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Strutt R, Xiong B, Abegg VF, Dittrich PS. Open microfluidics: droplet microarrays as next generation multiwell plates for high throughput screening. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:1064-1075. [PMID: 38356285 PMCID: PMC10898417 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc01024d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Multiwell plates are prominent in the biological and chemical sciences; however, they face limitations in terms of throughput and deployment in emerging bioengineering fields. Droplet microarrays, as an open microfluidic technology, organise tiny droplets typically in the order of thousands, on an accessible plate. In this perspective, we summarise current approaches for generating droplets, fluid handling on them, and analysis within droplet microarrays. By enabling unique plate engineering opportunities, demonstrating the necessary experimental procedures required for manipulating and interacting with biological cells, and integrating with label-free analytical techniques, droplet microarrays can be deployed across a more extensive experimental domain than what is currently covered by multiwell plates. Droplet microarrays thus offer a solution to the bottlenecks associated with multiwell plates, particularly in the areas of biological cultivation and high-throughput compound screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Strutt
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Schanzenstrasse 44, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Bijing Xiong
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Schanzenstrasse 44, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Vanessa Fabienne Abegg
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Schanzenstrasse 44, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Petra S Dittrich
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Schanzenstrasse 44, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
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2
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Govey-Scotland J, Johnstone L, Myant C, Friddin MS. Towards skin-on-a-chip for screening the dermal absorption of cosmetics. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:5068-5080. [PMID: 37938128 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00691c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Over the past few decades, there have been increasing global efforts to limit or ban the use of animals for testing cosmetic products. This ambition has been at the heart of international endeavours to develop new in vitro and animal-free approaches for assessing the safety of cosmetics. While several of these new approach methodologies (NAMs) have been approved for assessing different toxicological endpoints in the UK and across the EU, there remains an absence of animal-free methods for screening for dermal absorption; a measure that assesses the degree to which chemical substances can become systemically available through contact with human skin. Here, we identify some of the major technical barriers that have impacted regulatory recognition of an in vitro skin model for this purpose and propose how these could be overcome on-chip using artificial cells engineered from the bottom-up. As part of our future perspective, we suggest how this could be realised using a digital biomanufacturing pipeline that connects the design, microfluidic generation and 3D printing of artificial cells into user-crafted synthetic tissues. We highlight milestone achievements towards this goal, identify future challenges, and suggest how the ability to engineer animal-free skin models could have significant long-term consequences for dermal absorption screening, as well as for other applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Govey-Scotland
- Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
- Institute for Molecular Sciences and Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2AZ, London, UK
| | - Liam Johnstone
- Office for Product Safety and Standards, 1 Victoria Street, SW1H 0ET, London, UK
| | - Connor Myant
- Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
| | - Mark S Friddin
- Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
- Institute for Molecular Sciences and Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, SW7 2AZ, London, UK
- fabriCELL, Imperial College London and Kings College London, London, UK
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3
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Zeng Y, Khor JW, van Neel TL, Tu WC, Berthier J, Thongpang S, Berthier E, Theberge AB. Miniaturizing chemistry and biology using droplets in open systems. Nat Rev Chem 2023; 7:439-455. [PMID: 37117816 PMCID: PMC10107581 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-023-00483-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Open droplet microfluidic systems manipulate droplets on the picolitre-to-microlitre scale in an open environment. They combine the compartmentalization and control offered by traditional droplet-based microfluidics with the accessibility and ease-of-use of open microfluidics, bringing unique advantages to applications such as combinatorial reactions, droplet analysis and cell culture. Open systems provide direct access to droplets and allow on-demand droplet manipulation within the system without needing pumps or tubes, which makes the systems accessible to biologists without sophisticated setups. Furthermore, these systems can be produced with simple manufacturing and assembly steps that allow for manufacturing at scale and the translation of the method into clinical research. This Review introduces the different types of open droplet microfluidic system, presents the physical concepts leveraged by these systems and highlights key applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Zeng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jian Wei Khor
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tammi L van Neel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Wan-Chen Tu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jean Berthier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sanitta Thongpang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University, Nakorn Pathom, Thailand
| | - Erwin Berthier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Ashleigh B Theberge
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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4
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Sun G, Qu L, Azi F, Liu Y, Li J, Lv X, Du G, Chen J, Chen CH, Liu L. Recent progress in high-throughput droplet screening and sorting for bioanalysis. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 225:115107. [PMID: 36731396 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Owing to its ability to isolate single cells and perform high-throughput sorting, droplet sorting has been widely applied in several research fields. Compared with flow cytometry, droplet allows the encapsulation of single cells for cell secretion or lysate analysis. With the rapid development of this technology in the past decade, various droplet sorting devices with high throughput and accuracy have been developed. A droplet sorter with the highest sorting throughput of 30,000 droplets per second was developed in 2015. Since then, increased attention has been paid to expanding the possibilities of droplet sorting technology and strengthening its advantages over flow cytometry. This review aimed to summarize the recent progress in droplet sorting technology from the perspectives of device design, detection signal, actuating force, and applications. Technical details for improving droplet sorting through various approaches are introduced and discussed. Finally, we discuss the current limitations of droplet sorting for single-cell studies along with the existing gap between the laboratory and industry and provide our insights for future development of droplet sorters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoyun Sun
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Lisha Qu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Fidelis Azi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology GTIIT, Shantou, Guangdong, 515063, China
| | - Yanfeng Liu
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Jianghua Li
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xueqin Lv
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Guocheng Du
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Chia-Hung Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Long Liu
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
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5
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Shil S, Tsuruta M, Kawauchi K, Miyoshi D. Biomolecular Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation for Biotechnology. BIOTECH 2023; 12:26. [PMID: 37092470 PMCID: PMC10123627 DOI: 10.3390/biotech12020026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biomolecules induces condensed assemblies called liquid droplets or membrane-less organelles. In contrast to organelles with lipid membrane barriers, the liquid droplets induced by LLPS do not have distinct barriers (lipid bilayer). Biomolecular LLPS in cells has attracted considerable attention in broad research fields from cellular biology to soft matter physics. The physical and chemical properties of LLPS exert a variety of functions in living cells: activating and deactivating biomolecules involving enzymes; controlling the localization, condensation, and concentration of biomolecules; the filtration and purification of biomolecules; and sensing environmental factors for fast, adaptive, and reversible responses. The versatility of LLPS plays an essential role in various biological processes, such as controlling the central dogma and the onset mechanism of pathological diseases. Moreover, biomolecular LLPS could be critical for developing new biotechnologies such as the condensation, purification, and activation of a series of biomolecules. In this review article, we introduce some fundamental aspects and recent progress of biomolecular LLPS in living cells and test tubes. Then, we discuss applications of biomolecular LLPS toward biotechnologies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Daisuke Miyoshi
- Faculty of Frontiers of Innovative Research in Science and Technology (FIRST), Konan University, 7-1-20 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Hyogo, Japan
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6
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Aubry G, Lee HJ, Lu H. Advances in Microfluidics: Technical Innovations and Applications in Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Anal Chem 2023; 95:444-467. [PMID: 36625114 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Aubry
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Hyun Jee Lee
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.,Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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7
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Strutt R, Sheffield F, Barlow NE, Flemming AJ, Harling JD, Law RV, Brooks NJ, Barter LMC, Ces O. UV-DIB: label-free permeability determination using droplet interface bilayers. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:972-985. [PMID: 35107110 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc01155c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Simple diffusion of molecular entities through a phospholipid bilayer, is a phenomenon of great importance to the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. Current model lipid systems to probe this typically only employ fluorescence as a readout, thus limiting the range of assessable chemical matter that can be studied. We report a new technology platform, the UV-DIB, which facilitates label free measurement of small molecule translocation rates. This is based upon the coupling of droplet interface bilayer technology with implemented fiber optics to facilitate analysis via ultraviolet spectroscopy, in custom designed PMMA wells. To improve on current DIB technology, the platform was designed to be reusable, with a high sampling rate and a limit of UV detection in the low μM regime. We demonstrate the use of our system to quantify passive diffusion in a reproducible and rapid manner where the system was validated by investigating multiple permeants of varying physicochemical properties across a range of lipid interfaces, each demonstrating differing kinetics. Our system permits the interrogation of structural dependence on the permeation rate of a given compound. We present this ability from two structural perspectives, that of the membrane, and the permeant. We observed a reduction in permeability between pure DOPC and DPhPC interfaces, concurring with literature and demonstrating our ability to study the effects of lipid composition on permeability. In relation to the effects of permeant structure, our device facilitated the rank ordering of various compounds from the xanthine class of compounds, where the structure of each permeant differed by a single group alteration. We found that DIBs were stable up to 5% DMSO, a molecule often used to aid solubilisation of pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds. The ability of our device to rank-order compounds with such minor structural differences provides a level of precision that is rarely seen in current, industrially applied technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Strutt
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Felix Sheffield
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Nathan E Barlow
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Anthony J Flemming
- Syngenta, Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG42 6EY, UK
| | - John D Harling
- Medicinal Chemistry, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Robert V Law
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Nicholas J Brooks
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Laura M C Barter
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Oscar Ces
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK
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8
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Banlaki I, Lehr FX, Niederholtmeyer H. Microfluidic Production of Porous Polymer Cell-Mimics Capable of Gene Expression. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2433:237-255. [PMID: 34985749 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1998-8_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Engineering simple, artificial models of living cells allows synthetic biologists to study cellular functions under well-controlled conditions. Reconstituting multicellular behaviors with synthetic cell-mimics is still a challenge because it requires efficient communication between individual compartments in large populations. This chapter presents a microfluidic method to produce large quantities of cell-mimics with highly porous, stable, and chemically modifiable polymer membranes that can be programmed on demand with nucleus-like DNA-hydrogel compartments for gene expression. We describe expression of genes encoded in the hydrogel compartment and communication between neighboring cell-mimics through diffusive protein signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imre Banlaki
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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9
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Feng K, Gao N, Li W, Dong H, Sun F, He G, Zhou K, Zhao H, Li G. Arrested Coalescence of Ionic Liquid Droplets: A Facile Strategy for Spatially Organized Multicompartment Assemblies. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2104385. [PMID: 34643335 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202104385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Multicompartment assemblies attract much attention for their wide applications. However, the fabrication of multicompartment assemblies usually requires elaborately designed building blocks and careful controlling. The emergence of droplet networks has provided a facile way to construct multiple droplet architectures, which can further be converted to multicompartment assemblies. Herein, the bind motif-free building blocks are presented, which consist of the hydrophobic Tf2 N- -based ionic liquid (IL) dissolving LiTf2 N salt, that can conjugate via arrested coalescence in confined-space templates to form IL droplet networks. Subsequent ultraviolent polymerization generates robust free-standing multicompartment assemblies. The conjugation of building blocks relies not on the peripheral bind motif but on the interfacial instability-induced arrested coalescence, avoiding tedious surface modification and assembly process. By tuning structures of templates and building blocks, multicompartment assemblies with 0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D structures are prepared in a facile and high-throughput way. Importantly, the bottom-up construction enables modular control over the compositions and spatial positions of individual building blocks. Combining with the excellent solvency of ILs, this system can serve as a general platform towards versatile multicompartment architectures. As demonstrations, by tailoring the chambers the multicompartment assemblies can spatiotemporally sense and report the chemical cues and perform various modes of motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Feng
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Ning Gao
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Wenyun Li
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hao Dong
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Fuwei Sun
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Guokang He
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Kang Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hongwei Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Guangtao Li
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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10
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Bachler S, Ort M, Krämer SD, Dittrich PS. Permeation Studies across Symmetric and Asymmetric Membranes in Microdroplet Arrays. Anal Chem 2021; 93:5137-5144. [PMID: 33721989 PMCID: PMC8014892 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c04939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the permeation of molecules across lipid membranes on an open microfluidic platform. An array of droplet pairs was created by spotting aqueous droplets, dispersed in a lipid oil solution, onto a plate with cavities surrounded by a hydrophobic substrate. Droplets in two adjacent cavities come in contact and form an artificial lipid bilayer, called a droplet interface bilayer (DIB). The method allows for monitoring permeation of fluorescently tagged compounds from a donor droplet to an acceptor droplet. A mathematical model was applied to describe the kinetics and determine the permeation coefficient. We also demonstrate that permeation kinetics can be followed over a series of droplets, all connected via DIBs. Moreover, by changing the lipid oil composition after spotting donor droplets, we were able to create asymmetric membranes that we used to mimic the asymmetry of the cellular plasma membrane. Finally, we developed a protocol to separate and extract the droplets for label-free analysis of permeating compounds by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our versatile platform has the potential to become a new tool for the screening of drug membrane permeability in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Bachler
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marion Ort
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie D Krämer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Petra S Dittrich
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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11
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Investigation of Fusion between Nanosized Lipid Vesicles and a Lipid Monolayer Toward Formation of Giant Lipid Vesicles with Various Kinds of Biomolecules. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12020133. [PMID: 33530580 PMCID: PMC7911008 DOI: 10.3390/mi12020133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
We determined the properties of fusion between large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) and the lipid monolayer by measuring the fluorescence intensity of rhodamine-conjugated phospholipids in cell-sized lipid vesicles. The charge of LUVs (containing cationic lipids) and lipid droplets (containing anionic lipids) promoted lipid membrane fusion. We also investigated the formation of cell-sized lipid vesicles with asymmetric lipid distribution using this fusion method. Moreover, cell-sized asymmetric ganglioside vesicles can be generated from the planar lipid bilayer formed at the interface between the lipid droplets with/without LUVs containing ganglioside. The flip-flop dynamics of ganglioside were observed on the asymmetric ganglioside vesicles. This fusion method can be used to form asymmetric lipid vesicles with poor solubility in n-decane or lipid vesicles containing various types of membrane proteins for the development of complex artificial cell models.
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