aqueous solutions was successfully determined using the designed μPAD. The μPAD was able to achieve LOD of 3.3 mg/L, 1.3 mg/L, 0.35 mg/L, 0.28 mg/L for Fe (III), Ni (II), Cr (VI), and nitrite, respectively. The designed SOPAD exhibits improved stability, with a deviation of less than 7% compared to conventional analytical methods (ICP-OES and UV). Our work demonstrates that this 3D PAD holds great promise and a wide scope in environmental monitoring, biochemical analysis, food testing and other testing industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Nie
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
| | - Fang Zhou
- Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430073, China
| | - Chenye Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China; Innovation Academy for Green Manufacture Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
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7
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Zhang P, Xu L, Chen H, Abate AR. Flow cytometric printing of double emulsions into open droplet arrays. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:2371-2377. [PMID: 37070963 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00151b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Delivery of double emulsions in air is crucial for their applications in mass spectrometry, bioanalytics, and material synthesis. However, while methods have been developed to generate double emulsions in air, controlled printing of double emulsion droplets has not been achieved yet. In this paper, we present an approach for in-air printing of double emulsions on demand. Our approach pre-encapsulates reagents in an emulsion that is reinjected into the device, and generates double emulsions in a microfluidic printhead with spatially patterned wettability. Our device allows sorting of ejected double emulsion droplets in real-time, allowing deterministic printing of each droplet to be selected with the desired inner cores. Our method provides a general platform for building printed double emulsion droplet arrays of defined composition at scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Linfeng Xu
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Huawei Chen
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Adam R Abate
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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8
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Zhao J, Bhandari B, Gaiani C, Prakash S. Fermentation of almond-based gel incorporated with double emulsion (W1/O/W2): a study on gel properties and effectiveness of double emulsion as a fat replacer. FOOD STRUCTURE 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foostr.2023.100322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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9
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Zhuang S, Liu H, Inglis DW, Li M. Tuneable Cell-Laden Double-Emulsion Droplets for Enhanced Signal Detection. Anal Chem 2023; 95:2039-2046. [PMID: 36634052 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) or double-emulsion (DE) droplets have been widely used for cellular assays at a single-cell level because of their stability and biocompatibility. The oil shell of w/o/w droplets plays the role of a semipermeable membrane that allows substances with low molecular weight (e.g., water) to travel through but restricts those with high molecular weight (e.g., fluorescent biomarkers). Therefore, the core of DEs can be manipulated using osmosis, resulting in the shrinking or swelling of the core. Water leaves the inner aqueous phase to the outer phase via the oil shell when the osmotic pressure of the outer phase is higher than that in the inner phase, causing the shrinkage of DEs and vice versa. These processes can be achieved by transferring the DEs to hypertonic or hypotonic solutions. Manipulation of the core size of DEs can be beneficial to cellular assays. First, due to the selectivity of the oil shell of DEs, the concentration of biomarkers in the core increases when the inner aqueous phase is shrunk, resulting in the enhancement of biosignals. We demonstrate this by encapsulating the Bgl3 enzyme-secreting yeast with a substrate that displays fluorescence after hydrolyzation. In a second application, a single GFP-tagged yeast cell was encapsulated in DEs. After swelling the core of DEs, we observe that the larger core of DEs promotes cell growth compared to those with the smaller cores, leading to more intracellular proteins (green-fluorescent protein) for screening. These osmotic manipulations provide new tools for droplet-based biochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Zhuang
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Hangrui Liu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - David W Inglis
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Ming Li
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- Biomolecular Discovery Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
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10
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Aubry G, Lee HJ, Lu H. Advances in Microfluidics: Technical Innovations and Applications in Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Anal Chem 2023; 95:444-467. [PMID: 36625114 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Aubry
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Hyun Jee Lee
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.,Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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11
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Dofuor AK, Quartey NKA, Osabutey AF, Boateng BO, Lutuf H, Osei JHN, Ayivi-Tosuh SM, Aiduenu AF, Ekloh W, Loh SK, Opoku MJ, Aidoo OF. The Global Impact of COVID-19: Historical Development, Molecular Characterization, Drug Discovery and Future Directions. CLINICAL PATHOLOGY (THOUSAND OAKS, VENTURA COUNTY, CALIF.) 2023; 16:2632010X231218075. [PMID: 38144436 PMCID: PMC10748929 DOI: 10.1177/2632010x231218075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
In December 2019, an outbreak of a respiratory disease called the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a new coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began in Wuhan, China. The SARS-CoV-2, an encapsulated positive-stranded RNA virus, spread worldwide with disastrous consequences for people's health, economies, and quality of life. The disease has had far-reaching impacts on society, including economic disruption, school closures, and increased stress and anxiety. It has also highlighted disparities in healthcare access and outcomes, with marginalized communities disproportionately affected by the SARS-CoV-2. The symptoms of COVID-19 range from mild to severe. There is presently no effective cure. Nevertheless, significant progress has been made in developing COVID-19 vaccine for different therapeutic targets. For instance, scientists developed multifold vaccine candidates shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak after Pfizer and AstraZeneca discovered the initial COVID-19 vaccines. These vaccines reduce disease spread, severity, and mortality. The addition of rapid diagnostics to microscopy for COVID-19 diagnosis has proven crucial. Our review provides a thorough overview of the historical development of COVID-19 and molecular and biochemical characterization of the SARS-CoV-2. We highlight the potential contributions from insect and plant sources as anti-SARS-CoV-2 and present directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aboagye Kwarteng Dofuor
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
| | - Naa Kwarley-Aba Quartey
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Biosciences, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | | | - Belinda Obenewa Boateng
- Coconut Research Program, Oil Palm Research Institute, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana
| | - Hanif Lutuf
- Crop Protection Division, Oil Palm Research Institute, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kade, Ghana
| | - Joseph Harold Nyarko Osei
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Selina Mawunyo Ayivi-Tosuh
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Albert Fynn Aiduenu
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - William Ekloh
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Seyram Kofi Loh
- Department of Built Environment, School of Sustainable Development, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
| | - Maxwell Jnr Opoku
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
| | - Owusu Fordjour Aidoo
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
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12
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Design of shear-based microfluidic channels for production and stability assessment of food emulsions. Curr Opin Food Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cofs.2022.100957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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13
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Fabrication of a Cell-Friendly Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Culture Surface via Polydopamine Coating. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13071122. [PMID: 35888939 PMCID: PMC9315764 DOI: 10.3390/mi13071122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we fabricated a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surface coated with polydopamine (PDA) to enhance cell adhesion. PDA is well known for improving surface adhesion on various surfaces due to the abundant reactions enabled by the phenyl, amine, and catechol groups contained within it. To confirm the successful surface coating with PDA, the water contact angle and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were analyzed. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human-bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were cultured on the PDA-coated PDMS surface to evaluate potential improvements in cell adhesion and proliferation. HUVECs were also cultured inside a cylindrical PDMS microchannel, which was constructed to mimic a human blood vessel, and their growth and performance were compared to those of cells grown inside a rectangular microchannel. This study provides a helpful perspective for building a platform that mimics in vivo environments in a more realistic manner.
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14
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Feng C, Takahashi K, Zhu J. Simple One-Step and Rapid Patterning of PDMS Microfluidic Device Wettability for PDMS Shell Production. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:891213. [PMID: 35519623 PMCID: PMC9061991 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.891213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Double emulsion (DE) droplets with controlled size and internal structure are a promising platform for biological analysis, chemical synthesis, and drug delivery systems. However, to further “democratize” their application, new methods that enable simple and precise spatial patterning of the surface wettability of droplet-generating microfluidic devices are still needed. Here, by leveraging the increase in hydrophilicity of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) due to the plasma-treatment used to permanently bond to glass, we developed a one-step method to selectively pattern the wettability of PDMS microfluidic devices for DE generation. Our results show that both Aquapel-treated and 1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorodecyltriethoxysilan (PFDTES)-treated devices are functionally showing the generality of our method. With the resulting microfluidic devices, both water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) and oil-in-water-in-oil (o/w/o) DE droplets can be produced. Using a PDMS mixture containing cross-linking agents, we formed PDMS microcapsules by solidifying the shell layer of water-in-PDMS-in-water DE droplets. We also characterize the morphological properties of the generated droplets/microcapsules. We anticipate the method developed in this work could be used in a broad range of applications of DE droplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunying Feng
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Chunying Feng,
| | - Kohei Takahashi
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Jianan Zhu
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
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15
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Concilia G, Lai A, Thurgood P, Pirogova E, Baratchi S, Khoshmanesh K. Investigating the mechanotransduction of transient shear stress mediated by Piezo1 ion channel using a 3D printed dynamic gravity pump. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:262-271. [PMID: 34931212 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00927c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic systems are widely used for studying the mechanotransduction of flow-induced shear stress in mechanosensitive cells. However, these studies are generally performed under constant flow rates, mainly, due to the deficiency of existing pumps for generating transient flows. To address this limitation, we have developed a unique dynamic gravity pump to generate transient flows in microfluidics. The pump utilises a motorised 3D-printed cam-lever mechanism to change the inlet pressure of the system in repeated cycles. 3D printing technology facilitates the rapid and low-cost prototyping of the pump. Customised transient flow patterns can be generated by modulating the profile, size, and rotational speed of the cam, location of the hinge along the lever, and the height of the syringe. Using this unique dynamic gravity pump, we investigated the mechanotransduction of shear stress in HEK293 cells stably expressing Piezo1 mechanosensitive ion channel under transient flows. The controllable, simple, low-cost, compact, and modular design of the pump makes it suitable for studying the mechanobiology of shear sensitive cells under transient flows.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Austin Lai
- School of Health & Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Peter Thurgood
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Elena Pirogova
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Sara Baratchi
- School of Health & Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
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Zhu P, Wang L. Microfluidics-Enabled Soft Manufacture of Materials with Tailorable Wettability. Chem Rev 2021; 122:7010-7060. [PMID: 34918913 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidics and wettability are interrelated and mutually reinforcing fields, experiencing synergistic growth. Surface wettability is paramount in regulating microfluidic flows for processing and manipulating fluids at the microscale. Microfluidics, in turn, has emerged as a versatile platform for tailoring the wettability of materials. We present a critical review on the microfluidics-enabled soft manufacture (MESM) of materials with well-controlled wettability and their multidisciplinary applications. Microfluidics provides a variety of liquid templates for engineering materials with exquisite composition and morphology, laying the foundation for precisely controlling the wettability. Depending on the degree of ordering, liquid templates are divided into individual droplets, one-dimensional (1D) arrays, and two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) assemblies for the modular fabrication of microparticles, microfibers, and monolithic porous materials, respectively. Future exploration of MESM will enrich the diversity of chemical composition and physical structure for wettability control and thus markedly broaden the application horizons across engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine. This review aims to systematize this emerging yet robust technology, with the hope of aiding the realization of its full potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingan Zhu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Liqiu Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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