1
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Qiu W, Lin X, Nagl S. In Situ Live Monitoring of Extracellular Acidosis near Cancer Cells Using Digital Microfluidics with an Integrated Optical pH Sensor Film. Anal Chem 2024; 96:14456-14463. [PMID: 39171737 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c02319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
We demonstrate the live monitoring of extracellular acidification on digital microfluidics using a chip-integrated fluorescent pH sensor film. The metabolism of various types of live cells including cancer and healthy cells were investigated through recording the extracellular pH (pHe) change. An optical pH sensor array was integrated onto a digital microfluidic (DMF) interface with a diameter of 2 mm per pH-sensing spot. Miniaturized, label-free, and noninvasive monitoring of extracellular acidosis on DMF was realized within a pH range of 5.0-8.0 with good sensitivity and rapid response. The pH sensitive probe fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate was covalently bound to poly-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and immobilized on a circularly exposed indium tin oxide interface on the DMF top plate. The surface of the fabricated pH sensor spots was modified with polydopamine via self-polymerization. Direct cell attachment on the sensor surfaces enabled rapid pH detection near the cell membranes. Automatic medium exchange on cell-attached pH sensing sites was achieved though solution passive dispensing on DMF. The developed DMF platform was used to monitor the pHe decrease during MCF-7 and A549 cancer cell proliferation due to abnormal glycolysis metabolism. A rapid pH decrease at the pH sensing area in the presence of cancer cells could be detected within 2 min after fresh medium exchange, while no obvious pHe change was observed with HUVEC healthy cells. Real-time detection of cell acidification and cellular response to different metabolic conditions such as higher glucose levels or administered anticancer drugs was possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Qiu
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Xuyan Lin
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Stefan Nagl
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
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2
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Ahmadi F, Tran H, Letourneau N, Little SR, Fortin A, Moraitis AN, Shih SCC. An Automated Single-Cell Droplet-Digital Microfluidic Platform for Monoclonal Antibody Discovery. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2308950. [PMID: 38441226 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202308950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibody (mAb) discovery plays a prominent role in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Droplet microfluidics has become a standard technology for high-throughput screening of antibody-producing cells due to high droplet single-cell confinement frequency and rapid analysis and sorting of the cells of interest with their secreted mAbs. In this work, a new method is described for on-demand co-encapsulation of cells that eliminates the difficulties associated with washing in between consecutive steps inside the droplets and enables the washing and addition of fresh media. The new platform identifies hybridoma cells that are expressing antibodies of interest using antibody-characterization assays to find the best-performing or rare-cell antibody candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Ahmadi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Hao Tran
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Natasha Letourneau
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Samuel R Little
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Annie Fortin
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Anna N Moraitis
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Steve C C Shih
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
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3
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Song SS, Park HJ, Kim YK, Kang SW. Revolutionizing biomedical research: The imperative need for heart-kidney-connected organoids. APL Bioeng 2024; 8:010902. [PMID: 38420624 PMCID: PMC10901547 DOI: 10.1063/5.0190840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Organoids significantly advanced our comprehension of organ development, function, and disease modeling. This Perspective underscores the potential of heart-kidney-connected organoids in understanding the intricate relationship between these vital organs, notably the cardiorenal syndrome, where dysfunction in one organ can negatively impact the other. Conventional models fall short in replicating this complexity, necessitating an integrated approach. By co-culturing heart and kidney organoids, combined with microfluidic and 3D bioprinting technologies, a more accurate representation of in vivo conditions can be achieved. Such interconnected systems could revolutionize our grasp of multi-organ diseases, drive drug discovery by evaluating therapeutic agents on both organs simultaneously, and reduce the need for animal models. In essence, heart-kidney-connected organoids present a promising avenue to delve deeper into the pathophysiology underlying cardiorenal disorders, bridging existing knowledge gaps, and advancing biomedical research.
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4
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Yang C, Gan X, Zeng Y, Xu Z, Xu L, Hu C, Ma H, Chai B, Hu S, Chai Y. Advanced design and applications of digital microfluidics in biomedical fields: An update of recent progress. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 242:115723. [PMID: 37832347 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Significant breakthroughs have been made in digital microfluidic (DMF)-based technologies over the past decades. DMF technology has attracted great interest in bioassays depending on automatic microscale liquid manipulations and complicated multi-step processing. In this review, the recent advances of DMF platforms in the biomedical field were summarized, focusing on the integrated design and applications of the DMF system. Firstly, the electrowetting-on-dielectric principle, fabrication of DMF chips, and commercialization of the DMF system were elaborated. Then, the updated droplets and magnetic beads manipulation strategies with DMF were explored. DMF-based biomedical applications were comprehensively discussed, including automated sample preparation strategies, immunoassays, molecular diagnosis, blood processing/testing, and microbe analysis. Emerging applications such as enzyme activity assessment and DNA storage were also explored. The performance of each bioassay was compared and discussed, providing insight into the novel design and applications of the DMF technology. Finally, the advantages, challenges, and future trends of DMF systems were systematically summarized, demonstrating new perspectives on the extensive applications of DMF in basic research and commercialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengbin Yang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Xiangyu Gan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Yuping Zeng
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Zhourui Xu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Longqian Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China.
| | - Chenxuan Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China.
| | - Hanbin Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China; Guangdong ACXEL Micro & Nano Tech Co., Ltd, Foshan, China.
| | - Bao Chai
- Department of Dermatology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China; Department of Dermatology, The 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Siyi Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China.
| | - Yujuan Chai
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
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5
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Xu X, Cai L, Liang S, Zhang Q, Lin S, Li M, Yang Q, Li C, Han Z, Yang C. Digital microfluidics for biological analysis and applications. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:1169-1191. [PMID: 36644972 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00756h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Digital microfluidics (DMF) is an emerging liquid-handling technology based on arrays of microelectrodes for the precise manipulation of discrete droplets. DMF offers the benefits of automation, addressability, integration and dynamic configuration ability, and provides enclosed picoliter-to-microliter reaction space, making it suitable for lab-on-a-chip biological analysis and applications that require high integration and intricate processes. A review of DMF bioassays with a special emphasis on those actuated by electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) force is presented here. Firstly, a brief introduction is presented on both the theory of EWOD actuation and the types of droplet motion. Subsequently, a comprehensive overview of DMF-based biological analysis and applications, including nucleic acid, protein, immunoreaction and cell assays, is provided. Finally, a discussion on the strengths, challenges, and potential applications and perspectives in this field is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Xu
- 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, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Linfeng Cai
- 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, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Shanshan Liang
- 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, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Qiannan Zhang
- 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, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Shiyan Lin
- 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, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Mingying 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, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Qizheng 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, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Chong 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, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Ziyan Han
- 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, 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, 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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6
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Tong Z, Shen C, Li Q, Yin H, Mao H. Combining sensors and actuators with electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD): advanced digital microfluidic systems for biomedical applications. Analyst 2023; 148:1399-1421. [PMID: 36752059 DOI: 10.1039/d2an01707e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The concept of digital microfluidics (DMF) enables highly flexible and precise droplet manipulation at a picoliter scale, making DMF a promising approach to realize integrated, miniaturized "lab-on-a-chip" (LOC) systems for research and clinical purposes. Owing to its simplicity and effectiveness, electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) is one of the most commonly studied and applied effects to implement DMF. However, complex biomedical assays usually require more sophisticated sample handling and detection capabilities than basic EWOD manipulation. Alternatively, combined systems integrating EWOD actuators and other fluidic handling techniques are essential for bringing DMF into practical use. In this paper, we briefly review the main approaches for the integration/combination of EWOD with other microfluidic manipulation methods or additional external fields for specified biomedical applications. The form of integration ranges from independently operating sub-systems to fully coupled hybrid actuators. The corresponding biomedical applications of these works are also summarized to illustrate the significance of these innovative combination attempts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoduo Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China. .,Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chuanjie Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China. .,Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qiushi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China.
| | - Hao Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China. .,Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hongju Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China.
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7
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Jeyhani M, Navi M, Chan KWY, Kieda J, Tsai SSH. Water-in-water droplet microfluidics: A design manual. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2022; 16:061503. [PMID: 36406338 PMCID: PMC9674389 DOI: 10.1063/5.0119316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics is utilized in a wide range of applications in biomedicine and biology. Applications include rapid biochemical analysis, materials generation, biochemical assays, and point-of-care medicine. The integration of aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) into droplet microfluidic platforms has potential utility in oil-free biological and biomedical applications, namely, reducing cytotoxicity and preserving the native form and function of costly biomolecular reagents. In this review, we present a design manual for the chemist, biologist, and engineer to design experiments in the context of their biological applications using all-in-water droplet microfluidic systems. We describe the studies achievable using these systems and the corresponding fabrication and stabilization methods. With this information, readers may apply the fundamental principles and recent advancements in ATPS droplet microfluidics to their research. Finally, we propose a development roadmap of opportunities to utilize ATPS droplet microfluidics in applications that remain underexplored.
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8
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Steinbach MK, Leipert J, Blurton C, Leippe M, Tholey A. Digital Microfluidics Supported Microproteomics for Quantitative Proteome Analysis of Single Caenorhabditis elegans Nematodes. J Proteome Res 2022; 21:1986-1996. [PMID: 35771142 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Miniaturization of sample preparation, including omissible manual sample handling steps, is key for reproducible nanoproteomics, as material is often restricted to only hundreds of cells or single model organisms. Here, we demonstrate a highly sensitive digital microfluidics (DMF)-based sample preparation workflow making use of single-pot solid-phase enhanced sample preparation (SP3) in combination with high-field asymmetric-waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS), and fast and sensitive ion trap detection on an Orbitrap tribrid MS system. Compared to a manual in-tube SP3-supported sample preparation, the numbers of identified peptides and proteins were markedly increased, while lower standard deviations between replicates were observed. We repeatedly identified up to 5000 proteins from single nematodes. Moreover, label-free quantification of protein changes in single Caenorhabditis elegans treated with a heat stimulus yielded 45 differentially abundant proteins when compared to the untreated control, highlighting the potential of this technology for low-input proteomics studies. LC-MS data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium with the data set identifier PXD033143.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max K Steinbach
- Systematic Proteome Research & Bioanalytics, Institute for Experimental Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Jan Leipert
- Systematic Proteome Research & Bioanalytics, Institute for Experimental Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Christine Blurton
- Comparative Immunobiology, Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, 24098 Kiel, Germany
| | - Matthias Leippe
- Comparative Immunobiology, Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, 24098 Kiel, Germany
| | - Andreas Tholey
- Systematic Proteome Research & Bioanalytics, Institute for Experimental Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany
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9
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Contactless Micro-Droplet Manipulation of Liquid Released from a Parallel Plate to an Open Region in Electrowetting-on-Dielectric Platform. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13060898. [PMID: 35744512 PMCID: PMC9227017 DOI: 10.3390/mi13060898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
In electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) platform, the transfer of droplets from the EWOD boundary region (top plate and bottom plate) to the open region is challenging. The challenge is due to the resistance-like surface tension, friction from the top-plate edge, and the so-called boundary. For this purpose, we designed the top plate to minimize the friction resistance at the boundary. The experiment focused on Gibb’s formula and successfully transferred the liquid droplet between the top plate and bottom plate boundary region under a high voltage environment. The threshold voltage for the successful transportation of the droplet between the boundary is 250 V which provides strong pressure to drive the droplet.
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10
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Kim T, Kim J, Kang JW, Kwon SB, Hong J. Compact Three-Dimensional Digital Microfluidic Platforms with Programmable Contact Charge Electrophoresis Actuation. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:5759-5764. [PMID: 35482441 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Digital microfluidics (DMF) has garnered considerable interest as a straightforward, rapid, and programmable technique for controlling microdroplets in various biological, chemical, and medicinal research disciplines. This study details the construction of compact and low-cost 3D DMF platforms with programmable contact charge electrophoresis (CCEP) actuations by employing electrode arrays composed of a small commercial pin socket and a 3D-printed housing. We demonstrate basic 3D droplet manipulation on the platform, including horizontal and vertical transport via lifting and climbing techniques, and droplet merging. Furthermore, phenolphthalein reaction and precipitation process are evaluated using the proposed 3D DMF manipulations as a proof of concept for chemical reaction-based analysis and synthesis. The threshold voltage (or electrical field) and maximum vertical transport velocity are quantified as a function of applied voltage and electrode distance to determine the CCEP actuation conditions for 3D droplet manipulations. The ease of manufacturing and flexibility of the proposed 3D DMF platform may provide an effective technique for programmable 3D manipulation of droplets in biochemical and medical applications, such as biochemical analysis and medical diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taeyung Kim
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Soongsil University, 369 Sangdo-Ro, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul 06978, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaewook Kim
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Soongsil University, 369 Sangdo-Ro, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul 06978, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeon Woong Kang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Soongsil University, 369 Sangdo-Ro, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul 06978, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Beom Kwon
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Soongsil University, 369 Sangdo-Ro, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul 06978, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwoo Hong
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Soongsil University, 369 Sangdo-Ro, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul 06978, Republic of Korea
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11
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Sun H, Hu N, Wang J. Application of Microfluidic Technology in Antibody Screening. Biotechnol J 2022; 17:e2100623. [PMID: 35481726 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202100623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Specific antibodies are widely used in the biomedical field. Current screening methods for specific antibodies mainly involve hybridoma technology and antibody engineering techniques. However, these technologies suffer from tedious screening processes, long preparation periods, high costs, low efficiency, and a degree of automation, which have become a bottleneck for the screening of specific antibodies. To overcome these difficulties, microfluidics has been developed as a promising technology for high-throughput screening and high purity of antibody. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent advances in microfluidic applications for specific antibody screening. In particular, hybridoma technology and four antibody engineering techniques (including phage display, single B cell antibody screening, antibody expression, and cell-free protein synthesis) based on microfluidics have been introduced, challenges, and the future outlook of these technologies are also discussed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Sun
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Ning Hu
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Jianhua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
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12
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Ueno H, Akagi Y, Yamamura S. Selective cell retrieval method using light-responsive gas-generating polymer-based microarrays. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:1498-1507. [PMID: 35311840 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc01165k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Selective cell retrieval from base material is necessary for developing and improving cell analyzing technologies as well as regenerative medicine. Many conventional technologies, such as micromanipulators, are developed for selective cell retrieval. However, selective cell retrieval at the single-cell level remains challenging because it is quite difficult to retrieve adhered single cells from base material with ease, rapidity, and no damage. Here, we propose a novel selective cell retrieval method using microarrays made of a light-responsive gas-generating polymer (LGP microarray). The convex LGP microarray was fabricated by a molding process using polystyrene microarray chips. LGP microarrays generate N2 gas when exposed to a specific light used for fluorescence microscopy. A human cervical cancer cell (HeLa) suspension was spread on the LGP microarray coated by fibronectin. After these HeLa cells were adhered to the surface of the LGP microarray structure, light at a wavelength of 365 nm was used to irradiate the LGP microarray. All the target HeLa cells were selectively released from the light-irradiated surface area of the LGP microarray by the generated N2 gas. The LGP microarray system was also applied to single-cell retrieval, and we easily and rapidly retrieved 100% of the single HeLa cells from the microarrays. In addition, approximately 90% of single HeLa cells retrieved from the LGP microarray proliferated on a chamber of a 96-well plate. Therefore, the LGP microarray system enables easy and selective retrieval of adhered cell groups or single cells with only harmless light irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidetaka Ueno
- Health and Medical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2217-14 Hayashi-cho, Takamatsu, Kagawa 761-0395, Japan.
| | - Yoshinori Akagi
- R&D Center Corporate Advanced Technology Institute Life Science Development Center, Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd., 2-1 Hyakuyama, Shimamoto-cho, Mishima-gun, Osaka 618-0021, Japan
| | - Shohei Yamamura
- Health and Medical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2217-14 Hayashi-cho, Takamatsu, Kagawa 761-0395, Japan.
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13
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Quach ABV, Little SR, Shih SCC. Viral Generation, Packaging, and Transduction on a Digital Microfluidic Platform. Anal Chem 2022; 94:4039-4047. [PMID: 35192339 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c05227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Viral-based systems are a popular delivery method for introducing exogenous genetic material into mammalian cells. Unfortunately, the preparation of lentiviruses containing the machinery to edit the cells is labor-intensive, with steps requiring optimization and sensitive handling. To mitigate these challenges, we introduce the first microfluidic method that integrates lentiviral generation, packaging, and transduction. The new method allows the production of viral titers between 106 and 107 (similar to macroscale production) and high transduction efficiency for hard-to-transfect cell lines. We extend the technique for gene editing applications and show how this technique can be used to knock out and knock down estrogen receptor gene─a gene prominently responsible for 70% of breast cancer cases. This new technique is automated with multiplexing capabilities, which have the potential to standardize the methods for viral-based genome engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela B V Quach
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada.,Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Samuel R Little
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada.,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Steve C C Shih
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada.,Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada.,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
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14
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Abstract
Cell manipulation in droplets has emerged as one of the great successes of microfluidic technologies, with the development of single-cell screening. However, the droplet format has also served to go beyond single-cell studies, namely by considering the interactions between different cells or between cells and their physical or chemical environment. These studies pose specific challenges linked to the need for long-term culture of adherent cells or the diverse types of measurements associated with complex biological phenomena. Here we review the emergence of droplet microfluidic methods for culturing cells and studying their interactions. We begin by characterizing the quantitative aspects that determine the ability to encapsulate cells, transport molecules, and provide sufficient nutrients within the droplets. This is followed by an evaluation of the biological constraints such as the control of the biochemical environment and promoting the anchorage of adherent cells. This first part ends with a description of measurement methods that have been developed. The second part of the manuscript focuses on applications of these technologies for cancer studies, immunology, and stem cells while paying special attention to the biological relevance of the cellular assays and providing guidelines on improving this relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Sart
- LadHyX, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France.,Physical Microfluidics and Bioengineering, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 Rue du Dr. Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Gustave Ronteix
- LadHyX, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France.,Physical Microfluidics and Bioengineering, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 Rue du Dr. Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Shreyansh Jain
- LadHyX, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France.,Physical Microfluidics and Bioengineering, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 Rue du Dr. Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Gabriel Amselem
- LadHyX, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France.,Physical Microfluidics and Bioengineering, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 Rue du Dr. Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Charles N Baroud
- LadHyX, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France.,Physical Microfluidics and Bioengineering, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 Rue du Dr. Roux, 75015 Paris, France
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15
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Li M, Wan L, Law MK, Meng L, Jia Y, Mak PI, Martins RP. One-shot high-resolution melting curve analysis for KRAS point-mutation discrimination on a digital microfluidics platform. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:537-549. [PMID: 34904611 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00564b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) plays a critical role in personalized medicine, forensics, pharmacogenetics, and disease diagnostics. Among different existing SNP genotyping techniques, melting curve analysis (MCA) becomes increasingly popular due to its high accuracy and straightforward procedures in extracting the melting temperature (Tm). Yet, its study on existing digital microfluidic (DMF) platforms has intrinsic limitations due to the temperature inhomogeneity within a thickened droplet during the on-chip rapid heating process. Although the utilization of an on-chip thermostat can regulate and monitor the dynamic melting process in real time, the limited Tm accuracy resulting from the insufficient system response time to accommodate the fast-melting evolution still poses a great challenge for precise MCA with high throughput. This work proposes a one-shot MCA on a DMF platform. The tailoring of a functional substrate with hierarchical micro/nano structure enables high-resolution patterning of pL-scale droplets. Specifically, the hydrothermal and photocatalysis treatment allows the functional substrate to exhibit a superwettability contrast of >170°, facilitating passive isolation of the pL-scale DNA sample into highly-resolved pL droplets above the 200 μm superhydrophilic patterns. This high-resolution MCA technique can successfully discriminate KRAS gene targets with single-nucleotide mutations in 3 seconds. The high accuracy and consistency in the acquired Tm when compared with off-chip results demonstrate its opportunities for near-patient diagnostics, precision medicines, genetic counseling, and prevention strategies on DMF platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China.
| | - Liang Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Man-Kay Law
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Li Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Yanwei Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Pui-In Mak
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Rui P Martins
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Macau, Macao, China
- On leave from Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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16
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Zhai J, Li C, Li H, Yi S, Yang N, Miao K, Deng C, Jia Y, Mak PI, Martins RP. Cancer drug screening with an on-chip multi-drug dispenser in digital microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:4749-4759. [PMID: 34761772 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00895a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidics has been the most promising platform for drug screening with a limited number of cells. However, convenient on-chip preparation of a wide range of drug concentrations remains a large challenge and has restricted wide acceptance of microfluidics in precision medicine. In this paper, we report a digital microfluidic system with an innovative control structure and chip design for on-chip drug dispensing to generate concentrations that span three to four orders of magnitude, enabling single drug or combinatorial multi-drug screening with simple electronic control. Specifically, we utilize droplet ejection from a drug drop sitting on a special electrode, named a drug dispenser, under high-voltage pulse actuation to deliver the desired amount of drugs to be picked up by a cell suspension drop driven by low-voltage sine wave actuation. Our proof-of-principle validation for this technique as a convenient single and multi-drug screening involved testing of the drug toxicity of two chemotherapeutics, cisplatin (Cis) and epirubicin (EP), towards MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and MCF-10A normal breast cells. The results are consistent with those screened based on traditional 96-well plates. These findings demonstrate the reliability of the drug screening system with an on-chip drug dispenser. This system with fewer cancer cells, less drug consumption, a small footprint, and high scalability with regard to concentration could pave the way for drug screening on biopsied primary tumor cells for precision medicine or any concentration-related research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences/Tung Biomedical Sciences Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Caiwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - DECE, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Haoran Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - DECE, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Shuhong Yi
- Liver Transplantation Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ning Yang
- Department of Electronic Information Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Kai Miao
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Chuxia Deng
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Yanwei Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - DECE, University of Macau, Macau, China
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Pui-In Mak
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - DECE, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Rui P Martins
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - DECE, University of Macau, Macau, China
- On leave from Instituto Superior Tecnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
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17
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Dabaghi M, Tiessen N, Cao Q, Chandiramohan A, Saraei N, Kim Y, Gupta T, Selvaganapathy PR, Hirota JA. Adhesive-Based Fabrication Technique for Culture of Lung Airway Epithelial Cells with Applications in Cell Patterning and Microfluidics. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 7:5301-5314. [PMID: 34696583 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c01200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
This work describes a versatile and cost-effective cell culture method for micropatterning and growing adherent cells on porous membranes using pressure-sensitive double-sided adhesives. This technique also allows cell culture using conventional methods and their easy integration into microfluidic chip devices. Adhesives can be used to form different patterns of cultured cells, which can be used for cell proliferation and wound-healing models. To demonstrate the viability of our system, we evaluate the toxicity effect of five different adhesives on two distinct airway epithelial cell lines and show functional applications for cell patterning and microfluidic cell culture chip fabrication. We developed a sandwiched microfluidic device that enabled us to culture cells in a submerged condition and transformed it into a dynamic platform when required. The viability of cells and their inflammatory responses to IL-1β stimulation were investigated. Our technique is applicable for conventional culturing of cells, widely available in biomedical research labs, while enabling the introduction of perfusion for an advanced dynamic cell culture model when needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammadhossein Dabaghi
- Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health-Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6, Canada
| | - Nicholas Tiessen
- Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health-Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6, Canada
| | - Quynh Cao
- Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health-Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6, Canada
| | - Abiram Chandiramohan
- Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health-Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6, Canada
| | - Neda Saraei
- Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health-Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6, Canada
| | - Yechan Kim
- Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health-Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6, Canada
| | - Tamaghna Gupta
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - P Ravi Selvaganapathy
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7, Canada
| | - Jeremy A Hirota
- Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health-Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6, Canada.,School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.,McMaster Immunology Research Centre, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.,Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3Z6, Canada.,Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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18
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Ha NS, de Raad M, Han LZ, Golini A, Petzold CJ, Northen TR. Faster, better, and cheaper: harnessing microfluidics and mass spectrometry for biotechnology. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:1331-1351. [PMID: 34704041 PMCID: PMC8496484 DOI: 10.1039/d1cb00112d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
High-throughput screening technologies are widely used for elucidating biological activities. These typically require trade-offs in assay specificity and sensitivity to achieve higher throughput. Microfluidic approaches enable rapid manipulation of small volumes and have found a wide range of applications in biotechnology providing improved control of reaction conditions, faster assays, and reduced reagent consumption. The integration of mass spectrometry with microfluidics has the potential to create high-throughput, sensitivity, and specificity assays. This review introduces the widely-used mass spectrometry ionization techniques that have been successfully integrated with microfluidics approaches such as continuous-flow system, microchip electrophoresis, droplet microfluidics, digital microfluidics, centrifugal microfluidics, and paper microfluidics. In addition, we discuss recent applications of microfluidics integrated with mass spectrometry in single-cell analysis, compound screening, and the study of microorganisms. Lastly, we provide future outlooks towards online coupling, improving the sensitivity and integration of multi-omics into a single platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noel S Ha
- Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA USA
- US Department of Energy Joint BioEnergy Institute Emeryville CA USA
| | - Markus de Raad
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA USA
| | - La Zhen Han
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA USA
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute Berkeley CA USA
| | - Amber Golini
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA USA
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute Berkeley CA USA
| | - Christopher J Petzold
- Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA USA
- US Department of Energy Joint BioEnergy Institute Emeryville CA USA
| | - Trent R Northen
- Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA USA
- US Department of Energy Joint BioEnergy Institute Emeryville CA USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA USA
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute Berkeley CA USA
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19
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Ma Y, Gu M, Chen L, Shen H, Pan Y, Pang Y, Miao S, Tong R, Huang H, Zhu Y, Sun L. Recent advances in critical nodes of embryo engineering technology. Theranostics 2021; 11:7391-7424. [PMID: 34158857 PMCID: PMC8210615 DOI: 10.7150/thno.58799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The normal development and maturation of oocytes and sperm, the formation of fertilized ova, the implantation of early embryos, and the growth and development of foetuses are the biological basis of mammalian reproduction. Therefore, research on oocytes has always occupied a very important position in the life sciences and reproductive medicine fields. Various embryo engineering technologies for oocytes, early embryo formation and subsequent developmental stages and different target sites, such as gene editing, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technologies, have all been established and widely used in industrialization. However, as research continues to deepen and target species become more advanced, embryo engineering technology has also been developing in a more complex and sophisticated direction. At the same time, the success rate also shows a declining trend, resulting in an extension of the research and development cycle and rising costs. By studying the existing embryo engineering technology process, we discovered three critical nodes that have the greatest impact on the development of oocytes and early embryos, namely, oocyte micromanipulation, oocyte electrical activation/reconstructed embryo electrofusion, and the in vitro culture of early embryos. This article mainly demonstrates the efforts made by researchers in the relevant technologies of these three critical nodes from an engineering perspective, analyses the shortcomings of the current technology, and proposes a plan and prospects for the development of embryo engineering technology in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youwen Ma
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Mingwei Gu
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Liguo Chen
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Hao Shen
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yifan Pan
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yan Pang
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Sheng Miao
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Ruiqing Tong
- Cardiology, Dushuhu Public Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Haibo Huang
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yichen Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Cambridge-Suda Genomic Resource Center, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Lining Sun
- School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics & Systems, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
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20
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Digital Twins for Tissue Culture Techniques—Concepts, Expectations, and State of the Art. Processes (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/pr9030447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Techniques to provide in vitro tissue culture have undergone significant changes during the last decades, and current applications involve interactions of cells and organoids, three-dimensional cell co-cultures, and organ/body-on-chip tools. Efficient computer-aided and mathematical model-based methods are required for efficient and knowledge-driven characterization, optimization, and routine manufacturing of tissue culture systems. As an alternative to purely experimental-driven research, the usage of comprehensive mathematical models as a virtual in silico representation of the tissue culture, namely a digital twin, can be advantageous. Digital twins include the mechanistic of the biological system in the form of diverse mathematical models, which describe the interaction between tissue culture techniques and cell growth, metabolism, and the quality of the tissue. In this review, current concepts, expectations, and the state of the art of digital twins for tissue culture concepts will be highlighted. In general, DT’s can be applied along the full process chain and along the product life cycle. Due to the complexity, the focus of this review will be especially on the design, characterization, and operation of the tissue culture techniques.
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21
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Establishing Cell Lines from Fresh or Cryopreserved Tissue from the Great Crested Newt ( Triturus cristatus):A Preliminary Protocol. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11020367. [PMID: 33535698 PMCID: PMC7912844 DOI: 10.3390/ani11020367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This study describes a successful protocol for establishing cell lines from the threatened Triturus cristatus in terms of collection, preparing, establishing, cryopreserving, thawing and quality checking. Different parameters such as media, media change, fresh vs. cryopreserved tissue and seeding density were tested to optimize culture conditions for this species. With fresh tissue, no considerable differences in the use of two different media were found, but with cryopreserved tissue, a combination of ITS (insulin/transferrin/selenite) and 2-mercaptoethanol had a positive effect on growth. Real-time measurements on the cell lines were used, for the first time in amphibian cells, to investigate the effect of different treatments such as media change with or without washing. Media change had a positive impact on the cells, whereas the effect was negative when combined with washing. It is concluded that establishment of cell lines is possible from the great crested newt, especially when using fresh tissue, but much more challenging if the tissue has been cryopreserved. Real-time measurement during cell culture is a useful tool to visualize the sensitivity of amphibian cells during different culture treatments.
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22
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Kremers T, Tintelott M, Pachauri V, Vu XT, Ingebrandt S, Schnakenberg U. Microelectrode Combinations of Gold and Polypyrrole Enable Highly Stable Two‐electrode Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Measurements under Turbulent Flow Conditions. ELECTROANAL 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/elan.202060105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Kremers
- Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1 RWTH Aachen University Sommerfeldstraße 24 D-52074 Aachen Germany
| | - Marcel Tintelott
- Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1 RWTH Aachen University Sommerfeldstraße 24 D-52074 Aachen Germany
| | - Vivek Pachauri
- Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1 RWTH Aachen University Sommerfeldstraße 24 D-52074 Aachen Germany
| | - Xuan Thang Vu
- Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1 RWTH Aachen University Sommerfeldstraße 24 D-52074 Aachen Germany
| | - Sven Ingebrandt
- Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1 RWTH Aachen University Sommerfeldstraße 24 D-52074 Aachen Germany
| | - Uwe Schnakenberg
- Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1 RWTH Aachen University Sommerfeldstraße 24 D-52074 Aachen Germany
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23
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Kremers T, Thelen S, Bosbach N, Schnakenberg U. PortaDrop: A portable digital microfluidic platform providing versatile opportunities for Lab-On-A-Chip applications. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0238581. [PMID: 32881948 PMCID: PMC7470335 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrowetting-on-dielectric is a decent technique to manipulate discrete volumes of liquid in form of droplets. In the last decade, electrowetting-on-dielectric systems, also called digital microfluidic systems, became more frequently used for a variety of applications because of their high flexibility and reconfigurability. Thus, one design can be adapted to different assays by only reprogramming. However, this flexibility can only be useful if the entire system is portable and easy to use. This paper presents the development of a portable, stand-alone digital microfluidic system based on a Linux-based operating system running on a Raspberry Pi, which is unique. We present "PortaDrop" exhibiting the following key features: (1) an "all-in-one box" approach, (2) a user-friendly, self-explaining graphical user interface and easy handling, (3) the ability of integrated electrochemical measurements, (4) the ease to implement additional lab equipment via Universal Serial Bus and the General Purpose Interface Bus as well as (5) a standardized experiment documentation. We propose that PortaDrop can be used to carry out experiments in different applications, where small sample volumes in the nanoliter to picoliter range need to be handled an analyzed automatically. As a first application, we present a protocol, where a droplet is consequently exchanged by droplets of another medium using passive dispensing. The exchange is monitored by electrical impedance spectroscopy. It is the first time, the media exchange caused by passive dispensing is characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Summarizing, PortaDrop allows easy combination of fluid handling by means of electrowetting and additional sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Kremers
- Chair of Micro- and Nanosystems and Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Sarah Thelen
- Chair of Micro- and Nanosystems and Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Nils Bosbach
- Chair of Micro- and Nanosystems and Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Uwe Schnakenberg
- Chair of Micro- and Nanosystems and Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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24
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Frey LJ, Vorländer D, Rasch D, Meinen S, Müller B, Mayr T, Dietzel A, Grosch JH, Krull R. Defining mass transfer in a capillary wave micro-bioreactor for dose-response and other cell-based assays. Biochem Eng J 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2020.107667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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25
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Samlali K, Ahmadi F, Quach ABV, Soffer G, Shih SCC. One Cell, One Drop, One Click: Hybrid Microfluidics for Mammalian Single Cell Isolation. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2002400. [PMID: 32705796 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202002400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Generating a stable knockout cell line is a complex process that can take several months to complete. In this work, a microfluidic method that is capable of isolating single cells in droplets, selecting successful edited clones, and expansion of these isoclones is introduced. Using a hybrid microfluidics method, droplets in channels can be individually addressed using a co-planar electrode system. In the hybrid microfluidics device, it is shown that single cells can be trapped and subsequently encapsulate them on demand into pL-sized droplets. Furthermore, droplets containing single cells are either released, kept in the traps, or merged with other droplets by the application of an electric potential to the electrodes that is actuated through an in-house user interface. This high precision control is used to successfully sort and recover single isoclones to establish monoclonal cell lines, which is demonstrated with a heterozygous NCI-H1299 lung squamous cell population resulting from loss-of-function eGFP and RAF1 gene knockout transfections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenza Samlali
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Fatemeh Ahmadi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Angela B V Quach
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Guy Soffer
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Steve C C Shih
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
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26
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Yin Z, Huang Z, Lin X, Gao X, Bao F. Droplet Generation in a Flow-Focusing Microfluidic Device with External Mechanical Vibration. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11080743. [PMID: 32751579 PMCID: PMC7463860 DOI: 10.3390/mi11080743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The demand for highly controllable droplet generation methods is very urgent in the medical, materials, and food industries. The droplet generation in a flow-focusing microfluidic device with external mechanical vibration, as a controllable droplet generation method, is experimentally studied. The effects of vibration frequency and acceleration amplitude on the droplet generation are characterized. The linear correlation between the droplet generation frequency and the external vibration frequency and the critical vibration amplitude corresponding to the imposing vibration frequency are observed. The droplet generation frequency with external mechanical vibration is affected by the natural generation frequency, vibration frequency, and vibration amplitude. The droplet generation frequency in a certain microfluidic device with external vibration is able to vary from the natural generation frequency to the imposed vibration frequency at different vibration conditions. The evolution of dispersed phase thread with vibration is remarkably different with the process without vibration. Distinct stages of expansion, shrinkage, and collapse are observed in the droplet formation with vibration, and the occurrence number of expansion–shrinkage process is relevant with the linear correlation coefficient.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Fubing Bao
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-571-87676345
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27
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García Alonso D, Yu M, Qu H, Ma L, Shen F. Advances in Microfluidics-Based Technologies for Single Cell Culture. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 3:e1900003. [PMID: 32648694 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.201900003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Single cell culture has been considered one of the fundamental tools for single cell studies. Complex biological systems evolve from single cells, and the cells within biological systems are intrinsically heterogeneous. Therefore, culturing and understanding the behaviors of single cells are of great interest for both biological research and clinical studies. In recent years, advances in microfluidics-based technologies have demonstrated unprecedented capabilities for single cell studies, and they have made high-throughput single cell cultures possible. Microfluidic systems enable precise control of the microenvironment for single cell culture and monitoring of the behavior of single cells in real time. In addition, microfluidic devices can consist of upstream cell sorting and cell isolation, and they can also be seamlessly integrated with various downstream analysis methods. Therefore, microfluidic technologies can obtain data about the performance at the single-cell level, providing information that cannot be achieved by studying the ensemble behavior of cell colonies. In this review, the recent developments in droplet-based microfluidics, microwell-based microfluidics, trap-based microfluidics and SlipChip-based microfluidics for the study of single cell culture is focused on. Perspectives on future improvement regarding single cell culture and its related research opportunities are also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel García Alonso
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Huashan Road, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Mengchao Yu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Huashan Road, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Haijun Qu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Huashan Road, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Liang Ma
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, 5781 Van Allen way, Carlsbad, CA, 92008, USA
| | - Feng Shen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Huashan Road, Shanghai, 200030, China
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28
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Kothamachu VB, Zaini S, Muffatto F. Role of Digital Microfluidics in Enabling Access to Laboratory Automation and Making Biology Programmable. SLAS Technol 2020; 25:411-426. [PMID: 32584152 DOI: 10.1177/2472630320931794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Digital microfluidics (DMF) is a liquid handling technique that has been demonstrated to automate biological experimentation in a low-cost, rapid, and programmable manner. This review discusses the role of DMF as a "digital bioconverter"-a tool to connect the digital aspects of the design-build-learn cycle with the physical execution of experiments. Several applications are reviewed to demonstrate the utility of DMF as a digital bioconverter, namely, genetic engineering, sample preparation for sequencing and mass spectrometry, and enzyme-, immuno-, and cell-based screening assays. These applications show that DMF has great potential in the role of a centralized execution platform in a fully integrated pipeline for the production of novel organisms and biomolecules. In this paper, we discuss how the function of a DMF device within such a pipeline is highly dependent on integration with different sensing techniques and methodologies from machine learning and big data. In addition to that, we examine how the capacity of DMF can in some cases be limited by known technical and operational challenges and how consolidated efforts in overcoming these challenges will be key to the development of DMF as a major enabling technology in the computer-aided biology framework.
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29
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30
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Zhang C, Su Y, Hu S, Jin K, Jie Y, Li W, Nathan A, Ma H. An Impedance Sensing Platform for Monitoring Heterogeneous Connectivity and Diagnostics in Lab-on-a-Chip Systems. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:5098-5104. [PMID: 32201796 PMCID: PMC7081429 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b04048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Reliable hardware connectivity is vital in heterogeneous integrated systems. For example, in digital microfluidics lab-on-a-chip systems, there are hundreds of physical connections required between a microelectromechanical fabricated device and the driving system that can be remotely located on a printed circuit board. Unfortunately, the connection reliability cannot be checked or monitored by vision-based detection methods that are commonly used in the semiconductor industry. Therefore, a sensing platform that can be seamlessly integrated into existing digital microfluidics systems and provide real-time monitoring of multiconnectivity is highly desired. Here, we report an impedance sensing platform that can provide fast detection of a single physical connection in timescales of milliseconds. Once connectivity is established, the same setup can be used to determine the droplet location. The sensing system can be scaled up to support multiple channels or applied to other heterogeneously integrated systems that require real-time monitoring and diagnostics of multiconnectivity systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjie Zhang
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
- School
of Electronics and Information Engineering, Soochow University, 215006 Suzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yang Su
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
- ACXEL
Tech Ltd., Cambridge CB4 0GA, U.K.
| | - Siyi Hu
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
| | - Kai Jin
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
| | - Yuhan Jie
- ACXEL
Tech Ltd., Cambridge CB4 0GA, U.K.
| | - Wenshi Li
- School
of Electronics and Information Engineering, Soochow University, 215006 Suzhou, P.R. China
| | | | - Hanbin Ma
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
- ACXEL
Tech Ltd., Cambridge CB4 0GA, U.K.
- E-mail:
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31
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Zhai J, Li H, Wong AHH, Dong C, Yi S, Jia Y, Mak PI, Deng CX, Martins RP. A digital microfluidic system with 3D microstructures for single-cell culture. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2020; 6:6. [PMID: 34567621 PMCID: PMC8433300 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-019-0109-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite the precise controllability of droplet samples in digital microfluidic (DMF) systems, their capability in isolating single cells for long-time culture is still limited: typically, only a few cells can be captured on an electrode. Although fabricating small-sized hydrophilic micropatches on an electrode aids single-cell capture, the actuation voltage for droplet transportation has to be significantly raised, resulting in a shorter lifetime for the DMF chip and a larger risk of damaging the cells. In this work, a DMF system with 3D microstructures engineered on-chip is proposed to form semi-closed micro-wells for efficient single-cell isolation and long-time culture. Our optimum results showed that approximately 20% of the micro-wells over a 30 × 30 array were occupied by isolated single cells. In addition, low-evaporation-temperature oil and surfactant aided the system in achieving a low droplet actuation voltage of 36V, which was 4 times lower than the typical 150 V, minimizing the potential damage to the cells in the droplets and to the DMF chip. To exemplify the technological advances, drug sensitivity tests were run in our DMF system to investigate the cell response of breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) and breast normal cells (MCF-10A) to a widely used chemotherapeutic drug, Cisplatin (Cis). The results on-chip were consistent with those screened in conventional 96-well plates. This novel, simple and robust single-cell trapping method has great potential in biological research at the single cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Zhai
- State-Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Haoran Li
- State-Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Faculty of Science and Technology-ECE, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Ada Hang-Heng Wong
- Cancer Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Cheng Dong
- State-Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Shuhong Yi
- Liver Transplantation Center, the Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510000 Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanwei Jia
- State-Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Faculty of Science and Technology-ECE, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Cancer Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Pui-In Mak
- State-Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Faculty of Science and Technology-ECE, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Chu-Xia Deng
- Cancer Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Rui P. Martins
- State-Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Faculty of Science and Technology-ECE, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- on leave from Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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Abstract
Lentiviral vectors enable gene transfer into target cells, but manufacturing is complex, scale-limited, and costly. Here, we describe the use of microfluidic devices for efficient ex vivo gene transfer. Up to four- to fivefold reductions in viral vector usage and two- to fourfold reductions in transduction times can be obtained by using this method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reginald Tran
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Wilbur A Lam
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Jeyhani M, Gnyawali V, Abbasi N, Hwang DK, Tsai SS. Microneedle-assisted microfluidic flow focusing for versatile and high throughput water-in-water droplet generation. J Colloid Interface Sci 2019; 553:382-389. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2019.05.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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35
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Xiong R, Chai W, Huang Y. Laser printing-enabled direct creation of cellular heterogeneity in lab-on-a-chip devices. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:1644-1656. [PMID: 30924821 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00117d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Lab-on-a-chip devices, capable of culturing living cells in continuously perfused, micrometer-sized channels, have been intensively investigated to model physiological microenvironments for cell-related testing and evaluation applications. Various chemical, physical, and/or biological culture cues are usually expected in a designed chip to mimic the in vivo environment with defined spatial heterogeneity of cells and biomaterials. To create such heterogeneity within a given chip, typical methods rely heavily on sophisticated fabrication and cell seeding processes, and chips fabricated with these methods are difficult to readily adapt for other applications. In this study, laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT)-based printing has been implemented to create heterogeneous cellular patterns in a lab-on-a-chip device to achieve the efficiency in creating heterogeneous cellular patterns as well as the flexibility in adapting different evaluation configurations in lab-on-a-chip devices. Two applications, parallel evaluation of cellular behavior and targeted drug delivery to cancer cells, have been implemented as proof-of-concept demonstrations of the proposed fabrication method. For the first application, the morphology of cells in different extracellular matrix (ECM) materials cultured under varying conditions has been investigated. It is found that less stiff ECM and dynamic culturing are preferred for spreading of fibroblasts. For the second application, different drug carriers have been utilized for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs to breast cancer cells. It is found that targeted drug delivery is important to realize effective chemotherapy and drug release rate from drug carriers affects the chemotherapy effect. Consequently, the proposed laser printing-based method enables direct creation of heterogeneous cellular patterns within lab-on-a-chip devices which improves the efficiency and versatility of cell-related sensing and evaluation using lab-on-a-chip devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruitong Xiong
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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36
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Zhong Z, Li Z, Chakrabarty K, Ho TY, Lee CY. Micro-Electrode-Dot-Array Digital Microfluidic Biochips: Technology, Design Automation, and Test Techniques. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BIOMEDICAL CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS 2019; 13:292-313. [PMID: 30571645 DOI: 10.1109/tbcas.2018.2886952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Digital microfluidic biochips (DMFBs) are being increasingly used for DNA sequencing, point-of-care clinical diagnostics, and immunoassays. DMFBs based on a micro-electrode-dot-array (MEDA) architecture have recently been proposed, and fundamental droplet manipulations, e.g., droplet mixing and splitting, have also been experimentally demonstrated on MEDA biochips. There can be thousands of microelectrodes on a single MEDA biochip, and the fine-grained control of nanoliter volumes of biochemical samples and reagents is also enabled by this technology. MEDA biochips offer the benefits of real-time sensitivity, lower cost, easy system integration with CMOS modules, and full automation. This review paper first describes recent design tools for high-level synthesis and optimization of map bioassay protocols on a MEDA biochip. It then presents recent advances in scheduling of fluidic operations, placement of fluidic modules, droplet-size-aware routing, adaptive error recovery, sample preparation, and various testing techniques. With the help of these tools, biochip users can concentrate on the development of nanoscale bioassays, leaving details of chip optimization and implementation to software tools.
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37
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Yu Y, de Campos RPS, Hong S, Krastev DL, Sadanand S, Leung Y, Wheeler AR. A microfluidic platform for continuous monitoring of dopamine homeostasis in dopaminergic cells. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2019; 5:10. [PMID: 31057937 PMCID: PMC6409360 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-019-0049-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Homeostasis of dopamine, a classical neurotransmitter, is a key indicator of neuronal health. Dysfunction in the regulation of dopamine is implicated in a long list of neurological disorders, including addiction, depression, and neurodegeneration. The existing methods used to evaluate dopamine homeostasis in vitro are inconvenient and do not allow for continuous non-destructive measurement. In response to this challenge, we introduce an integrated microfluidic system that combines dopaminergic cell culture and differentiation with electroanalytical measurements of extracellular dopamine in real-time at any point during an assay. We used the system to examine the behavior of differentiated SH-SY5Y cells upon exposure to four dopamine transporter ant/agonists (cocaine, ketamine, epigallocatechin gallate, and amphetamine) and study their pharmacokinetics. The IC50 values of cocaine, ketamine, and epigallocatechin gallate were determined to be (average ± standard deviation) 3.7 ± 1.1 µM, 51.4 ± 17.9 µM, and 2.6 ± 0.8 µM, respectively. Furthermore, we used the new system to study amphetamine-mediated dopamine release to probe the related phenomena of dopamine transporter-mediated reverse-transport and dopamine release from vesicles. We propose that this platform, which is the first platform to simultaneously evaluate uptake and release, could be useful to screen for drugs and other agents that target dopaminergic neurons and the function of the dopamine transporter. More broadly, this platform should be adaptable for any application that could benefit from high-temporal resolution electroanalysis combined with multi-day cell culture using small numbers of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yu
- Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College St, Toronto, ON M5s 3G9 Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, 160 College St., Toronto, ON M5S 3E1 Canada
| | - Richard P. S. de Campos
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, 160 College St., Toronto, ON M5S 3E1 Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St George St., Toronto, ON M5S 3H6 Canada
| | - Seolim Hong
- Department of Human Biology, University of Toronto, 300 Huron Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3J6 Canada
| | - Dimitar L. Krastev
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, 160 College St., Toronto, ON M5S 3E1 Canada
- Department of Human Biology, University of Toronto, 300 Huron Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3J6 Canada
| | - Siddharth Sadanand
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, 160 College St., Toronto, ON M5S 3E1 Canada
| | - Yen Leung
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, 160 College St., Toronto, ON M5S 3E1 Canada
| | - Aaron R. Wheeler
- Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College St, Toronto, ON M5s 3G9 Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, 160 College St., Toronto, ON M5S 3E1 Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St George St., Toronto, ON M5S 3H6 Canada
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38
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Zou F, Ruan Q, Lin X, Zhang M, Song Y, Zhou L, Zhu Z, Lin S, Wang W, Yang CJ. Rapid, real-time chemiluminescent detection of DNA mutation based on digital microfluidics and pyrosequencing. Biosens Bioelectron 2019; 126:551-557. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2018.09.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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39
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PDMS-free microfluidic cell culture with integrated gas supply through a porous membrane of anodized aluminum oxide. Biomed Microdevices 2018; 20:98. [DOI: 10.1007/s10544-018-0343-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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40
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Varma S, Voldman J. Caring for cells in microsystems: principles and practices of cell-safe device design and operation. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:3333-3352. [PMID: 30324208 PMCID: PMC6254237 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00746b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic device designers and users continually question whether cells are 'happy' in a given microsystem or whether they are perturbed by micro-scale technologies. This issue is normally brought up by engineers building platforms, or by external reviewers (academic or commercial) comparing multiple technological approaches to a problem. Microsystems can apply combinations of biophysical and biochemical stimuli that, although essential to device operation, may damage cells in complex ways. However, assays to assess the impact of microsystems upon cells have been challenging to conduct and have led to subjective interpretation and evaluation of cell stressors, hampering development and adoption of microsystems. To this end, we introduce a framework that defines cell health, describes how device stimuli may stress cells, and contrasts approaches to measure cell stress. Importantly, we provide practical guidelines regarding device design and operation to minimize cell stress, and recommend a minimal set of quantitative assays that will enable standardization in the assessment of cell health in diverse devices. We anticipate that as microsystem designers, reviewers, and end-users enforce such guidelines, we as a community can create a set of essential principles that will further the adoption of such technologies in clinical, translational and commercial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarvesh Varma
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
,
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 36-824
, Cambridge
, USA
.
; Fax: +617 258 5846
; Tel: +617 253 1583
| | - Joel Voldman
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
,
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 36-824
, Cambridge
, USA
.
; Fax: +617 258 5846
; Tel: +617 253 1583
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41
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Yang F, Yang N, Huo X, Xu S. Thermal sensing in fluid at the micro-nano-scales. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2018; 12:041501. [PMID: 30867860 PMCID: PMC6404956 DOI: 10.1063/1.5037421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Temperature is one of the most fundamental parameters for the characterization of a physical system. With rapid development of lab-on-a-chip and biology at single cell level, a great demand has risen for the temperature sensors with high spatial, temporal, and thermal resolution. Nevertheless, measuring temperature in liquid environment is always a technical challenge. Various factors may affect the sensing results, such as the fabrication parameters of built-in sensors, thermal property of electrical insulating layer, and stability of fluorescent thermometers in liquid environment. In this review, we focused on different kinds of micro/nano-thermometers applied in the thermal sensing for microfluidic systems and cultured cells. We discussed the advantages and limitations of these thermometers in specific applications and the challenges and possible solutions for more accurate temperature measurements in further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Nana Yang
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoye Huo
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Micro-and Nanofluidics Laboratory, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Shengyong Xu
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
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42
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Husser MC, Vo PQN, Sinha H, Ahmadi F, Shih SCC. An Automated Induction Microfluidics System for Synthetic Biology. ACS Synth Biol 2018. [PMID: 29516725 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.8b00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The expression of a recombinant gene in a host organism through induction can be an extensively manual and labor-intensive procedure. Several methods have been developed to simplify the protocol, but none has fully replaced the traditional IPTG-based induction. To simplify this process, we describe the development of an autoinduction platform based on digital microfluidics. This system consists of a 600 nm LED and a light sensor to enable the real-time monitoring of the optical density (OD) samples coordinated with the semicontinuous mixing of a bacterial culture. A hand-held device was designed as a microbioreactor to culture cells and to measure the OD of the bacterial culture. In addition, it serves as a platform for the analysis of regulated protein expression in E. coli without the requirement of standardized well-plates or pipetting-based platforms. Here, we report for the first time, a system that offers great convenience without the user to physically monitor the culture or to manually add inducer at specific times. We characterized our system by looking at several parameters (electrode designs, gap height, and growth rates) required for an autoinducible system. As a first step, we carried out an automated induction optimization assay using a RFP reporter gene to identify conditions suitable for our system. Next, we used our system to identify active thermophilic β-glucosidase enzymes that may be suitable candidates for biomass hydrolysis. Overall, we believe that this platform may be useful for synthetic biology applications that require regulating and analyzing expression of heterologous genes for strain optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu C. Husser
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Philippe Q. N. Vo
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Hugo Sinha
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Fatemeh Ahmadi
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Steve C. C. Shih
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
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Bourguignon N, Attallah C, Karp P, Booth R, Peñaherrera A, Payés C, Oggero M, Pérez MS, Helguera G, Lerner B. Production of monoclonal antibodies in microfluidic devices. Integr Biol (Camb) 2018; 10:136-144. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ib00200a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Bourguignon
- Facultad Regional Haedo, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN), Provincia de Buenos Aires CP 1706, Argentina
| | - Carolina Attallah
- Laboratorio de Cultivos Celulares, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), CONICET, Santa Fe, Provincia de Santa Fe, 3000ZAA, Argentina
| | - Paola Karp
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Ciudad de Buenos Aires C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - Ross Booth
- MilliporeSigma Corporation, Hayward, CA 94545, USA
| | - Ana Peñaherrera
- Facultad Regional Haedo, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN), Provincia de Buenos Aires CP 1706, Argentina
| | - Cristian Payés
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Ciudad de Buenos Aires C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - Marcos Oggero
- Laboratorio de Cultivos Celulares, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), CONICET, Santa Fe, Provincia de Santa Fe, 3000ZAA, Argentina
| | - Maximiliano S. Pérez
- Facultad Regional Haedo, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN), Provincia de Buenos Aires CP 1706, Argentina
- Instituto de Ingeniería Biomédica, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad de Buenos Aires C1063ACV, Argentina
| | - Gustavo Helguera
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Ciudad de Buenos Aires C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - Betiana Lerner
- Facultad Regional Haedo, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN), Provincia de Buenos Aires CP 1706, Argentina
- Instituto de Ingeniería Biomédica, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Ciudad de Buenos Aires C1063ACV, Argentina
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Yafia M, Emran BJ, Najjaran H. Digital Microfluidic Systems: Fundamentals, Configurations, Techniques, and Applications. MICROFLUIDICS: FUNDAMENTAL, DEVICES AND APPLICATIONS 2018:175-209. [DOI: 10.1002/9783527800643.ch5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
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Choi SH, Chung M, Park SW, Jeon NL, Kim JH, Yu YS. Relationship between Pericytes and Endothelial Cells in Retinal Neovascularization: A Histological and Immunofluorescent Study of Retinal Angiogenesis. KOREAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY 2018; 32:70-76. [PMID: 29376221 PMCID: PMC5801093 DOI: 10.3341/kjo.2016.0115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To evaluate the relationship between pericytes and endothelial cells in retinal neovascularization through histological and immunofluorescent studies. Methods C57BL/6J mice were exposed to hyperoxia from postnatal day (P) 7 to P12 and were returned to room air at P12 to induce a model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). The cross sections of enucleated eyes were processed with hematoxylin and eosin. Immunofluorescent staining of pericytes, endothelial cells, and N-cadherin was performed. Microfluidic devices were fabricated out of polydimethylsiloxane using soft lithography and replica molding. Human retinal microvascular endothelial cells, human brain microvascular endothelial cells, human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human placenta pericyte were mixed and co-cultured. Results Unlike the three-layered vascular plexus found in retinal angiogenesis of a normal mouse, angiogenesis in the OIR model is identified by the neovascular tuft extending into the vitreous. Neovascular tufts and the three-layered vascular plexus were both covered with pericytes in the OIR model. In this pathologic vascularization, N-cadherin, known to be crucial intercellular adhesion molecule, was also present. Further evaluation using the microfluidic in vitro model, successfully developed a microvascular network of endothelial cells covered with pericytes, mimicking normal retinal angiogenesis within 6 days. Conclusions Pericytes covering endothelial cells were observed not only in vasculature of normal retina but also pathologic neovascularization of OIR mouse at P17. Factors involved in the endothelial cell-pericyte interaction can be evaluated as an attractive novel treatment target. These future studies can be performed using microfluidic systems, which can shorten the study time and provide three-dimensional structural evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se Hyun Choi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Minhwan Chung
- Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sung Wook Park
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,FARB (Fight against Angiogenesis-Related Blindness) Laboratory, Clinical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Noo Li Jeon
- Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jeong Hun Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,FARB (Fight against Angiogenesis-Related Blindness) Laboratory, Clinical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Suk Yu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,FARB (Fight against Angiogenesis-Related Blindness) Laboratory, Clinical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
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Zhu XD, Chu J, Wang YH. Advances in Microfluidics Applied to Single Cell Operation. Biotechnol J 2018; 13. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201700416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 11/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xu-Dong Zhu
- National Engineering Centre for Biotechnology (Shanghai); College of Biotechnology; East China University of Science and Technology; 130 Meilong Road Shanghai 200237 China
| | - Ju Chu
- National Engineering Centre for Biotechnology (Shanghai); College of Biotechnology; East China University of Science and Technology; 130 Meilong Road Shanghai 200237 China
| | - Yong-Hong Wang
- National Engineering Centre for Biotechnology (Shanghai); College of Biotechnology; East China University of Science and Technology; 130 Meilong Road Shanghai 200237 China
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A novel magnet-actuated droplet manipulation platform using a floating ferrofluid film. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15705. [PMID: 29146931 PMCID: PMC5691075 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15964-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we propose a novel but versatile magnet-actuated platform for droplet manipulation, which uses a ferrofluid film floating on a liquid surface as magnetic actuator. In contrast to the traditional magnetic droplet manipulation, this platform can handle droplets without magnetically functionalizing them. Due to the immiscibility of the oil-based ferrofluid and water, the droplets desired to be manipulated can stably rest on the surface of the floating ferrofluid film (FFF) under the action of surface tension, thereby offering possibilities for magnetically-driven droplet manipulations. Such a floating, magnetically responsive liquid film not only offers an open surface for active 2D droplet manipulation, but also enables complex droplet manipulations in 3D space. Using FFF, we demonstrate a “full-space” droplet manipulation, including droplet transport/coalescence above FFF (i.e. in air), droplet transport/coalescence on FFF and droplet encapsulation/release under FFF (i.e. in liquid). Furthermore, we investigated the effects of the magnetic field intensity, the ferrofluid concentration, the droplet volume, and the FFF thickness on droplet kinematics. By finely tuning these operating conditions, the FFF strategy can enjoy more operational latitude than traditional droplet systems, thus allowing more versatile liquid handling.
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Flow characterization and patch clamp dose responses using jet microfluidics in a tubeless microfluidic device. J Neurosci Methods 2017; 291:182-189. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Park K, Park J, Jung JH, Destgeer G, Ahmed H, Sung HJ. In-droplet microparticle separation using travelling surface acoustic wave. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2017; 11:064112. [PMID: 29308101 PMCID: PMC5739910 DOI: 10.1063/1.5010219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Droplets in microfluidic systems can contain microscale objects such as cells and microparticles. The control of the positions of microscale objects within a microchannel is crucial for practical applications in not only continuous-flow-based but also droplet-based systems. This paper proposes an active method for the separation of microparticles inside moving droplets which uses travelling surface acoustic waves (TSAWs). We demonstrate the preconcentration and separation of 5 and 10 μm polystyrene microparticles in moving water-in-oil droplets through the application of TSAWs with two different frequencies. The microparticles inside the droplets are affected by the acoustic radiation force induced by the TSAWs to move laterally in the direction of the TSAW propagation and are thereby separated according to their size. In-droplet separation is then demonstrated through droplet splitting at a Y-junction. Compared to our previous studies, this acoustic approach offers the label-free and on-demand separation of different-sized micro-objects in moving droplets. The present method has potential uses such as in-droplet sample purification and enrichment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwangseok Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Jinsoo Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Jin Ho Jung
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Ghulam Destgeer
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Husnain Ahmed
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Hyung Jin Sung
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
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Vo PQN, Husser MC, Ahmadi F, Sinha H, Shih SCC. Image-based feedback and analysis system for digital microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:3437-3446. [PMID: 28871290 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00826k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Digital microfluidics (DMF) is a technology that provides a means of manipulating nL-μL volumes of liquids on an array of electrodes. By applying an electric potential to an electrode, these discrete droplets can be controlled in parallel which can be transported, mixed, reacted, and analyzed. Typically, an automation system is interfaced with a DMF device that uses a standard set of basic instructions written by the user to execute droplet operations. Here, we present the first feedback method for DMF that relies on imaging techniques that will allow online detection of droplets without the need to reactivate all destination electrodes. Our system consists of integrating open-source electronics with a CMOS camera and a zoom lens for acquisition of the images that will be used to detect droplets on the device. We also created an algorithm that uses a Hough transform to detect a variety of droplet sizes and to detect singular droplet dispensing and movement failures on the device. As a first test, we applied this feedback system to test droplet movement for a variety of liquids used in cell-based assays and to optimize different feedback actuation schemes to improve droplet movement fidelity. We also applied our system to a colorimetric enzymatic assay to show that our system is capable of biological analysis. Overall, we believe that using our approach of integrating imaging and feedback for DMF can provide a platform for automating biological assays with analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Q N Vo
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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