1
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Bartkova S, Zapotoczna M, Sanka I, Scheler O. A Guide to Biodetection in Droplets. Anal Chem 2024; 96:9745-9755. [PMID: 38842026 PMCID: PMC11190884 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Droplet-based methods for optical biodetection enable unprecedented high-throughput experimental parameters. The methods, however, remain underused due to the accompanying multidisciplinary and complicated experimental workflows. Here, we provide a tutorial for droplet-based optical biodetection workflows with a focus on the key aspect of label selection. By discussing and guiding readers through recent state-of-the-art studies, we aim to make droplet-based approaches more accessible to the general scientific public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Bartkova
- Department
of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn
University of Technology (TalTech), Akadeemia tee 15, Tallinn 12618, Estonia
| | - Marta Zapotoczna
- Faculty
of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Immanuel Sanka
- Department
of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn
University of Technology (TalTech), Akadeemia tee 15, Tallinn 12618, Estonia
| | - Ott Scheler
- Department
of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn
University of Technology (TalTech), Akadeemia tee 15, Tallinn 12618, Estonia
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2
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Prabhakar RG, Fan G, Alnahhas RN, Hirning AJ, Bennett MR, Shamoo Y. Indirect Enrichment of Desirable, but Less Fit Phenotypes, from a Synthetic Microbial Community Using Microdroplet Confinement. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1239-1251. [PMID: 36929925 PMCID: PMC11259032 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Spatial structure within microbial communities can provide nearly limitless opportunities for social interactions and are an important driver for evolution. As metabolites are often molecular signals, metabolite diffusion within microbial communities can affect the composition and dynamics of the community in a manner that can be challenging to deconstruct. We used encapsulation of a synthetic microbial community within microdroplets to investigate the effects of spatial structure and metabolite diffusion on population dynamics and to examine the effects of cheating by one member of the community. The synthetic community was composed of three strains: a "Producer" that makes the diffusible quorum sensing molecule (N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone, C12-oxo-HSL) or AHL; a "Receiver" that is killed by AHL; and a Non-Producer or "cheater" that benefits from the extinction of the Receivers, but without the costs associated with the AHL synthesis. We demonstrate that despite rapid diffusion of AHL between microdroplets, the spatial structure imposed by the microdroplets allows a more efficient but transient enrichment of more rare and slower-growing Producer subpopulations. Eventually, the Non-Producer population drove the Producers to extinction. By including fluorescence-activated microdroplet sorting and providing sustained competition by the Receiver strain, we demonstrate a strategy for indirect enrichment of a rare and unlabeled Producer. The ability to screen and enrich metabolite Producers from a much larger population under conditions of rapid diffusion provides an important framework for the development of applications in synthetic ecology and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gaoyang Fan
- Department of Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204, United States
| | - Razan N Alnahhas
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 77005, United States
| | - Andrew J Hirning
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 77005, United States
| | - Matthew R Bennett
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 77005, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 77005, United States
| | - Yousif Shamoo
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 77005, United States
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3
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Liu J, Lyu X, Zhou Z, Yang L, Zeng J, Yang Y, Zhao Z, Chen R, Tong X, Li J, Liu H, Zou Y. Multifunctional Droplets Formed by Interfacially Self-Assembled Fluorinated Magnetic Nanoparticles for Biocompatible Single Cell Culture and Magnet-Driven Manipulation. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:17324-17334. [PMID: 36962257 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c23003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The ability to encapsulate and manipulate droplets with a picoliter volume of samples and reagents shows great potential for practical applications in chemistry, biology, and materials science. Magnetic control is a promising approach for droplet manipulation due to its ability for wireless control and its ease of implementation. However, it is challenged by the poor biocompatibility of magnetic materials in aqueous droplets. Moreover, current droplet technology is problematic because of the molecule leakage between droplets. In the paper, we propose multifunctional droplets with the surface coated by a layer of fluorinated magnetic nanoparticles for magnetically actuated droplet manipulation. Multifunctional droplets show excellent biocompatibility for cell culture, nonleakage of molecules, and high response to a magnetic field. We developed a strategy of coating the F-MNP@SiO2 on the outer surface of droplets instead of adding magnetic material into droplets to enable droplets with a highly magnetic response. The encapsulated bacteria and cells in droplets did not need to directly contact with the magnetic materials at the outer surface, showing high biocompatibility with living cells. These droplets can be precisely manipulated based on magnet distance, the time duration of the magnetic field, the droplet size, and the MNP composition, which well match with theoretical analysis. The precise magnetically actuated droplet manipulation shows great potential for accurate and sensitive droplet-based bioassays like single cell analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahe Liu
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Xiaoyan Lyu
- Department of Dermatology, Laboratory of Dermatology, Clinical Institute of Inflammation and Immunology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Ziwei Zhou
- Central Laboratory of Yongchuan Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 402160, China
| | - Lin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Jie Zeng
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Yao Yang
- Department of Dermatology, Laboratory of Dermatology, Clinical Institute of Inflammation and Immunology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhenghuan Zhao
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Rui Chen
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Xin Tong
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Jiaqi Li
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Hailan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Yuan Zou
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
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4
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Akuoko Y, Nagliati HF, Millward CJ, Woolley AT. Improving droplet microfluidic systems for studying single bacteria growth. Anal Bioanal Chem 2023; 415:695-701. [PMID: 36469054 PMCID: PMC10501485 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-04459-9] [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: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance remains a global threat with ~ 5 million deaths in 2019 alone and 10 million deaths projected every year by 2050. Current tools employed in the analysis of bacteria can be time inefficient, leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment. In this work, we develop a microfluidic setup capable of bacteria incubation and detection of growth in ~ 2 h. We fabricated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchips via soft lithography, enclosed microchannels by plasma bonding to glass, and utilized PDMS blocks for simplified connection of devices to a flow system. We generated uniform droplets enclosing zero, one or two bacteria within our devices, and incubated droplet-encapsulated bacteria with 100 × lower concentrations of a fluorescence probe of bacterial growth compared to prior work. We assessed bacterial growth via laser induced fluorescence after room temperature incubation for 2 h and obtained a range of signals corresponding to droplets with or without bacteria. Our devices allow for online droplet incubation, monitoring, detection, and tracking. Developing microfluidic chips for single bacteria studies will improve the analysis and treatment of antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesman Akuoko
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Heitor F Nagliati
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Calton J Millward
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Adam T Woolley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
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5
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Prabhakar RG, Fan G, Alnahhas RN, Hirning AJ, Bennett MR, Shamoo Y. Indirect enrichment of desirable, but less fit phenotypes, from a synthetic microbial community using microdroplet confinement. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.11.523444. [PMID: 36711600 PMCID: PMC9882018 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.11.523444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Spatial structure within microbial communities can provide nearly limitless opportunities for social interactions and are an important driver for evolution. As metabolites are often molecular signals, metabolite diffusion within microbial communities can affect the composition and dynamics of the community in a manner that can be challenging to deconstruct. We used encapsulation of a synthetic microbial community within microdroplets to investigate the effects of spatial structure and metabolite diffusion on population dynamics and to examine the effects of cheating by one member of the community. The synthetic community was comprised of three strains: a 'Producer' that makes the diffusible quorum sensing molecule ( N -(3-Oxododecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone, C12-oxo-HSL) or AHL; a 'Receiver' that is killed by AHL and a Non-Producer or 'cheater' that benefits from the extinction of the Receivers, but without the costs associated with the AHL synthesis. We demonstrate that despite rapid diffusion of AHL between microdroplets, the spatial structure imposed by the microdroplets allow a more efficient but transient enrichment of more rare and slower growing 'Producer' subpopulations. Eventually, the Non-Producer population drove the Producers to extinction. By including fluorescence-activated microdroplet sorting and providing sustained competition by the Receiver strain, we demonstrate a strategy for indirect enrichment of a rare and unlabeled Producer. The ability to screen and enrich metabolite Producers from a much larger population under conditions of rapid diffusion provides an important framework for the development of applications in synthetic ecology and biotechnology. Abstract Figure
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gaoyang Fan
- Department of Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Razan N Alnahhas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Andrew J Hirning
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, United States
| | - Matthew R Bennett
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, United States
| | - Yousif Shamoo
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, United States
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6
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Ruszczak A, Jankowski P, Vasantham SK, Scheler O, Garstecki P. Physicochemical Properties Predict Retention of Antibiotics in Water-in-Oil Droplets. Anal Chem 2023; 95:1574-1581. [PMID: 36598882 PMCID: PMC9850403 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Water-in-oil droplet microfluidics promises capacity for high-throughput single-cell antimicrobial susceptibility assays and investigation of drug resistance mechanisms. Every droplet must serve as an isolated environment with a controlled antibiotic concentration in such assays. While technologies for generation, incubation, screening, and sorting droplets mature, predictable retention of active molecules inside droplets remains a major outstanding challenge. Here, we analyzed 36 descriptors of the antibiotic molecules against experimental results on the cross-talk of antibiotics in droplets. We show that partition coefficient and fractional polar surface area are the key physicochemical properties that predict antibiotic retention. We verified the prediction by monitoring growth inhibition by antibiotic-loaded neighboring droplets. Our experiments also demonstrate that transfer of antibiotics between droplets is concentration- and distance-dependent. Our findings immediately apply to designing droplet antibiotic assays and give deeper insight into the retention of small molecules in water-in-oil emulsions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artur Ruszczak
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paweł Jankowski
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Shreyas K. Vasantham
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ott Scheler
- Department
of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn
University of Technology (TalTech), Akadeemia tee 15, Tallinn 12618, Estonia,
| | - Piotr Garstecki
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland,
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7
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Postek W, Pacocha N, Garstecki P. Microfluidics for antibiotic susceptibility testing. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:3637-3662. [PMID: 36069631 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00394e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The rise of antibiotic resistance is a threat to global health. Rapid and comprehensive analysis of infectious strains is critical to reducing the global use of antibiotics, as informed antibiotic use could slow down the emergence of resistant strains worldwide. Multiple platforms for antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) have been developed with the use of microfluidic solutions. Here we describe microfluidic systems that have been proposed to aid AST. We identify the key contributions in overcoming outstanding challenges associated with the required degree of multiplexing, reduction of detection time, scalability, ease of use, and capacity for commercialization. We introduce the reader to microfluidics in general, and we analyze the challenges and opportunities related to the field of microfluidic AST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Witold Postek
- Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warszawa, Poland.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Merkin Building, 415 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Natalia Pacocha
- Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warszawa, Poland.
| | - Piotr Garstecki
- Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warszawa, Poland.
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8
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Yu Y, Wen H, Li S, Cao H, Li X, Ma Z, She X, Zhou L, Huang S. Emerging microfluidic technologies for microbiome research. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:906979. [PMID: 36051769 PMCID: PMC9424851 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.906979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of the microbiome is increasingly prominent. For example, the human microbiome has been proven to be strongly associated with health conditions, while the environmental microbiome is recognized to have a profound influence on agriculture and even the global climate. Furthermore, the microbiome can serve as a fascinating reservoir of genes that encode tremendously valuable compounds for industrial and medical applications. In the past decades, various technologies have been developed to better understand and exploit the microbiome. In particular, microfluidics has demonstrated its strength and prominence in the microbiome research. By taking advantage of microfluidic technologies, inherited shortcomings of traditional methods such as low throughput, labor-consuming, and high-cost are being compensated or bypassed. In this review, we will summarize a broad spectrum of microfluidic technologies that have addressed various needs in the field of microbiome research, as well as the achievements that were enabled by the microfluidics (or technological advances). Finally, how microfluidics overcomes the limitations of conventional methods by technology integration will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hui Wen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Sihong Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haojie Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuefei Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhixin Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaoyi She
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lei Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuqiang Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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9
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Droplet-based methods for tackling antimicrobial resistance. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 76:102755. [PMID: 35841864 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Application of droplet-based methods enables (i) faster detection, (ii) increased sensitivity, (iii) characterization of the level of heterogeneity in response to antibiotics by bacterial populations, and (iv) expanded screening of the effectiveness of antibiotic combinations. Hereby, we discuss the key steps and parameters of droplet-based experiments to investigate antimicrobial resistance. We also review recent findings accomplished with these methods and highlight their advantages and capacity to yield new insights into the problem of antimicrobial resistance.
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10
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Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Cole T, Zheng J, Bayinqiaoge, Guo J, Tang SY. Microfluidic flow cytometry for blood-based biomarker analysis. Analyst 2022; 147:2895-2917. [PMID: 35611964 DOI: 10.1039/d2an00283c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Flow cytometry has proven its capability for rapid and quantitative analysis of individual cells and the separation of targeted biological samples from others. The emerging microfluidics technology makes it possible to develop portable microfluidic diagnostic devices for point-of-care testing (POCT) applications. Microfluidic flow cytometry (MFCM), where flow cytometry and microfluidics are combined to achieve similar or even superior functionalities on microfluidic chips, provides a powerful single-cell characterisation and sorting tool for various biological samples. In recent years, researchers have made great progress in the development of the MFCM including focusing, detecting, and sorting subsystems, and its unique capabilities have been demonstrated in various biological applications. Moreover, liquid biopsy using blood can provide various physiological and pathological information. Thus, biomarkers from blood are regarded as meaningful circulating transporters of signal molecules or particles and have great potential to be used as non (or minimally)-invasive diagnostic tools. In this review, we summarise the recent progress of the key subsystems for MFCM and its achievements in blood-based biomarker analysis. Finally, foresight is offered to highlight the research challenges faced by MFCM in expanding into blood-based POCT applications, potentially yielding commercialisation opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Zhang
- Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
| | - Ying Zhao
- National Chengdu Centre of Safety Evaluation of Drugs, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tim Cole
- Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
| | - Jiahao Zheng
- Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
| | - Bayinqiaoge
- Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
| | - Jinhong Guo
- The M.O.E. Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medical Diagnostics, The College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, #1 Yixueyuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China.
| | - Shi-Yang Tang
- Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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11
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Gimeno‐Pérez M, Finnigan JD, Echeverria C, Charnock SJ, Hidalgo A, Mate DM. A Coupled Ketoreductase-Diaphorase Assay for the Detection of Polyethylene Terephthalate-Hydrolyzing Activity. CHEMSUSCHEM 2022; 15:e202102750. [PMID: 35315974 PMCID: PMC9321771 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202102750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In the last two decades, several PET-degrading enzymes from already known microorganisms or metagenomic sources have been discovered to face the growing environmental concern of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) accumulation. However, there is a limited number of high-throughput screening protocols for PET-hydrolyzing activity that avoid the use of surrogate substrates. Herein, a microplate fluorescence screening assay was described. It was based on the coupled activity of ketoreductases (KREDs) and diaphorase to release resorufin in the presence of the products of PET degradation. Six KREDs were identified in a commercial panel that were able to use the PET building block, ethylene glycol, as substrate. The most efficient KRED, KRED61, was combined with the diaphorase from Clostridium kluyveri to monitor the PET degradation reaction catalyzed by the thermostable variant of the cutinase-type polyesterase from Saccharomonospora viridis AHK190. The PET degradation products were measured both fluorimetrically and by HPLC, with excellent correlation between both methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Gimeno‐Pérez
- Department of Molecular BiologyUniversidad Autónoma de MadridCampus de CantoblancoMadrid28049Spain
- Center of Molecular Biology “Severo Ochoa” (UAM-CSIC)Nicolás Cabrera 1Madrid28049Spain
- Institute for Molecular Biology-IUBMUniversidad Autónoma de MadridCampus de CantoblancoMadrid28049Spain
| | | | - Coro Echeverria
- Institute of Polymer Science and TechnologySpanish Research CouncilJuan de la Cierva 328006MadridSpain
| | | | - Aurelio Hidalgo
- Department of Molecular BiologyUniversidad Autónoma de MadridCampus de CantoblancoMadrid28049Spain
- Center of Molecular Biology “Severo Ochoa” (UAM-CSIC)Nicolás Cabrera 1Madrid28049Spain
- Institute for Molecular Biology-IUBMUniversidad Autónoma de MadridCampus de CantoblancoMadrid28049Spain
| | - Diana M. Mate
- Department of Molecular BiologyUniversidad Autónoma de MadridCampus de CantoblancoMadrid28049Spain
- Center of Molecular Biology “Severo Ochoa” (UAM-CSIC)Nicolás Cabrera 1Madrid28049Spain
- Institute for Molecular Biology-IUBMUniversidad Autónoma de MadridCampus de CantoblancoMadrid28049Spain
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12
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Postek W, Garstecki P. Droplet Microfluidics for High-Throughput Analysis of Antibiotic Susceptibility in Bacterial Cells and Populations. Acc Chem Res 2022; 55:605-615. [PMID: 35119826 PMCID: PMC8892833 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are an increasing concern both in everyday life and specialized environments such as healthcare. As the rate of antibiotic-resistant infections rises, so do complications to health and the risk of disability and death. Urgent action is required regarding the discovery of new antibiotics and rapid diagnosis of the resistance profile of an infectious pathogen as well as a better understanding of population and single-cell distribution of the resistance level. High-throughput screening is the major affordance of droplet microfluidics. Droplet screens can be exploited both to look for combinations of drugs that could stop an infection of multidrug-resistant bacteria and to search for the source of resistance via directed-evolution experiments or the analysis of various responses to a drug by genetically identical bacteria. In droplet techniques that have been used in this way for over a decade, aqueous droplets containing antibiotics and bacteria are manipulated both within and outside of the microfluidic devices. The diagnostics problem was approached by producing a series of microfluidic systems with integrated dilution modules for automated preparation of antibiotic concentration gradients, achieving the speed that allowed for high-throughput combinatorial assays. We developed a method for automated emulsification of a series of samples that facilitated measuring the resistance levels of thousands of individual cells encapsulated in droplets and quantifying the inoculum effect, the dependence of resistance level on bacterial cell count. Screening of single cells encapsulated in droplets with varying antibiotic contents has revealed a distribution of resistance levels within populations of clonally identical cells. To be able to screen bacteria from clinical samples, a study of fluorescent dyes in droplets determined that a derivative of a popular viability marker is more suitable for droplet assays. We have developed a detection system that analyzes the growth or death state of bacteria with antibiotics for thousands of droplets per second by measuring the scattering of light hitting the droplets without labeling the cells or droplets. The droplet-based microchemostats enabled long-term evolution of resistance experiments, which will be integrated with high-throughput single-cell assays to better understand the mechanism of resistance acquisition and loss. These techniques underlie automated combinatorial screens of antibiotic resistance in single cells from clinical samples. We hope that this Account will inspire new droplet-based research on the antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Witold Postek
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warszawa, Poland
| | - Piotr Garstecki
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warszawa, Poland
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13
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Zachos I, Genth R, Sutiono S, Marczynski M, Lieleg O, Sieber V. Hot Flows: Evolving an Archaeal Glucose Dehydrogenase for Ultrastable Carba-NADP+ Using Microfluidics at Elevated Temperatures. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c04320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Zachos
- Chair of Chemistry of Biogenic Resources, Technical University of Munich, Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Schulgasse 16, Straubing 94315, Germany
| | - Robert Genth
- Chair of Chemistry of Biogenic Resources, Technical University of Munich, Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Schulgasse 16, Straubing 94315, Germany
| | - Samuel Sutiono
- Chair of Chemistry of Biogenic Resources, Technical University of Munich, Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Schulgasse 16, Straubing 94315, Germany
| | - Matthias Marczynski
- TUM School of Engineering and Design, Department of Materials Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstraße 15, Garching 85748, Germany
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer Straße 8, Garching 85748, Germany
| | - Oliver Lieleg
- TUM School of Engineering and Design, Department of Materials Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstraße 15, Garching 85748, Germany
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer Straße 8, Garching 85748, Germany
| | - Volker Sieber
- Chair of Chemistry of Biogenic Resources, Technical University of Munich, Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Schulgasse 16, Straubing 94315, Germany
- Catalytic Research Center, Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Straße 1, Garching 85748, Germany
- SynBiofoundry@TUM, Technical University of Munich, Straubing 94315, Germany
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, 68 Copper Road, St. Lucia 4072, Australia
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14
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Hsieh K, Mach KE, Zhang P, Liao JC, Wang TH. Combating Antimicrobial Resistance via Single-Cell Diagnostic Technologies Powered by Droplet Microfluidics. Acc Chem Res 2022; 55:123-133. [PMID: 34898173 PMCID: PMC10023138 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat that if left unchecked could lead to 10 million annual mortalities by 2050. One factor contributing to the rise of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) pathogens is the reliance on traditional culture-based pathogen identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) that typically takes several days. This delay of objective pathogen ID and AST information to inform clinical decision making results in clinicians treating patients empirically often using first-line, broad-spectrum antibiotics, contributing to the misuse/overuse of antibiotics. To combat the rise in MDR pathogens, there is a critical demand for rapid ID and AST technologies. Among the advances in ID and AST technologies in the past decade, single-cell diagnostic technologies powered by droplet microfluidics offer great promise due to their potential for high-sensitivity detection and rapid turnaround time. Our laboratory has been at the forefront of developing such technologies and applying them to diagnosing urinary tract infections (UTIs), one of the most common infections and a frequent reason for the prescription of antimicrobials. For pathogen ID, we first demonstrated the highly sensitive, amplification-free detection of single bacterial cells by confining them in picoliter-scale droplets and detection with fluorogenic peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes that target their 16S rRNA (rRNA), a well-characterized marker for phylogenic classification. We subsequently improved the PNA probe design and enhanced detection sensitivity. For single-cell AST, we first employed a growth indicator dye and engineered an integrated device that allows us to detect growth from single bacterial cells under antibiotic exposure within 1 h, equivalent to two to three bacterial replications. To expand beyond testing a single antibiotic condition per device, a common limitation for droplet microfluidics, we developed an integrated programmable droplet microfluidic device for scalable single-cell AST. Using the scalable single-cell AST platform, we demonstrated the generation of up to 32 droplet groups in a single device with custom antibiotic titers and the capacity to scale up single-cell AST, and providing reliable pathogen categories beyond a binary call embodies a critical advance. Finally, we developed an integrated ID and AST platform. To this end, we developed a PNA probe panel that can identify nearly 90% of uropathogens and showed the quantitative detection of 16S rRNA from single bacterial cells in droplet-enabled AST after as little as 10 min of antibiotic exposure. This platform achieved both ID and AST from minimally processed urine samples in 30 min, representing one of the fastest turnaround times to date. In addition to tracing the development of our technologies, we compare them with contemporary research advances and offer our perspectives for future development, with the vision that single-cell ID and AST technologies powered by droplet microfluidics can indeed become a useful diagnostic tool for combating antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathleen E Mach
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | | | - Joseph C Liao
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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15
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MORITA M, OTA Y, NODA N. Microbial Culture and Detection Technology in a Confined Cell-sized Small Compartment. BUNSEKI KAGAKU 2021. [DOI: 10.2116/bunsekikagaku.70.335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masamune MORITA
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
| | - Yuri OTA
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
| | - Naohiro NODA
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
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16
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Zhu Y, Li J, Lin X, Huang X, Hoffmann MR. Single-Cell Phenotypic Analysis and Digital Molecular Detection Linkable by a Hydrogel Bead-Based Platform. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2021; 4:2664-2674. [PMID: 33763633 PMCID: PMC7976597 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c01615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cell heterogeneity, such as antibiotic heteroresistance and cancer cell heterogeneity, has been increasingly observed. To probe the underlying molecular mechanisms in the dynamically changing heterogeneous cells, a high throughput platform is urgently needed to establish single cell genotype-phenotype correlations. Herein, we report a platform combining single-cell viability phenotypic analysis with digital molecular detection for bacterial cells. The platform utilizes polyethylene glycol hydrogel that cross-links through a thiol-Michael addition, which is biocompatible, fast, and spontaneous. To generate uniform nanoliter-sized hydrogel beads (Gelbeads), we developed a convenient and disposable device made of needles and microcentrifuge tubes. Gelbead-based single cell viability and molecular detection assays were established. Enhanced thermal stability and uncompromised efficiency were achieved for digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and digital loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) within the Gelbeads. Reagent exchange for in situ PCR following viability phenotypic analyses was demonstrated. The combined analyses may address the genotypic differences between cellular subpopulations exhibiting distinct phenotypes. The platform promises unique perspectives in mechanism elucidation of environment-evolution interaction that may be extended to other cell types for medical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanzhe Zhu
- Linde+Robinson Laboratories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Jing Li
- Linde+Robinson Laboratories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Xingyu Lin
- Linde+Robinson Laboratories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Xiao Huang
- Linde+Robinson Laboratories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Michael R Hoffmann
- Linde+Robinson Laboratories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
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17
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van Tatenhove-Pel RJ, Zwering E, Boreel DF, Falk M, van Heerden JH, Kes MBMJ, Kranenburg CI, Botman D, Teusink B, Bachmann H. Serial propagation in water-in-oil emulsions selects for Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with a reduced cell size or an increased biomass yield on glucose. Metab Eng 2021; 64:1-14. [PMID: 33418011 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2020.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In S. cerevisiae and many other micro-organisms an increase in metabolic efficiency (i.e. ATP yield on carbon) is accompanied by a decrease in growth rate. From a fundamental point of view, studying these yield-rate trade-offs provides insight in for example microbial evolution and cellular regulation. From a biotechnological point of view, increasing the ATP yield on carbon might increase the yield of anabolic products. We here aimed to select S. cerevisiae mutants with an increased biomass yield. Serial propagation of individual cells in water-in-oil emulsions previously enabled the selection of lactococci with increased biomass yields, and adapting this protocol for yeast allowed us to enrich an engineered Crabtree-negative S. cerevisiae strain with a high biomass yield on glucose. When we started the selection with an S. cerevisiae deletion collection, serial propagation in emulsion enriched hxk2Δ and reg1Δ strains with an increased biomass yield on glucose. Surprisingly, a tps1Δ strain was highly abundant in both emulsion- and suspension-propagated populations. In a separate experiment we propagated a chemically mutagenized S. cerevisiae population in emulsion, which resulted in mutants with a higher cell number yield on glucose, but no significantly changed biomass yield. Genome analyses indicate that genes involved in glucose repression and cell cycle processes play a role in the selected phenotypes. The repeated identification of mutations in genes involved in glucose-repression indicates that serial propagation in emulsion is a valuable tool to study metabolic efficiency in S. cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinke Johanna van Tatenhove-Pel
- Systems Biology Lab, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1108, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Emile Zwering
- Systems Biology Lab, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1108, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Daan Floris Boreel
- Systems Biology Lab, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1108, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Martijn Falk
- Systems Biology Lab, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1108, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Johan Hendrik van Heerden
- Systems Biology Lab, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1108, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mariah B M J Kes
- Systems Biology Lab, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1108, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Cindy Iris Kranenburg
- Systems Biology Lab, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1108, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dennis Botman
- Systems Biology Lab, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1108, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Bas Teusink
- Systems Biology Lab, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1108, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Herwig Bachmann
- Systems Biology Lab, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1108, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; NIZO Food Research, Kernhemseweg 2, 6718ZB, Ede, the Netherlands.
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18
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Hengoju S, Tovar M, Man DKW, Buchheim S, Rosenbaum MA. Droplet Microfluidics for Microbial Biotechnology. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2020; 179:129-157. [PMID: 32888037 DOI: 10.1007/10_2020_140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics has recently evolved as a prominent platform for high-throughput experimentation for various research fields including microbiology. Key features of droplet microfluidics, like compartmentalization, miniaturization, and parallelization, have enabled many possibilities for microbiology including cultivation of microorganisms at a single-cell level, study of microbial interactions in a community, detection and analysis of microbial products, and screening of extensive microbial libraries with ultrahigh-throughput and minimal reagent consumptions. In this book chapter, we present several aspects and applications of droplet microfluidics for its implementation in various fields of microbial biotechnology. Recent advances in the cultivation of microorganisms in droplets including methods for isolation and domestication of rare microbes are reviewed. Similarly, a comparison of different detection and analysis techniques for microbial activities is summarized. Finally, several microbial applications are discussed with a focus on exploring new antimicrobials and high-throughput enzyme activity screening. We aim to highlight the advantages, limitations, and current developments in droplet microfluidics for microbial biotechnology while envisioning its enormous potential applications in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sundar Hengoju
- Bio Pilot Plant, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knöll-Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.,Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University (FSU), Jena, Germany
| | - Miguel Tovar
- Bio Pilot Plant, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knöll-Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - DeDe Kwun Wai Man
- Bio Pilot Plant, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knöll-Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Stefanie Buchheim
- Bio Pilot Plant, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knöll-Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.,Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University (FSU), Jena, Germany
| | - Miriam A Rosenbaum
- Bio Pilot Plant, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knöll-Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany. .,Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University (FSU), Jena, Germany.
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19
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20
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Hedde PN, Bouzin M, Abram TJ, Chen X, Toosky MN, Vu T, Li Y, Zhao W, Gratton E. Rapid isolation of rare targets from large fluid volumes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12458. [PMID: 32719382 PMCID: PMC7385493 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69315-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapidly isolating rare targets from larger, clinically relevant fluid volumes remains an unresolved problem in biomedicine and diagnosis. Here, we describe how 3D particle sorting can enrich targets at ultralow concentrations over 100-fold within minutes not possible with conventional approaches. Current clinical devices based on biochemical extraction and microfluidic solutions typically require high concentrations and/or can only process sub-milliliter volumes in time. In a proof-of-concept application, we isolated bacteria from whole blood as demanded for rapid sepsis diagnosis where minimal numbers of bacteria need to be found in a 1–10 mL blood sample. After sample encapsulation in droplets and target enrichment with the 3D particle sorter within a few minutes, downstream analyses were able to identify bacteria and test for antibiotic susceptibility, information which is critical for successful treatment of bloodstream infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per Niklas Hedde
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Manoa, HI, USA.
| | - Margaux Bouzin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.,Physics Department, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Xiaoming Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | | | - Tam Vu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Yiyan Li
- Department of Physics and Engineering, Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO, USA
| | - Weian Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Edwards Life Sciences Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Technology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Enrico Gratton
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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21
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Scheler O, Makuch K, Debski PR, Horka M, Ruszczak A, Pacocha N, Sozański K, Smolander OP, Postek W, Garstecki P. Droplet-based digital antibiotic susceptibility screen reveals single-cell clonal heteroresistance in an isogenic bacterial population. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3282. [PMID: 32094499 PMCID: PMC7039976 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60381-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Since antibiotic resistance is a major threat to global health, recent observations that the traditional test of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is not informative enough to guide effective antibiotic treatment are alarming. Bacterial heteroresistance, in which seemingly susceptible isogenic bacterial populations contain resistant sub-populations, underlies much of this challenge. To close this gap, here we developed a droplet-based digital MIC screen that constitutes a practical analytical platform for quantifying the single-cell distribution of phenotypic responses to antibiotics, as well as for measuring inoculum effect with high accuracy. We found that antibiotic efficacy is determined by the amount of antibiotic used per bacterial colony forming unit (CFU), not by the absolute antibiotic concentration, as shown by the treatment of beta-lactamase-carrying Escherichia coli with cefotaxime. We also noted that cells exhibited a pronounced clustering phenotype when exposed to near-inhibitory amounts of cefotaxime. Overall, our method facilitates research into the interplay between heteroresistance and antibiotic efficacy, as well as research into the origin and stimulation of heterogeneity by exposure to antibiotics. Due to the absolute bacteria quantification in this digital assay, our method provides a platform for developing reference MIC assays that are robust against inoculum-density variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ott Scheler
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland.
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia.
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Riia 23, 51010, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Karol Makuch
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 91125, USA
| | - Pawel R Debski
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michal Horka
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Artur Ruszczak
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Natalia Pacocha
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Sozański
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Olli-Pekka Smolander
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Witold Postek
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Garstecki
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland.
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22
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van Tatenhove-Pel RJ, Hernandez-Valdes JA, Teusink B, Kuipers OP, Fischlechner M, Bachmann H. Microdroplet screening and selection for improved microbial production of extracellular compounds. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 61:72-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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23
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Opalski AS, Ruszczak A, Promovych Y, Horka M, Derzsi L, Garstecki P. Combinatorial Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Enabled by Non-Contact Printing. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11020142. [PMID: 32012854 PMCID: PMC7074582 DOI: 10.3390/mi11020142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
We demonstrate the utility of non-contact printing to fabricate the mAST—an easy-to-operate, microwell-based microfluidic device for combinatorial antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) in a point-of-care format. The wells are prefilled with antibiotics in any desired concentration and combination by non-contact printing (spotting). For the execution of the AST, the only requirements are the mAST device, the sample, and the incubation chamber. Bacteria proliferation can be continuously monitored by using an absorbance reader. We investigate the profile of resistance of two reference Escherichia coli strains, report the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for single antibiotics, and assess drug–drug interactions in cocktails by using the Bliss independence model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ladislav Derzsi
- Correspondence: (L.D.); (P.G.); Tel.: +48-(22)-343-22-33 (L.D. & P.G.)
| | - Piotr Garstecki
- Correspondence: (L.D.); (P.G.); Tel.: +48-(22)-343-22-33 (L.D. & P.G.)
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24
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Kao YT, Kaminski TS, Postek W, Guzowski J, Makuch K, Ruszczak A, von Stetten F, Zengerle R, Garstecki P. Gravity-driven microfluidic assay for digital enumeration of bacteria and for antibiotic susceptibility testing. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:54-63. [PMID: 31774415 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00684b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The alarming dynamics of antibiotic-resistant infections calls for the development of rapid and point-of-care (POC) antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) methods. Here, we demonstrated the first completely stand-alone microfluidic system that allowed the execution of digital enumeration of bacteria and digital antibiograms without any specialized microfluidic instrumentation. A four-chamber gravity-driven step emulsification device generated ∼2000 monodisperse 2 nanoliter droplets with a coefficient of variation of 8.9% of volumes for 95% of droplets within less than 10 minutes. The manual workload required for droplet generation was limited to the sample preparation, the deposition into the sample inlet of the chip and subsequent orientation of the chip vertically without an additional pumping system. The use of shallow chambers imposing a 2D droplet arrangement provided superior stability of the droplets against coalescence and minimized the leakage of the reporter viability dye between adjacent droplets during long-term culture. By using resazurin as an indicator of the growth of bacteria, we were also able to reduce the assay time to ∼5 hours compared to 20 hours using the standard culture-based test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Kao
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland. and Laboratory for MEMS Applications, IMTEK-Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 103, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tomasz S Kaminski
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Witold Postek
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Jan Guzowski
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Karol Makuch
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Artur Ruszczak
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Felix von Stetten
- Laboratory for MEMS Applications, IMTEK-Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 103, 79110 Freiburg, Germany and Hahn-Schickard, Georges-Koehler-Allee 103, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Roland Zengerle
- Laboratory for MEMS Applications, IMTEK-Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 103, 79110 Freiburg, Germany and Hahn-Schickard, Georges-Koehler-Allee 103, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Piotr Garstecki
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
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25
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Echelmeier A, Kim D, Cruz Villarreal J, Coe J, Quintana S, Brehm G, Egatz-Gomez A, Nazari R, Sierra RG, Koglin JE, Batyuk A, Hunter MS, Boutet S, Zatsepin N, Kirian RA, Grant TD, Fromme P, Ros A. 3D printed droplet generation devices for serial femtosecond crystallography enabled by surface coating. J Appl Crystallogr 2019; 52:997-1008. [PMID: 31636518 PMCID: PMC6782075 DOI: 10.1107/s1600576719010343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of surface wetting properties and their impact on the performance of 3D printed microfluidic droplet generation devices for serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) are reported. SFX is a novel crystallography method enabling structure determination of proteins at room temperature with atomic resolution using X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs). In SFX, protein crystals in their mother liquor are delivered and intersected with a pulsed X-ray beam using a liquid jet injector. Owing to the pulsed nature of the X-ray beam, liquid jets tend to waste the vast majority of injected crystals, which this work aims to overcome with the delivery of aqueous protein crystal suspension droplets segmented by an oil phase. For this purpose, 3D printed droplet generators that can be easily customized for a variety of XFEL measurements have been developed. The surface properties, in particular the wetting properties of the resist materials compatible with the employed two-photon printing technology, have so far not been characterized extensively, but are crucial for stable droplet generation. This work investigates experimentally the effectiveness and the long-term stability of three different surface treatments on photoresist films and glass as models for our 3D printed droplet generator and the fused silica capillaries employed in the other fluidic components of an SFX experiment. Finally, the droplet generation performance of an assembly consisting of the 3D printed device and fused silica capillaries is examined. Stable and reproducible droplet generation was achieved with a fluorinated surface coating which also allowed for robust downstream droplet delivery. Experimental XFEL diffraction data of crystals formed from the large membrane protein complex photosystem I demonstrate the full compatibility of the new injection method with very fragile membrane protein crystals and show that successful droplet generation of crystal-laden aqueous droplets intersected by an oil phase correlates with increased crystal hit rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Echelmeier
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Applied Structural Discovery, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Daihyun Kim
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Applied Structural Discovery, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Jorvani Cruz Villarreal
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Applied Structural Discovery, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Jesse Coe
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Applied Structural Discovery, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Sebastian Quintana
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Applied Structural Discovery, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Gerrit Brehm
- Institute for X-ray Physics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ana Egatz-Gomez
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Applied Structural Discovery, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Reza Nazari
- Center for Applied Structural Discovery, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Raymond G. Sierra
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Jason E. Koglin
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Alexander Batyuk
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Mark S. Hunter
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Sébastien Boutet
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Nadia Zatsepin
- Center for Applied Structural Discovery, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Richard A. Kirian
- Center for Applied Structural Discovery, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Thomas D. Grant
- Hauptman-Woodward Institute, Department of Structural Biology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, SUNY University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Petra Fromme
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Applied Structural Discovery, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Alexandra Ros
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Applied Structural Discovery, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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26
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Azizi M, Zaferani M, Cheong SH, Abbaspourrad A. Pathogenic Bacteria Detection Using RNA-Based Loop-Mediated Isothermal-Amplification-Assisted Nucleic Acid Amplification via Droplet Microfluidics. ACS Sens 2019; 4:841-848. [PMID: 30908029 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.8b01206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Nucleic acid amplifications, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), are very beneficial for diagnostic applications, especially in the context of bacterial or viral outbreaks due to their high specificity and sensitivity. However, the need for bulky instrumentation and complicated protocols makes these methods expensive and slow, particularly for low numbers of RNA or DNA templates. In addition, implementing conventional nucleic acid amplification in a high-throughput manner is both reagent- and time-consuming. We bring droplet-based microfluidics and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) together in an optimized operational condition to provide a sensitive biosensor for amplifying extracted RNA templates for the detection of Salmonella typhimurium (targeting the invA gene). By simultaneously performing ∼106 LAMP-assisted amplification reactions in picoliter-sized droplets and applying a new mathematical model for the number of droplets necessary to screen for the first positive droplet, we study the detection limit of our platform with pure culture and real samples (bacterial contaminated milk samples). Our LAMP-assisted droplet-based microfluidic technique was simple in operation, sensitive, specific, and rapid for the detection of pathogenic bacteria Salmonella typhimurium in comparison with well-established conventional methods. More importantly, the high-throughput nature of this technique makes it suitable for many applications in biological assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morteza Azizi
- Department of Food Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Meisam Zaferani
- Department of Food Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Soon Hon Cheong
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Alireza Abbaspourrad
- Department of Food Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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27
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Fluorescent nucleic acid probe in droplets for bacterial sorting (FNAP-sort) as a high-throughput screening method for environmental bacteria with various growth rates. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214533. [PMID: 30995251 PMCID: PMC6469844 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
We have developed a new method for selectively sorting droplets containing growing bacteria using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based RNA probe. Bacteria and the FRET-based RNA probe are encapsulated into nanoliter-scale droplets, which are incubated to allow for cell growth. The FRET-based RNA probe is cleaved by RNase derived from the bacteria propagated in the droplets, resulting in an increase in fluorescence intensity. The fluorescent droplets containing growing bacteria are distinguishable from quenching droplets, which contain no cells. We named this method FNAP-sort based on the use of a fluorescent nucleic acid probe in droplets for bacterial sorting. Droplets containing the FRET-based RNA probe and four species of pure cultures, which grew in the droplets, were selectively enriched on the basis of fluorescence emission. Furthermore, fluorescent droplets were sorted from more than 500,000 droplets generated using environmental soil bacteria and the FRET-based RNA probe on days 1, 3, and 7 with repeated incubation and sorting. The bacterial compositions of sorted droplets differed on days 1, 3, and 7; moreover, on day 7, the bacterial composition of the fluorescent droplets was drastically different from that of the quenching droplets. We believe that FNAP-sort is useful for high-throughput cultivation and sorting of environmental samples containing bacteria with various growth rates, including slow-growing microbes that require long incubation times.
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28
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Yin K, Zeng X, Liu W, Xue Y, Li X, Wang W, Song Y, Zhu Z, Yang C. Stable Colloidosomes Formed by Self-Assembly of Colloidal Surfactant for Highly Robust Digital PCR. Anal Chem 2019; 91:6003-6011. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b00470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yin
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Xi Zeng
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Weizhi Liu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yakun Xue
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Xingrui Li
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Yanling Song
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Zhi Zhu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Chaoyong Yang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
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29
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Postek W, Gargulinski P, Scheler O, Kaminski TS, Garstecki P. Microfluidic screening of antibiotic susceptibility at a single-cell level shows the inoculum effect of cefotaxime on E. coli. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:3668-3677. [PMID: 30375609 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00916c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Measurement of antibiotic susceptibility at the level of single cells is important as it reveals the concentration of an antibiotic that leads to drug resistance in bacterial strains. To date, no solution for large-scale studies of antibiotic susceptibility at the single-cell level has been shown. Here, we present a method for production and separation of emulsions consisting of subnanoliter droplets that allows us to identify each emulsion by their spatial position in the train of emulsions without chemical barcoding. The emulsions of droplets are separated by a third immiscible phase, thus forming large compartments-tankers-each filled with an emulsion of droplet reactors. Each tanker in a train can be set under different reaction conditions for hundreds or thousands of replications of the same reaction. The tankers allow for long term incubation - needed to check for growth of bacteria under a screen of conditions. We use microfluidic tankers to analyze susceptibility to cefotaxime in ca. 1900 replications for each concentration of the antibiotic in one experiment. We test cefotaxime susceptibility for different initial concentrations of bacteria, showing the inoculum effect down to the level of single cells for more than a hundred single-cell events per tanker. Lastly, we use tankers to observe the formation of aggregates of bacteria in the presence of cefotaxime in the increasing concentration of the antibiotic. The microfluidic tankers allow for facile studies of the inoculum effect and antibiotic susceptibility, and constitute an attractive, label-free screening method for a variety of other experiments in chemistry and biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Witold Postek
- Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warszawa, Poland.
| | - Pawel Gargulinski
- Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warszawa, Poland.
| | - Ott Scheler
- Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warszawa, Poland. and Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Riia 23, 51010 Tartu, Estonia and Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, TalTech, Akadeemia tee 15, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Tomasz S Kaminski
- Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warszawa, Poland.
| | - Piotr Garstecki
- Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warszawa, Poland.
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30
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Etienne G, Vian A, Biočanin M, Deplancke B, Amstad E. Cross-talk between emulsion drops: how are hydrophilic reagents transported across oil phases? LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:3903-3912. [PMID: 30465575 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc01000e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Emulsion drops are frequently used as vessels, for example, to conduct biochemical reactions in small volumes or to perform screening assays at high throughputs while consuming minimal sample volumes. These applications typically require drops that do not allow exchange of reagents such that no cross-contamination occurs. Unfortunately, in many cases, reagents are exchanged between emulsion drops even if they have a low solubility in the surrounding phase, resulting in cross-contaminations. Here, we investigate the mechanism by which hydrophilic reagents are transported across an oil phase using water-oil-water double emulsion drops as a model system. Remarkably, even large objects, including 11 000 base pair double-stranded circular DNA are transported across oil shells. Importantly, this reagent transport, that is to a large extent caused by aqueous drops that spontaneously form at the water-oil interface, is not limited to double emulsions but also occurs between single emulsion drops. We demonstrate that the uncontrolled reagent transport can be decreased by at least an order of magnitude if appropriate surfactants that lower the interfacial tension only moderately are employed or if the shell thickness of double emulsions is decreased to a few hundreds of nanometers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Etienne
- Soft Materials Laboratory, Institute of Materials, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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31
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Song Y, Lin B, Tian T, Xu X, Wang W, Ruan Q, Guo J, Zhu Z, Yang C. Recent Progress in Microfluidics-Based Biosensing. Anal Chem 2018; 91:388-404. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b05007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yanling Song
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Bingqian Lin
- MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Tian Tian
- MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Xing Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Qingyu Ruan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Jingjing Guo
- MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Zhi Zhu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Chaoyong Yang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, the Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
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32
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Kaushik AM, Hsieh K, Wang TH. Droplet microfluidics for high-sensitivity and high-throughput detection and screening of disease biomarkers. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2018; 10:e1522. [PMID: 29797414 PMCID: PMC6185786 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Biomarkers are nucleic acids, proteins, single cells, or small molecules in human tissues or biological fluids whose reliable detection can be used to confirm or predict disease and disease states. Sensitive detection of biomarkers is therefore critical in a variety of applications including disease diagnostics, therapeutics, and drug screening. Unfortunately for many diseases, low abundance of biomarkers in human samples and low sample volumes render standard benchtop platforms like 96-well plates ineffective for reliable detection and screening. Discretization of bulk samples into a large number of small volumes (fL-nL) via droplet microfluidic technology offers a promising solution for high-sensitivity and high-throughput detection and screening of biomarkers. Several microfluidic strategies exist for high-throughput biomarker digitization into droplets, and these strategies have been utilized by numerous droplet platforms for nucleic acid, protein, and single-cell detection and screening. While the potential of droplet-based platforms has led to burgeoning interest in droplets, seamless integration of sample preparation technologies and automation of platforms from biological sample to answer remain critical components that can render these platforms useful in the clinical setting in the near future. This article is categorized under: Diagnostic Tools > Biosensing Diagnostic Tools > Diagnostic Nanodevices Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kuangwen Hsieh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
| | - Tza-Huei Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
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33
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Hsieh K, Zec HC, Chen L, Kaushik AM, Mach KE, Liao JC, Wang TH. Simple and Precise Counting of Viable Bacteria by Resazurin-Amplified Picoarray Detection. Anal Chem 2018; 90:9449-9456. [PMID: 29969556 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b02096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Simple, fast, and precise counting of viable bacteria is fundamental to a variety of microbiological applications such as food quality monitoring and clinical diagnosis. To this end, agar plating, microscopy, and emerging microfluidic devices for single bacteria detection have provided useful means for counting viable bacteria, but they also have their limitations ranging from complexity, time, and inaccuracy. We present herein our new method RAPiD (Resazurin-Amplified Picoarray Detection) for addressing this important problem. In RAPiD, we employ vacuum-assisted sample loading and oil-driven sample digitization to stochastically confine single bacteria in Picoarray, a microfluidic device with picoliter-sized isolation chambers (picochambers), in <30 s with only a few minutes of hands-on time. We add AlamarBlue, a resazurin-based fluorescent dye for bacterial growth, in our assay to accelerate the detection of "microcolonies" proliferated from single bacteria within picochambers. Detecting fluorescence in picochambers as an amplified surrogate for bacterial cells allows us to count hundreds of microcolonies with a single image taken via wide-field fluorescence microscopy. We have also expanded our method to practically test multiple titrations from a single bacterial sample in parallel. Using this expanded "multi-RAPiD" strategy, we can quantify viable cells in E. coli and S. aureus samples with precision in ∼3 h, illustrating RAPiD as a promising new method for counting viable bacteria for microbiological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuangwen Hsieh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , Maryland 21218 , United States
| | - Helena C Zec
- Department of Biomedical Engineering , Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , Baltimore , Maryland 21205 , United States
| | - Liben Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , Maryland 21218 , United States
| | - Aniruddha M Kaushik
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , Maryland 21218 , United States
| | - Kathleen E Mach
- Department of Urology , Stanford University School of Medicine , Stanford , California 94305 , United States
| | - Joseph C Liao
- Department of Urology , Stanford University School of Medicine , Stanford , California 94305 , United States
| | - Tza-Huei Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore , Maryland 21218 , United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering , Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , Baltimore , Maryland 21205 , United States
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Scheler O, Pacocha N, Debski PR, Ruszczak A, Kaminski TS, Garstecki P. Optimized droplet digital CFU assay (ddCFU) provides precise quantification of bacteria over a dynamic range of 6 logs and beyond. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:1980-1987. [PMID: 28480460 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00206h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Standard digital assays need a large number of compartments for precise quantification of a sample over a broad dynamic range. We address this issue with an optimized droplet digital approach that uses a drastically reduced number of compartments for quantification. We generate serial logarithmic dilutions of an initial bacterial sample as an array of microliter-sized droplet plugs. In a subsequent step, these droplets are split into libraries of nanoliter droplets and pooled together for incubation and analysis. We show that our technology is at par with traditional dilution plate count for quantification of bacteria, but has the advantage of simplifying the experimental setup and reducing the manual workload. The method also has the potential to reduce the assay time significantly.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Scheler
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland. and Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Riia 23, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
| | - N Pacocha
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - P R Debski
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - A Ruszczak
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - T S Kaminski
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - P Garstecki
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
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35
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Autour A, Ryckelynck M. Ultrahigh-Throughput Improvement and Discovery of Enzymes Using Droplet-Based Microfluidic Screening. MICROMACHINES 2017. [PMCID: PMC6189954 DOI: 10.3390/mi8040128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Enzymes are extremely valuable tools for industrial, environmental, and biotechnological applications and there is a constant need for improving existing biological catalysts and for discovering new ones. Screening microbe or gene libraries is an efficient way of identifying new enzymes. In this view, droplet-based microfluidics appears to be one of the most powerful approaches as it allows inexpensive screenings in well-controlled conditions and an ultrahigh-throughput regime. This review aims to introduce the main microfluidic devices and concepts to be considered for such screening before presenting and discussing the latest successful applications of the technology for enzyme discovery.
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36
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Horka M, Sun S, Ruszczak A, Garstecki P, Mayr T. Lifetime of Phosphorescence from Nanoparticles Yields Accurate Measurement of Concentration of Oxygen in Microdroplets, Allowing One To Monitor the Metabolism of Bacteria. Anal Chem 2016; 88:12006-12012. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b03758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michał Horka
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Shiwen Sun
- Institute
of Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse9/2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Artur Ruszczak
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Garstecki
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Torsten Mayr
- Institute
of Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse9/2, 8010 Graz, Austria
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37
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Kaminski TS, Scheler O, Garstecki P. Droplet microfluidics for microbiology: techniques, applications and challenges. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:2168-87. [PMID: 27212581 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc00367b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics has rapidly emerged as one of the key technologies opening up new experimental possibilities in microbiology. The ability to generate, manipulate and monitor droplets carrying single cells or small populations of bacteria in a highly parallel and high throughput manner creates new approaches for solving problems in diagnostics and for research on bacterial evolution. This review presents applications of droplet microfluidics in various fields of microbiology: i) detection and identification of pathogens, ii) antibiotic susceptibility testing, iii) studies of microbial physiology and iv) biotechnological selection and improvement of strains. We also list the challenges in the dynamically developing field and new potential uses of droplets in microbiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz S Kaminski
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
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