1
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Jain SK, Sen AK. Coflowing aqueous and oil-based ferrofluid streams exposed to a magnetic field. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:6431-6439. [PMID: 39091207 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm00550c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
We report the transition between stream and droplet regimes in a coflow of an aqueous stream and oil-based ferrofluid. The transition between stream and droplet regimes is typically attained by controlling the capillary numbers (Ca) of the phases. Remarkably, we experimentally evidence a transition between the regimes by adjusting the exposure of the system to a magnetic field, with Ca fixed. We represent the various regimes: stable coflow, interface deformation, and droplet generation, in terms of the magnetic bond number (Bom) and the ratio of capillary numbers of the phases (Car). The different regimes are a consequence of the interplay of the magnetic, viscous, and interfacial tension forces, represented by the two dimensionless numbers. We explain the regimes in terms of the magnetic pinch-off (τmp) and advection (τa) time scales: for τmp ≫ τa a stable coflow is observed, for τmp ∼ τa interface deformation is observed, and for τmp ≪ τa droplet breakup is observed. We study the interface deformation and droplet size from experiments and predict the same from theoretical scaling. We find the interface deformation increases and the droplet size decreases with increases in Bom and Car. The present study may find applications in magnetic field-assisted on-demand droplet generation in microfluidics.
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Affiliation(s)
- S K Jain
- Micro Nano Bio Fluidics Unit, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai - 600036, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - A K Sen
- Micro Nano Bio Fluidics Unit, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai - 600036, Tamil Nadu, India.
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2
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Gong L, He L, Lu N, Petchakup C, Li KHH, Tay CY, Hou HW. Label-Free Single Microparticles and Cell Aggregates Sorting in Continuous Cell-Based Manufacturing. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2304529. [PMID: 38465888 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202304529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
There is a paradigm shift in biomanufacturing toward continuous bioprocessing but cell-based manufacturing using adherent and suspension cultures, including microcarriers, hydrogel microparticles, and 3D cell aggregates, remains challenging due to the lack of efficient in-line bioprocess monitoring and cell harvesting tools. Herein, a novel label-free microfluidic platform for high throughput (≈50 particles/sec) impedance bioanalysis of biomass, cell viability, and stem cell differentiation at single particle resolution is reported. The device is integrated with a real-time piezo-actuated particle sorter based on user-defined multi-frequency impedance signatures. Biomass profiling of Cytodex-3 microcarriers seeded with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) is first performed to sort well-seeded or confluent microcarriers for downstream culture or harvesting, respectively. Next, impedance-based isolation of microcarriers with osteogenic differentiated ADSCs is demonstrated, which is validated with a twofold increase of calcium content in sorted ADSCs. Impedance profiling of heterogenous ADSCs-encapsulated hydrogel (alginate) microparticles and 3D ADSC aggregate mixtures is also performed to sort particles with high biomass and cell viability to improve cell quality. Overall, the scalable microfluidic platform technology enables in-line sample processing from bioreactors directly and automated analysis of cell quality attributes to maximize cell yield and improve the control of cell quality in continuous cell-based manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyan Gong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Linwei He
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Nan Lu
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Chayakorn Petchakup
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - King Ho Holden Li
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Chor Yong Tay
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
- Environmental Chemistry and Materials Centre, Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute, Singapore, 637141, Singapore
| | - Han Wei Hou
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 308232, Singapore
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3
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Zheng F, Tian R, Lu H, Liang X, Shafiq M, Uchida S, Chen H, Ma M. Droplet Microfluidics Powered Hydrogel Microparticles for Stem Cell-Mediated Biomedical Applications. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2401400. [PMID: 38881184 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202401400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Stem cell-related therapeutic technologies have garnered significant attention of the research community for their multi-faceted applications. To promote the therapeutic effects of stem cells, the strategies for cell microencapsulation in hydrogel microparticles have been widely explored, as the hydrogel microparticles have the potential to facilitate oxygen diffusion and nutrient transport alongside their ability to promote crucial cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Despite their significant promise, there is an acute shortage of automated, standardized, and reproducible platforms to further stem cell-related research. Microfluidics offers an intriguing platform to produce stem cell-laden hydrogel microparticles (SCHMs) owing to its ability to manipulate the fluids at the micrometer scale as well as precisely control the structure and composition of microparticles. In this review, the typical biomaterials and crosslinking methods for microfluidic encapsulation of stem cells as well as the progress in droplet-based microfluidics for the fabrication of SCHMs are outlined. Moreover, the important biomedical applications of SCHMs are highlighted, including regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, scale-up production of stem cells, and microenvironmental simulation for fundamental cell studies. Overall, microfluidics holds tremendous potential for enabling the production of diverse hydrogel microparticles and is worthy for various stem cell-related biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangqiao Zheng
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, P. R. China
| | - Ruizhi Tian
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Hongxu Lu
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Xiao Liang
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, P. R. China
| | - Muhammad Shafiq
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM), Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 210-0821, Japan
| | - Satoshi Uchida
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM), Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 210-0821, Japan
- Department of Advanced Nanomedical Engineering, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Hangrong Chen
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, P. R. China
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Ming Ma
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, P. R. China
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, P. R. China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
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4
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Yi H, Fu T, Ma D, Zhu C, Ma Y. Spontaneous Transfer of Droplets across a Microfluidic Liquid-Liquid Interface. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:5508-5517. [PMID: 38408020 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
The droplet transfer across an interface in a microchannel is extensively utilized in diverse fields; however, it is challenging to drive droplets to penetrate the interface at such a small scale. In this study, a novel flow pattern of droplet transfer is observed and the mechanism is investigated; accordingly, an accurate prediction equation for determining the critical condition of droplet transfer is proposed. Meanwhile, the liquid film entrainment is also observed, which leads to the formation of an oil-in-water-in-water system. This study serves as a valuable reference for further studies on the mechanism of droplet transfer and provides practical guidance for its industrial application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haozhe Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China
| | - Taotao Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China
| | - Daofan Ma
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Chunying Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China
| | - Youguang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China
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5
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van Loo B, Schot M, Gurian M, Kamperman T, Leijten J. Single-Step Biofabrication of In Situ Spheroid-Forming Compartmentalized Hydrogel for Clinical-Sized Cartilage Tissue Formation. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2300095. [PMID: 37793116 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202300095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
3D cellular spheroids offer more biomimetic microenvironments than conventional 2D cell culture technologies, which has proven value for many tissue engineering applications. Despite beneficiary effects of 3D cell culture, clinical translation of spheroid tissue engineering is challenged by limited scalability of current spheroid formation methods. Although recent adoption of droplet microfluidics can provide a continuous production process, use of oils and surfactants, generally low throughput, and requirement of additional biofabrication steps hinder clinical translation of spheroid culture. Here, the use of clean (e.g., oil-free and surfactant-free), ultra-high throughput (e.g., 8.5 mL min-1 , 10 000 spheroids s-1 ), single-step, in-air microfluidic biofabrication of spheroid forming compartmentalized hydrogels is reported. This novel technique can reliably produce 1D fibers, 2D planes, and 3D volumes compartmentalized hydrogel constructs, which each allows for distinct (an)isotropic orientation of hollow spheroid-forming compartments. Spheroids produced within ink-jet bioprinted compartmentalized hydrogels outperform 2D cell cultures in terms of chondrogenic behavior. Moreover, the cellular spheroids can be harvested from compartmentalized hydrogels and used to build shape-stable centimeter-sized biomaterial-free living tissues in a bottom-up manner. Consequently, it is anticipated that in-air microfluidic production of spheroid-forming compartmentalized hydrogels can advance production and use of cellular spheroids for various biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas van Loo
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, Enschede, 7522 NB, The Netherlands
| | - Maik Schot
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, Enschede, 7522 NB, The Netherlands
| | - Melvin Gurian
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, Enschede, 7522 NB, The Netherlands
| | - Tom Kamperman
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, Enschede, 7522 NB, The Netherlands
- IamFluidics B.V., De Veldmaat 17, Enschede, 7522 NM, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Leijten
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, Enschede, 7522 NB, The Netherlands
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6
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Sun Y, Liu M, Tang X, Zhou Y, Zhang J, Yang B. Culture-Delivery Live Probiotics Dressing for Accelerated Infected Wound Healing. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:53283-53296. [PMID: 37948751 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c12845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Probiotic therapy in infected wound healing is hindered by its low viability and colonization efficiency during treatments. Developing dressings that maintain metabolic activity and prevent the potential leakage of probiotics is imperative. Herein, a culture-delivery live probiotics hydrogel dressing is designed and synthesized, formed by gelatin modified with norbornene (GelNB) and sulfhydryl (GelSH), distributing Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri)-laden alginate microspheres (AlgMPs). GelNB-GelSH hydrogel (GelNBSH) incorporating AlgMPs embedding L. reuteri (GelNBSH-L) possesses bioprintability and efficient polymerization that can maintain the activity of L. reuteri in situ, promote its proliferation, and limit its leakage. Thereby, GelNBSH-L achieved a sustainable antimicrobial effect against both S. aureus and E. coli (>90%). Above all, the results show that GelNBSH-L could ensure propitious viability and efficient antibacterial properties of probiotics, effectively inhibit the further development of bacterial infectious wounds and shorten the repair cycle, aiding in ameliorating future clinical probiotic biotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Material, Center for Supramolecular Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
- Joint Laboratory of Opto-Functional Theranostics in Medicine and Chemistry, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Manxuan Liu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Tooth Development and Bone Remodeling, Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Xiaoduo Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Material, Center for Supramolecular Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
- Joint Laboratory of Opto-Functional Theranostics in Medicine and Chemistry, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Tooth Development and Bone Remodeling, Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Yanmin Zhou
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Tooth Development and Bone Remodeling, Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Junhu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Material, Center for Supramolecular Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
- Joint Laboratory of Opto-Functional Theranostics in Medicine and Chemistry, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Bai Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Material, Center for Supramolecular Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
- Joint Laboratory of Opto-Functional Theranostics in Medicine and Chemistry, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
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7
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van Loo B, Ten Den SA, Araújo-Gomes N, de Jong V, Snabel RR, Schot M, Rivera-Arbeláez JM, Veenstra GJC, Passier R, Kamperman T, Leijten J. Mass production of lumenogenic human embryoid bodies and functional cardiospheres using in-air-generated microcapsules. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6685. [PMID: 37865642 PMCID: PMC10590445 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42297-0] [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: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Organoids are engineered 3D miniature tissues that are defined by their organ-like structures, which drive a fundamental understanding of human development. However, current organoid generation methods are associated with low production throughputs and poor control over size and function including due to organoid merging, which limits their clinical and industrial translation. Here, we present a microfluidic platform for the mass production of lumenogenic embryoid bodies and functional cardiospheres. Specifically, we apply triple-jet in-air microfluidics for the ultra-high-throughput generation of hollow, thin-shelled, hydrogel microcapsules that can act as spheroid-forming bioreactors in a cytocompatible, oil-free, surfactant-free, and size-controlled manner. Uniquely, we show that microcapsules generated by in-air microfluidics provide a lumenogenic microenvironment with near 100% efficient cavitation of spheroids. We demonstrate that upon chemical stimulation, human pluripotent stem cell-derived spheroids undergo cardiomyogenic differentiation, effectively resulting in the mass production of homogeneous and functional cardiospheres that are responsive to external electrical stimulation. These findings drive clinical and industrial adaption of stem cell technology in tissue engineering and drug testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas van Loo
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Simone A Ten Den
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Applied Stem Cell Technology, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Nuno Araújo-Gomes
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent de Jong
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Rebecca R Snabel
- Radboud University, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Maik Schot
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - José M Rivera-Arbeláez
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Applied Stem Cell Technology, Enschede, The Netherlands
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, BIOS Lab-on-a-Chip Group, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Gert Jan C Veenstra
- Radboud University, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Robert Passier
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Applied Stem Cell Technology, Enschede, The Netherlands
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Tom Kamperman
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Enschede, The Netherlands
- IamFluidics B.V., De Veldmaat 17, 7522NM, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Leijten
- University of Twente, TechMed Centre, Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Enschede, The Netherlands.
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8
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Poles M, Meggiolaro A, Cremaschini S, Marinello F, Filippi D, Pierno M, Mistura G, Ferraro D. Shaking Device for Homogeneous Dispersion of Magnetic Beads in Droplet Microfluidics. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:5399. [PMID: 37420565 DOI: 10.3390/s23125399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic beads (or particles) having a size between 1 and 5 µm are largely used in many biochemical assays devoted to both purification and quantification of cells, nucleic acids, or proteins. Unfortunately, the use of these beads within microfluidic devices suffers from natural precipitation because of their size and density. The strategies applied thus far to cells or polymeric particles cannot be extended to magnetic beads, mainly due to their magnetization and their higher densities. We report an effective shaking device capable of preventing the sedimentation of beads that are stored in a custom PCR tube. After the characterization of the operating principle, the device is validated for magnetic beads in droplets, leading to an equal distribution between the droplets, barely affecting their generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Poles
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Alessio Meggiolaro
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Sebastian Cremaschini
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Filippo Marinello
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Daniele Filippi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Matteo Pierno
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Mistura
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Davide Ferraro
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padua, Italy
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9
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Van Tran V, Wi E, Shin SY, Lee D, Kim YA, Ma BC, Chang M. Microgels based on 0D-3D carbon materials: Synthetic techniques, properties, applications, and challenges. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 307:135981. [PMID: 35964721 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microgels are three-dimensional (3D) colloidal hydrogel particles with outstanding features such as biocompatibility, good mechanical properties, tunable sizes from submicrometer to tens of nanometers, and large surface areas. Because of these unique qualities, microgels have been widely used in various applications. Carbon-based materials (CMs) with various dimensions (0-3D) have recently been investigated as promising candidates for the design and fabrication of microgels because of their large surface area, excellent conductivity, unique chemical stability, and low cost. Here, we provide a critical review of the specific characteristics of CMs that are being incorporated into microgels, as well as the state-of-the art applications of CM-microgels in pollutant adsorption and photodegradation, H2 evoluation, CO2 capture, soil conditioners, water retention, drug delivery, cell encapsulation, and tissue engineering. Advanced preparation techniques for CM-microgel systems are also summarized and discussed. Finally, challenges related to the low colloidal stability of CM-microgels and development strategies are examined. This review shows that CM-microgels have the potential to be widely used in various practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinh Van Tran
- Laser and Thermal Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam, 13120, South Korea
| | - Eunsol Wi
- Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea
| | - Seo Young Shin
- Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea
| | - Daeho Lee
- Laser and Thermal Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam, 13120, South Korea
| | - Yoong Ahm Kim
- Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea; School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea; Alan G. MacDiarmid Energy Research Institute, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea
| | - Byung Chol Ma
- School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea.
| | - Mincheol Chang
- Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea; School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea; Alan G. MacDiarmid Energy Research Institute, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea.
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10
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Ling SD, Liu Z, Ma W, Chen Z, Du Y, Xu J. A Novel Step-T-Junction Microchannel for the Cell Encapsulation in Monodisperse Alginate-Gelatin Microspheres of Varying Mechanical Properties at High Throughput. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:bios12080659. [PMID: 36005055 PMCID: PMC9406195 DOI: 10.3390/bios12080659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cell encapsulation has been widely employed in cell therapy, characterization, and analysis, as well as many other biomedical applications. While droplet-based microfluidic technology is advantageous in cell microencapsulation because of its modularity, controllability, mild conditions, and easy operation when compared to other state-of-art methods, it faces the dilemma between high throughput and monodispersity of generated cell-laden microdroplets. In addition, the lack of a biocompatible method of de-emulsification transferring cell-laden hydrogel from cytotoxic oil phase into cell culture medium also hurtles the practical application of microfluidic technology. Here, a novel step-T-junction microchannel was employed to encapsulate cells into monodisperse microspheres at the high-throughput jetting regime. An alginate–gelatin co-polymer system was employed to enable the microfluidic-based fabrication of cell-laden microgels with mild cross-linking conditions and great biocompatibility, notably for the process of de-emulsification. The mechanical properties of alginate-gelatin hydrogel, e.g., stiffness, stress–relaxation, and viscoelasticity, are fully adjustable in offering a 3D biomechanical microenvironment that is optimal for the specific encapsulated cell type. Finally, the encapsulation of HepG2 cells into monodisperse alginate–gelatin microgels with the novel microfluidic system and the subsequent cultivation proved the maintenance of the long-term viability, proliferation, and functionalities of encapsulated cells, indicating the promising potential of the as-designed system in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Da Ling
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhiqiang Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wenjun Ma
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Correspondence: (Z.C.); (Y.D.); (J.X.)
| | - Yanan Du
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Correspondence: (Z.C.); (Y.D.); (J.X.)
| | - Jianhong Xu
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Correspondence: (Z.C.); (Y.D.); (J.X.)
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11
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Hazra S, Mitra S, Sen AK. Migration and Spreading of Droplets across a Fluid-Fluid Interface in Microfluidic Coflow. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:9660-9668. [PMID: 35876791 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Interfacial migration of droplets in microfluidic confinements has significant relevance in cell biology and biochemical assays. So far, studies on passive interfacial migration of droplets are limited to co-flow interfaces having small interfacial tension (IFT ∼ 1 mN/m). Here, we elucidate the migration and spreading of droplets (SiO-1000, SiO-100, FC40, and castor oil as phase 3, P3) across the interface between a pair of coflowing streams (PEG as P1, SiO-100, SiO-20, FC40, and olive oil as P2) having large IFT (∼10 mN/m), with the three different phases immiscible. Interfacial migration involving interfaces of large IFT is facilitated by confining droplets between the channel wall and coflow interface. We find that contact between droplets and the coflow interface is governed by the confinement ratio (i.e., the ratio of drop size to stream width) and the ratio of the capillary numbers of the coflowing streams. Depending on the sign of the spreading parameter (S) of the co-flowing phases, droplet migration or spreading at the interface is observed. While interfacial migration is observed for S1 < 0 and S2 > 0, droplet spreading is observed for S1 < 0 and S2 < 0, where S1 and S2 are P1 and P2 side spreading parameters, respectively. We investigate the droplet migration dynamics and time evolution of the contact line and the interface. Our results show that the speed of interfacial migration increases with increasing spreading parameter contrast between the coflowing phases. In the droplet spreading case, we experimentally study the variation in the spreading length with time, revealing three distinct regimes in good agreement with predictions from analytical scaling. Our study explores the interfacial transport of droplets involving high IFT interfaces, advancing the fundamental understanding of the topic that may find relevance in droplet microfluidics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamik Hazra
- Fluid Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 Tamilnadu, India
| | - Sushanta Mitra
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Department of Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2L 3G1 Ontario, Canada
| | - Ashis Kumar Sen
- Fluid Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 Tamilnadu, India
- Micro Nano Bio-Fluidics Group, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036 Tamilnadu, India
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12
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Rima XY, Zhang J, Nguyen LTH, Rajasuriyar A, Yoon MJ, Chiang CL, Walters N, Kwak KJ, Lee LJ, Reátegui E. Microfluidic harvesting of breast cancer tumor spheroid-derived extracellular vesicles from immobilized microgels for single-vesicle analysis. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:2502-2518. [PMID: 35579189 PMCID: PMC9383696 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc01053k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Investigating cellular and vesicular heterogeneity in breast cancer remains a challenge, which encourages the development of controllable in vitro systems that mimic the tumor microenvironment. Although three-dimensional cell culture better recapitulates the heterogeneity observed in tumor growth and extracellular vesicle (EV) biogenesis, the physiological relevance is often contrasted with the control offered by two-dimensional cell culture. Therefore, to challenge this misconception we developed a novel microfluidic system harboring highly tunable three-dimensional EV microbioreactors (EVμBRs) to model micrometastatic EV release in breast cancer while capitalizing on the convenient, low-volume, and sterile interface provided by microfluidics. The diameter and cellular occupancy of the EVμBRs could be precisely tailored to various configurations, supporting the formation of breast cancer tumor spheroids. To immobilize the EVμBRs within a microchannel and facilitate EV extraction, oxygen inhibition in free-radical polymerization was repurposed to rapidly generate two-layer hydrodynamic traps in situ using a digital-micromirror device (DMD)-based ultraviolet (UV) projection system. Breast cancer tumor spheroid-derived EVs were harvested with as little as 20 μL from the microfluidic system and quantified by single-EV immunofluorescence for CD63 and CD81. Despite the low-volume extraction, differences in biomarker expression and coexpression of the tetraspanins on single EVs were observed. Furthermore, the EVμBRs were capable of recapitulating heterogeneity at a cellular and vesicular degree, indicating the utility and robustness of the microfluidic system to investigate physiologically relevant EVs in breast cancer and other disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xilal Y Rima
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Luong T H Nguyen
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Aaron Rajasuriyar
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Min Jin Yoon
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Chi-Ling Chiang
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Nicole Walters
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | | | - L James Lee
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
- Spot Biosystems Ltd., Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA
| | - Eduardo Reátegui
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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13
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Tiemeijer BM, Tel J. Hydrogels for Single-Cell Microgel Production: Recent Advances and Applications. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:891461. [PMID: 35782502 PMCID: PMC9247248 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.891461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-cell techniques have become more and more incorporated in cell biological research over the past decades. Various approaches have been proposed to isolate, culture, sort, and analyze individual cells to understand cellular heterogeneity, which is at the foundation of every systematic cellular response in the human body. Microfluidics is undoubtedly the most suitable method of manipulating cells, due to its small scale, high degree of control, and gentle nature toward vulnerable cells. More specifically, the technique of microfluidic droplet production has proven to provide reproducible single-cell encapsulation with high throughput. Various in-droplet applications have been explored, ranging from immunoassays, cytotoxicity assays, and single-cell sequencing. All rely on the theoretically unlimited throughput that can be achieved and the monodispersity of each individual droplet. To make these platforms more suitable for adherent cells or to maintain spatial control after de-emulsification, hydrogels can be included during droplet production to obtain “microgels.” Over the past years, a multitude of research has focused on the possibilities these can provide. Also, as the technique matures, it is becoming clear that it will result in advantages over conventional droplet approaches. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview on how various types of hydrogels can be incorporated into different droplet-based approaches and provide novel and more robust analytic and screening applications. We will further focus on a wide range of recently published applications for microgels and how these can be applied in cell biological research at the single- to multicell scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. M. Tiemeijer
- Laboratory of Immunoengineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, TU Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Institute of Complex Molecular Systems, TU Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - J. Tel
- Laboratory of Immunoengineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, TU Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Institute of Complex Molecular Systems, TU Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: J. Tel,
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Zhang T, Zhang H, Zhou W, Jiang K, Liu C, Wang R, Zhou Y, Zhang Z, Mei Q, Dong WF, Sun M, Li H. One-Step Generation and Purification of Cell-Encapsulated Hydrogel Microsphere With an Easily Assembled Microfluidic Device. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 9:816089. [PMID: 35155414 PMCID: PMC8831896 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.816089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-laden hydrogel microspheres with uniform size show great potential for tissue repair and drug screening applications. Droplet microfluidic systems have been widely used for the generation of cell-laden hydrogel microspheres. However, existing droplet microfluidic systems are mostly based on complex chips and are not compatible with well culture plates. Moreover, microspheres produced by droplet microfluidics need demulsification and purification from oil, which requires time and effort and may compromise cell viability. Herein, we present a simple one-step approach for producing and purifying hydrogel microspheres with an easily assembled microfluidic device. Droplets were generated and solidified in the device tubing. The obtained hydrogel microspheres were then transferred to a tissue culture plate filled with cell culture media and demulsified through evaporation of the oil at 37°C. The removal of oil caused the gelled microspheres to be released into the cell culture media. The encapsulated cells demonstrated good viability and grew into tumor spheroids in 12–14 days. Single cell-laden hydrogel microspheres were also obtained and grown into spheroid in 14 days. This one-step microsphere generation method shows good potential for applications in automated spheroid and organoid cultures as well as drug screening, and could potentially offer benefits for translation of cell/microgel technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Zhang
- School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Suzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wen-Fei Dong, ; Minxuan Sun, ; Haiwen Li, ; Tao Zhang,
| | - Hong Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Medical Optics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wuping Zhou
- School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Suzhou, China
| | - Keming Jiang
- School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Suzhou, China
| | - Cong Liu
- CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Suzhou, China
| | - Ru Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China
| | - Yuanshuai Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Medical Optics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Zhang
- CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Suzhou, China
| | - Qian Mei
- CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Suzhou, China
| | - Wen-Fei Dong
- School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Suzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wen-Fei Dong, ; Minxuan Sun, ; Haiwen Li, ; Tao Zhang,
| | - Minxuan Sun
- School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Medical Optics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wen-Fei Dong, ; Minxuan Sun, ; Haiwen Li, ; Tao Zhang,
| | - Haiwen Li
- CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Suzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wen-Fei Dong, ; Minxuan Sun, ; Haiwen Li, ; Tao Zhang,
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15
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Mohajeri M, Eskandari M, Ghazali ZS, Ghazali HS. Cell encapsulation in alginate-based microgels using droplet microfluidics; a review on gelation methods and applications. Biomed Phys Eng Express 2022; 8. [PMID: 35073537 DOI: 10.1088/2057-1976/ac4e2d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Cell encapsulation within the microspheres using a semi-permeable polymer allows the two-way transfer of molecules such as oxygen, nutrients, and growth factors. The main advantages of cell encapsulation technology include controlling the problems involved in transplanting rejection in tissue engineering applications and reducing the long-term need for immunosuppressive drugs following organ transplantation to eliminate the side effects. Cell-laden microgels can also be used in 3D cell cultures, wound healing, and cancerous clusters for drug testing. Since cell encapsulation is used for different purposes, several techniques have been developed to encapsulate cells. Droplet-based microfluidics is one of the most valuable techniques in cell encapsulating. This study aimed to review the geometries and the mechanisms proposed in microfluidic systems to precisely control cell-laden microgels production with different biopolymers. We also focused on alginate gelation techniques due to their essential role in cell encapsulation applications. Finally, some applications of these microgels and researches will be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Mohajeri
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Department of Biomedical Engineering No. 350, Hafez Ave, Valiasr Square, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, 159163-4311, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)
| | - Mahnaz Eskandari
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Department of Biomedical Engineering No. 350, Hafez Ave, Valiasr Square, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, 159163-4311, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)
| | - Zahra Sadat Ghazali
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, No. 350, Hafez Ave, Valiasr Square, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, 159163-4311, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)
| | - Hanieh Sadat Ghazali
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, Tarbiat Modares University, Jalal Aleahmad-Tehran-Iran, Tehran, 14115-111, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)
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16
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Hayaei Tehrani RS, Hajari MA, Ghorbaninejad Z, Esfandiari F. Droplet microfluidic devices for organized stem cell differentiation into germ cells: capabilities and challenges. Biophys Rev 2021; 13:1245-1271. [PMID: 35059040 PMCID: PMC8724463 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00907-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Demystifying the mechanisms that underlie germline development and gamete production is critical for expanding advanced therapies for infertile couples who cannot benefit from current infertility treatments. However, the low number of germ cells, particularly in the early stages of development, represents a serious challenge in obtaining sufficient materials required for research purposes. In this regard, pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have provided an opportunity for producing an unlimited source of germ cells in vitro. Achieving this ambition is highly dependent on accurate stem cell niche reconstitution which is achievable through applying advanced cell engineering approaches. Recently, hydrogel microparticles (HMPs), as either microcarriers or microcapsules, have shown promising potential in providing an excellent 3-dimensional (3D) biomimetic microenvironment alongside the systematic bioactive agent delivery. In this review, recent studies of utilizing various HMP-based cell engineering strategies for appropriate niche reconstitution and efficient in vitro differentiation are highlighted with a special focus on the capabilities of droplet-based microfluidic (DBM) technology. We believe that a deep understanding of the current limitations and potentials of the DBM systems in integration with stem cell biology provides a bright future for germ cell research. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12551-021-00907-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reyhaneh Sadat Hayaei Tehrani
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, 16635-148, 1665659911 Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amin Hajari
- Department of Cell Engineering, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeynab Ghorbaninejad
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, 16635-148, 1665659911 Tehran, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Esfandiari
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, 16635-148, 1665659911 Tehran, Iran
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17
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Banerjee U, Jain SK, Sen AK. Particle encapsulation in aqueous ferrofluid drops and sorting of particle-encapsulating drops from empty drops using a magnetic field. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:6020-6028. [PMID: 34060567 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm00530h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Handling and manipulation of particle-encapsulating droplets (PED) have profound applications in biochemical assays. Herein we report encapsulation of microparticles in aqueous ferrofluid droplets in a primary continuous phase (CP) and sorting of PED from empty droplets (ED) at the interface of the CP in coflow with a second continuous phase using a magnetic field. We find that the encapsulation process results in a size contrast between the PED and ED that depends on the flow regime - squeezing, dripping, or jetting - which in turn is governed by the ratio of the discrete phase to the continuous phase capillary number, Car. The difference between the volume fractions of ferrofluid in the PED and ED, ΔαPED, is utilized for sorting, and is found to depend on the ratio of the capillary numbers, Car. The difference ΔαPED is found to be maximum in the jetting regime, suggesting that the jetting regime is most suitable for encapsulation and sorting. The sorting criterion is represented in terms of a parameter ξ, which is a function of the ratios of the magnetic force to the interfacial force experienced by the PED and ED. Our study revealed that sorting is possible for ξ < 0, which corresponds to ΔαPED > 0.25. The maximum sorting efficiency of our system is found to be ∼95% at a throughput of ∼100 drops per s.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Banerjee
- Micro Nano Bio-Fluidics Unit, Fluid Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai-600036, India.
| | - S K Jain
- Micro Nano Bio-Fluidics Unit, Fluid Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai-600036, India.
| | - A K Sen
- Micro Nano Bio-Fluidics Unit, Fluid Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai-600036, India.
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18
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Ling SD, Geng Y, Chen A, Du Y, Xu J. Enhanced single-cell encapsulation in microfluidic devices: From droplet generation to single-cell analysis. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2020; 14:061508. [PMID: 33381250 PMCID: PMC7758092 DOI: 10.1063/5.0018785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell analysis to investigate cellular heterogeneity and cell-to-cell interactions is a crucial compartment to answer key questions in important biological mechanisms. Droplet-based microfluidics appears to be the ideal platform for such a purpose because the compartmentalization of single cells into microdroplets offers unique advantages of enhancing assay sensitivity, protecting cells against external stresses, allowing versatile and precise manipulations over tested samples, and providing a stable microenvironment for long-term cell proliferation and observation. The present Review aims to give a preliminary guidance for researchers from different backgrounds to explore the field of single-cell encapsulation and analysis. A comprehensive and introductory overview of the droplet formation mechanism, fabrication methods of microchips, and a myriad of passive and active encapsulation techniques to enhance single-cell encapsulation efficiency were presented. Meanwhile, common methods for single-cell analysis, especially for long-term cell proliferation, differentiation, and observation inside microcapsules, are briefly introduced. Finally, the major challenges faced in the field are illustrated, and potential prospects for future work are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Da Ling
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yuhao Geng
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - An Chen
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yanan Du
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jianhong Xu
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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19
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Mohamed MGA, Ambhorkar P, Samanipour R, Yang A, Ghafoor A, Kim K. Microfluidics-based fabrication of cell-laden microgels. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2020; 14:021501. [PMID: 32161630 PMCID: PMC7058428 DOI: 10.1063/1.5134060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic principles have been extensively utilized as powerful tools to fabricate controlled monodisperse cell-laden hydrogel microdroplets for various biological applications, especially tissue engineering. In this review, we report recent advances in microfluidic-based droplet fabrication and provide our rationale to justify the superiority of microfluidics-based techniques over other microtechnology methods in achieving the encapsulation of cells within hydrogels. The three main components of such a system-hydrogels, cells, and device configurations-are examined thoroughly. First, the characteristics of various types of hydrogels including natural and synthetic types, especially concerning cell encapsulation, are examined. This is followed by the elucidation of the reasoning behind choosing specific cells for encapsulation. Next, in addition to a detailed discussion of their respective droplet formation mechanisms, various device configurations including T-junctions, flow-focusing, and co-flowing that aid in achieving cell encapsulation are critically reviewed. We then present an outlook on the current applications of cell-laden hydrogel droplets in tissue engineering such as 3D cell culturing, rapid generation and repair of tissues, and their usage as platforms for studying cell-cell and cell-microenvironment interactions. Finally, we shed some light upon the prospects of microfluidics-based production of cell-laden microgels and propose some directions for forthcoming research that can aid in overcoming challenges currently impeding the translation of the technology into clinical success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed G. A. Mohamed
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Pranav Ambhorkar
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Roya Samanipour
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Annie Yang
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Ali Ghafoor
- Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7, Canada
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20
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Daly AC, Riley L, Segura T, Burdick JA. Hydrogel microparticles for biomedical applications. NATURE REVIEWS. MATERIALS 2020; 5:20-43. [PMID: 34123409 PMCID: PMC8191408 DOI: 10.1038/s41578-019-0148-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 486] [Impact Index Per Article: 121.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogel microparticles (HMPs) are promising for biomedical applications, ranging from the therapeutic delivery of cells and drugs to the production of scaffolds for tissue repair and bioinks for 3D printing. Biologics (cells and drugs) can be encapsulated into HMPs of predefined shapes and sizes using a variety of fabrication techniques (batch emulsion, microfluidics, lithography, electrohydrodynamic (EHD) spraying and mechanical fragmentation). HMPs can be formulated in suspensions to deliver therapeutics, as aggregates of particles (granular hydrogels) to form microporous scaffolds that promote cell infiltration or embedded within a bulk hydrogel to obtain multiscale behaviours. HMP suspensions and granular hydrogels can be injected for minimally invasive delivery of biologics, and they exhibit modular properties when comprised of mixtures of distinct HMP populations. In this Review, we discuss the fabrication techniques that are available for fabricating HMPs, as well as the multiscale behaviours of HMP systems and their functional properties, highlighting their advantages over traditional bulk hydrogels. Furthermore, we discuss applications of HMPs in the fields of cell delivery, drug delivery, scaffold design and biofabrication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Daly
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Andrew C. Daly, Lindsay Riley
| | - Lindsay Riley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Andrew C. Daly, Lindsay Riley
| | - Tatiana Segura
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Departments of Dermatology and Neurology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jason A Burdick
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Tang G, Xiong R, Lv D, Xu RX, Braeckmans K, Huang C, De Smedt SC. Gas-Shearing Fabrication of Multicompartmental Microspheres: A One-Step and Oil-Free Approach. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2019; 6:1802342. [PMID: 31065527 PMCID: PMC6498303 DOI: 10.1002/advs.201802342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Multicompartmental microparticles (MCMs) have attracted considerable attention in biomedical engineering and materials sciences, as they can carry multiple materials in the separated phases of a single particle. However, the robust fabrication of monodisperse, highly compartmental MCMs at the micro- and nanoscales remains challenging. Here, a simple one-step and oil-free process, based on the gas-flow-assisted formation of microdroplets ("gas-shearing"), is established for the scalable production of monodisperse MCMs. By changing the configuration of the needle system and gas flow in the spray ejector device, the oil-free gas-shearing process easily allows the design of microparticles consisting of two, four, six, and even eight compartments with a precise control over the properties of each compartment. As oils and surfactants are not used, the gas-shearing method is highly cytocompatible. The versatile applications of such MCMs are demonstrated by producing a magnetic microrobot and a biocompatible carrier for the coculturing of cells. This research suggests that the oil-free gas-shearing strategy is a reliable, scalable, and biofriendly process for producing MCMs that may become attractive materials for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guosheng Tang
- College of Chemical EngineeringJiangsu Key Lab of Biomass‐based Green Fuels and ChemicalsNanjing Forestry University (NFU)Nanjing210037P. R. China
| | - Ranhua Xiong
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical PharmacyFaculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesGhent UniversityOttergemsesteenweg 4609000GhentBelgium
- Department of Precision Machinery and Precision InstrumentationUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei230022P. R. China
| | - Dan Lv
- College of Chemical EngineeringJiangsu Key Lab of Biomass‐based Green Fuels and ChemicalsNanjing Forestry University (NFU)Nanjing210037P. R. China
| | - Ronald X. Xu
- Department of Precision Machinery and Precision InstrumentationUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei230022P. R. China
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOH43210USA
| | - Kevin Braeckmans
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical PharmacyFaculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesGhent UniversityOttergemsesteenweg 4609000GhentBelgium
| | - Chaobo Huang
- College of Chemical EngineeringJiangsu Key Lab of Biomass‐based Green Fuels and ChemicalsNanjing Forestry University (NFU)Nanjing210037P. R. China
| | - Stefaan C. De Smedt
- College of Chemical EngineeringJiangsu Key Lab of Biomass‐based Green Fuels and ChemicalsNanjing Forestry University (NFU)Nanjing210037P. R. China
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical PharmacyFaculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesGhent UniversityOttergemsesteenweg 4609000GhentBelgium
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22
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Mohamed MGA, Kheiri S, Islam S, Kumar H, Yang A, Kim K. An integrated microfluidic flow-focusing platform for on-chip fabrication and filtration of cell-laden microgels. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:1621-1632. [PMID: 30896015 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00073a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
We present the development of a stable continuous, and integrated microfluidic platform for the high-throughput fabrication of monodisperse cell-laden microgel droplets with high and maintained cellular viability. This is through combining onto one chip all the required processes from the droplet generation in a flow focusing microfluidic junction passing through on-chip photocrosslinking to the separation of the droplets from the continuous oil phase. To avoid cellular aggregation during the droplet generation process, cells were treated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) before mixing with gelatin methacrylate (GelMA). And, a magnetic mixer was applied to the GelMA prepolymer-cell suspension syringe to eliminate cell sedimentation. These approaches resulted in having a reasonable distribution of cells among monodisperse microdroplets. The microdroplets were irradiated with a 405 nm wavelength laser beam while passing through the crosslinking chamber of the microfluidic device. The produced microgels enter the filtration unit of the same device where they were gently separated from the oil phase into the washing buffer aqueous solution of Tween 80 using the filter microposts array. The viability of the encapsulated cells was around 85% at day 1 and was maintained throughout 5 days. Using this method of controlling cell encapsulation with on-chip crosslinking and oil filtration, highly efficient cell-laden microgel production is achieved. The presented integrated microfluidic platform can be a candidate for standard cell-encapsulation experiments and other tissue engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed G A Mohamed
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada.
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23
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Kleine-Brüggeney H, van Vliet LD, Mulas C, Gielen F, Agley CC, Silva JCR, Smith A, Chalut K, Hollfelder F. Long-Term Perfusion Culture of Monoclonal Embryonic Stem Cells in 3D Hydrogel Beads for Continuous Optical Analysis of Differentiation. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2019; 15:e1804576. [PMID: 30570812 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201804576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 12/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Developmental cell biology requires technologies in which the fate of single cells is followed over extended time periods, to monitor and understand the processes of self-renewal, differentiation, and reprogramming. A workflow is presented, in which single cells are encapsulated into droplets (Ø: 80 µm, volume: ≈270 pL) and the droplet compartment is later converted to a hydrogel bead. After on-chip de-emulsification by electrocoalescence, these 3D scaffolds are subsequently arrayed on a chip for long-term perfusion culture to facilitate continuous cell imaging over 68 h. Here, the response of murine embryonic stem cells to different growth media, 2i and N2B27, is studied, showing that the exit from pluripotency can be monitored by fluorescence time-lapse microscopy, by immunostaining and by reverse-transcription and quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The defined 3D environment emulates the natural context of cell growth (e.g., in tissue) and enables the study of cell development in various matrices. The large scale of cell cultivation (in 2000 beads in parallel) may reveal infrequent events that remain undetected in lower throughput or ensemble studies. This platform will help to gain qualitative and quantitative mechanistic insight into the role of external factors on cell behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Kleine-Brüggeney
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Liisa D van Vliet
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Carla Mulas
- Wellcome Trust/Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Fabrice Gielen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Chibeza C Agley
- Wellcome Trust/Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | - José C R Silva
- Wellcome Trust/Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Austin Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome Trust/Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Kevin Chalut
- Wellcome Trust/Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, 19 J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Florian Hollfelder
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
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24
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Zhang L, Chen K, Zhang H, Pang B, Choi CH, Mao AS, Liao H, Utech S, Mooney DJ, Wang H, Weitz DA. Microfluidic Templated Multicompartment Microgels for 3D Encapsulation and Pairing of Single Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2018; 14:1702955. [PMID: 29334173 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201702955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Controlled encapsulation and pairing of single cells within a confined 3D matrix can enable the replication of the highly ordered cellular structure of human tissues. Microgels with independently controlled compartments that can encapsulate cells within separately confined hydrogel matrices would provide precise control over the route of pairing single cells. Here, a one-step microfluidic method is presented to generate monodisperse multicompartment microgels that can be used as a 3D matrix to pair single cells in a highly biocompatible manner. A method is presented to induce microgels formation on chip, followed by direct extraction of the microgels from oil phase, thereby avoiding prolonged exposure of the microgels to the oil. It is further demonstrated that by entrapping stem cells with niche cells within separate but adjacent compartments of the microgels, it can create complex stem cell niche microenvironments in a controlled manner, which can serve as a useful tool for the study of cell-cell interactions. This microfluidic technique represents a significant step toward high-throughput single cells encapsulation and pairing for the study of intercellular communications at single cell level, which is of significant importance for cell biology, stem cell therapy, and tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyuan Zhang
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
- School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, 9 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Kaiwen Chen
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
| | - Haoyue Zhang
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
| | - Bo Pang
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
- College of Stomatology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, P. R. China
| | - Chang-Hyung Choi
- School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, 9 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Angelo S Mao
- School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, 9 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, 3 Blackfan Cir, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Hongbing Liao
- College of Stomatology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, P. R. China
| | - Stefanie Utech
- School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, 9 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - David J Mooney
- School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, 9 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, 3 Blackfan Cir, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Huanan Wang
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
| | - David A Weitz
- School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, 9 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, 3 Blackfan Cir, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, 9 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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25
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Sun M, Durkin P, Li J, Toth TL, He X. Label-Free On-Chip Selective Extraction of Cell-Aggregate-Laden Microcapsules from Oil into Aqueous Solution with Optical Sensor and Dielectrophoresis. ACS Sens 2018; 3:410-417. [PMID: 29299919 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.7b00834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidic encapsulation of cells or tissues in biocompatible solidlike hydrogels has wide biomedical applications. However, the microfluidically encapsulated cells/tissues are usually suspended in oil and need to be extracted into aqueous solution for further culture or use. Current extracting techniques are either nonselective for the cell/tissue-laden hydrogel microcapsules or rely on fluorescence labeling of the cells/tissues, which may be undesired for their further culture or use. Here we developed a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) to achieve label-free on-chip selective extraction of cell-aggregate-laden hydrogel microcapsules from oil into aqueous solution. The system includes a microfluidic device, an optical sensor, a dielectrophoretic (DEP) actuator, and microcontrollers. The microfluidic device is for encapsulating cell aggregates in hydrogel microcapsules using the flow-focusing function with microchannels for extracting microcapsules. The optical sensor is to detect the cell aggregates, based on the difference of the optical properties between the cell aggregates and surrounding solution before their encapsulation in hydrogel microcapsules. This strategy is used because the difference in optical property between the cell-aggregate-laden hydrogel microcapsules and empty microcapsules is too small to tell them apart with a commonly used optical sensor. The DEP actuator, which is controlled by the sensor and microcontrollers, is for selectively extracting the targeted hydrogel microcapsules by DEP force. The results indicate this system can achieve selective extraction of cell-aggregate-laden hydrogel microcapsules with ∼100% efficiency without compromising the cell viability, and can improve the purity of the cell-aggregate-laden microcapsules by more than 75 times compared with nonselective extraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingrui Sun
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Patrick Durkin
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Jianrong Li
- Department of
Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Thomas L. Toth
- Department
of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Department
of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Xiaoming He
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Dorothy
M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Comprehensive
Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Fischell
Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
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26
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Morimoto Y, Onuki M, Takeuchi S. Mass Production of Cell-Laden Calcium Alginate Particles with Centrifugal Force. Adv Healthc Mater 2017; 6. [PMID: 28426183 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201601375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This paper describes a centrifuge-based device for oil-free and mass production of calcium-alginate (Ca-alginate) particles. The device is composed of four components: a tank with a glass capillary for forming sodium alginate droplets, a collecting bath with calcium chloride (CaCl2 ) solution, a waste liquid box, and a bypass channel bridged between the collecting bath and the waste liquid box. When the device is centrifuged, extra CaCl2 solution in the collecting bath is delivered to the waste liquid box to maintain the appropriate liquid level of CaCl2 solution for the production of monodisperse Ca-alginate particles. The proposed device enables oil-free production of over 45 000 uniformly sized Ca-alginate particles in a single 240 s process, whereas using the conventional method with only a glass capillary, ≈1000 particles are formed within the same processing time. Because of the high biocompatibility of the oil-free process, the device is applicable to cell encapsulation in Ca-alginate particles with high cell viability, as well as the formation of a macroscopic 3D cellular structure using Ca-alginate particles covered with cells as assembly modules. These results suggest that the device can be a useful tool for preparing experimental platforms in biomedical and tissue engineering fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Morimoto
- Center for International Research on Integrative Biomedical Systems (CIBiS); Institute of Industrial Science (IIS); The University of Tokyo; 4-6-1 Komaba Meguro-ku Tokyo 153-8505 Japan
| | - Maiko Onuki
- Center for International Research on Integrative Biomedical Systems (CIBiS); Institute of Industrial Science (IIS); The University of Tokyo; 4-6-1 Komaba Meguro-ku Tokyo 153-8505 Japan
| | - Shoji Takeuchi
- Center for International Research on Integrative Biomedical Systems (CIBiS); Institute of Industrial Science (IIS); The University of Tokyo; 4-6-1 Komaba Meguro-ku Tokyo 153-8505 Japan
- Takeuchi Biohybrid innovation Project; ERATO; Japan Science and Technology (JST); Komaba Open Laboratory (KOL) Room M202; 4-6-1 Komaba Meguro-ku Tokyo 153-8904 Japan
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27
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Liu Y, Nambu NO, Taya M. Cell-laden microgel prepared using a biocompatible aqueous two-phase strategy. Biomed Microdevices 2017; 19:55. [DOI: 10.1007/s10544-017-0198-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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28
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Huang H, Yu Y, Hu Y, He X, Usta OB, Yarmush ML. Generation and manipulation of hydrogel microcapsules by droplet-based microfluidics for mammalian cell culture. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:1913-1932. [PMID: 28509918 PMCID: PMC5548188 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00262a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogel microcapsules provide miniaturized and biocompatible niches for three-dimensional (3D) in vitro cell culture. They can be easily generated by droplet-based microfluidics with tunable size, morphology, and biochemical properties. Therefore, microfluidic generation and manipulation of cell-laden microcapsules can be used for 3D cell culture to mimic the in vivo environment towards applications in tissue engineering and high throughput drug screening. In this review of recent advances mainly since 2010, we will first introduce general characteristics of droplet-based microfluidic devices for cell encapsulation with an emphasis on the fluid dynamics of droplet breakup and internal mixing as they directly influence microcapsule's size and structure. We will then discuss two on-chip manipulation strategies: sorting and extraction from oil into aqueous phase, which can be integrated into droplet-based microfluidics and significantly improve the qualities of cell-laden hydrogel microcapsules. Finally, we will review various applications of hydrogel microencapsulation for 3D in vitro culture on cell growth and proliferation, stem cell differentiation, tissue development, and co-culture of different types of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haishui Huang
- Center for Engineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Harvard Medical School and Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, Massachusetts
02114, United States
| | - Yin Yu
- Center for Engineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Harvard Medical School and Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, Massachusetts
02114, United States
| | - Yong Hu
- Center for Engineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Harvard Medical School and Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, Massachusetts
02114, United States
| | - Xiaoming He
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University,
Columbus, USA
| | - O. Berk Usta
- Center for Engineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Harvard Medical School and Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, Massachusetts
02114, United States
| | - Martin L. Yarmush
- Center for Engineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Harvard Medical School and Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, Massachusetts
02114, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University,
Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
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29
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Deng NN, Wang W, Ju XJ, Xie R, Chu LY. Spontaneous transfer of droplets across microfluidic laminar interfaces. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:4326-4332. [PMID: 27722415 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc01022a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The precise manipulation of droplets in microfluidics has revolutionized a myriad of drop-based technologies, such as multiple emulsion preparation, drop fusion, drop fission, drop trapping and drop sorting, which offer promising new opportunities in chemical and biological fields. In this paper, we present an interfacial-tension-directed strategy for the migration of droplets across liquid-liquid laminar streams. By carefully controlling the interfacial energies, droplets of phase A are able to pass across the laminar interfaces of two immiscible fluids from phase B to phase C due to a positive spreading coefficient of phase C over phase B. To demonstrate this, we successfully perform the transfer of water droplets across an oil-oil laminar interface and the transfer of oil droplets across an oil-water laminar interface. The whole transfer process is spontaneous and only takes about 50 ms. We find that the fluid dynamics have an impact on the transfer processes. Only if the flowrate ratios are well matched will the droplets pass through the laminar interface successfully. This interfacial-tension-directed transfer of droplets provides a versatile procedure to make new structures and control microreactions as exemplified by the fabrication of giant unilamellar vesicles and cell-laden microgels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan-Nan Deng
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China.
| | - Wei Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China. and State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China
| | - Xiao-Jie Ju
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China. and State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China
| | - Rui Xie
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China. and State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China
| | - Liang-Yin Chu
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China. and State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China and Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing, Jiangsu 211816, China
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30
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Huang Q, Cai B, Chen B, Rao L, He Z, He R, Guo F, Zhao L, Kondamareddy KK, Liu W, Guo S, Zhao XZ. Efficient Purification and Release of Circulating Tumor Cells by Synergistic Effect of Biomarker and SiO2 @Gel-Microbead-Based Size Difference Amplification. Adv Healthc Mater 2016; 5:1554-9. [PMID: 27028055 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201500981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidics-based circulating tumor cell (CTC) isolation is achieved by using gelatin-coated silica microbeads conjugated to CTC-specific antibodies. Bead-binding selectively enlarges target cell size, providing efficient high-purity capture. CTCs captured can be further released non-invasively. This stratagem enables high-performance CTC isolation for subsequent studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinqin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education School of Physics and Technology; Wuhan University; Wuhan 430072 Hubei P. R. China
| | - Bo Cai
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education School of Physics and Technology; Wuhan University; Wuhan 430072 Hubei P. R. China
| | - Bolei Chen
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research; Jianghan University; Wuhan 430056 China
| | - Lang Rao
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education School of Physics and Technology; Wuhan University; Wuhan 430072 Hubei P. R. China
| | - Zhaobo He
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education School of Physics and Technology; Wuhan University; Wuhan 430072 Hubei P. R. China
| | - Rongxiang He
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research; Jianghan University; Wuhan 430056 China
| | - Feng Guo
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics; The Pennsylvania State University; University Park; PA 16802 USA
| | - Libo Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology; Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Science; Beiyi Street 2# Zhongguancun Beijing 100190 P. R. China
| | - Kiran Kumar Kondamareddy
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education School of Physics and Technology; Wuhan University; Wuhan 430072 Hubei P. R. China
| | - Wei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education School of Physics and Technology; Wuhan University; Wuhan 430072 Hubei P. R. China
| | - Shishang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education School of Physics and Technology; Wuhan University; Wuhan 430072 Hubei P. R. China
| | - Xing-Zhong Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education School of Physics and Technology; Wuhan University; Wuhan 430072 Hubei P. R. China
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31
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Lee TY, Praveenkumar R, Oh YK, Lee K, Kim SH. Alginate microgels created by selective coalescence between core drops paired with an ultrathin shell. J Mater Chem B 2016; 4:3232-3238. [PMID: 32263258 DOI: 10.1039/c6tb00580b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
We report a highly biocompatible and practical protocol to create alginate microgels for bioactive encapsulation. Double-emulsion drops composed of dual cores enclosed by an ultrathin shell are prepared in a capillary microfluidic device, which exhibit selective coalescence between the cores. When the cores are laden with alginate precursors and divalent ions, respectively, coalescence leads to the formation of alginate microgels in the fused core of double-emulsion drops. The microgel can be rapidly released into a continuous water phase by rupturing the liquid shell. This method neither involves any toxic chemical cues for gelation nor long-term exposure to oil, thereby providing highly biocompatible encapsulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Yong Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea.
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32
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Morimoto Y, Hsiao AY, Takeuchi S. Point-, line-, and plane-shaped cellular constructs for 3D tissue assembly. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2015; 95:29-39. [PMID: 26387835 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2015.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Microsized cellular constructs such as cellular aggregates and cell-laden hydrogel blocks are attractive cellular building blocks to reconstruct 3D macroscopic tissues with spatially ordered cells in bottom-up tissue engineering. In this regard, microfluidic techniques are remarkable methods to form microsized cellular constructs with high production rate and control of their shapes such as point, line, and plane. The fundamental shapes of the cellular constructs allow for the fabrication of larger arbitrary-shaped tissues by assembling them. This review introduces microfluidic formation methods of microsized cellular constructs and manipulation techniques to assemble them with control of their arrangements. Additionally, we show applications of the cellular constructs to biological studies and clinical treatments and discuss future trends as their potential applications.
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33
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Huang H, Sun M, Heisler-Taylor T, Kiourti A, Volakis J, Lafyatis G, He X. Stiffness-Independent Highly Efficient On-Chip Extraction of Cell-Laden Hydrogel Microcapsules from Oil Emulsion into Aqueous Solution by Dielectrophoresis. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2015; 11:5369-74. [PMID: 26297051 PMCID: PMC4690616 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201501388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2015] [Revised: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
A dielectrophoresis (DEP)-based method achieves highly efficient on-chip extraction of cell-laden microcapsules of any stiffness from oil into aqueous solution. The hydrogel microcapsules can be extracted into the aqueous solution by DEP and interfacial tension forces with no trapped oil, while the encapsulated cells are free from electrical damage due to the Faraday cage effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haishui Huang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Mingrui Sun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Tyler Heisler-Taylor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Asimina Kiourti
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - John Volakis
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Gregory Lafyatis
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Xiaoming He
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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34
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Huang H, He X. Interfacial tension based on-chip extraction of microparticles confined in microfluidic Stokes flows. APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS 2014; 105:143704. [PMID: 25378709 PMCID: PMC4214277 DOI: 10.1063/1.4898040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/28/2014] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidics involving two immiscible fluids (oil and water) has been increasingly used to produce hydrogel microparticles with wide applications. However, it is difficult to extract the microparticles out of the microfluidic Stokes flows of oil that have a Reynolds number (the ratio of inertia to viscous force) much less than one, where the dominant viscous force tends to drive the microparticles to move together with the surrounding oil. Here, we present a passive method for extracting hydrogel microparticles in microfluidic Stokes flow from oil into aqueous extracting solution on-chip by utilizing the intrinsic interfacial tension between oil and the microparticles. We further reveal that the thickness of an "extended confining layer" of oil next to the interface between oil and aqueous extracting solution must be smaller than the radius of microparticles for effective extraction. This method uses a simple planar merging microchannel design that can be readily fabricated and further integrated into a fluidic system to extract microparticles for wide applications.
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Lee DH, Jang M, Park JK. Rapid one-step purification of single-cells encapsulated in alginate microcapsules from oil to aqueous phase using a hydrophobic filter paper: implications for single-cell experiments. Biotechnol J 2014; 9:1233-40. [PMID: 25130499 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201400319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Revised: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
By virtue of the biocompatibility and physical properties of hydrogel, picoliter-sized hydrogel microcapsules have been considered to be a biometric signature containing several features similar to that of encapsulated single cells, including phenotype, viability, and intracellular content. To maximize the experimental potential of encapsulating cells in hydrogel microcapsules, a method that enables efficient hydrogel microcapsule purification from oil is necessary. Current methods based on centrifugation for the conventional stepwise rinsing of oil, are slow and laborious and decrease the monodispersity and yield of the recovered hydrogel microcapsules. To remedy these shortcomings we have developed a simple one-step method to purify alginate microcapsules, containing a single live cell, from oil to aqueous phase. This method employs oil impregnation using a commercially available hydrophobic filter paper without multistep centrifugal purification and complicated microchannel networks. The oil-suspended alginate microcapsules encapsulating single cells from mammalian cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HepG2, and U937) and microorganisms (Chlorella vulgaris) were successfully exchanged to cell culture media by quick (~10 min) depletion of the surrounding oil phase without coalescence of neighboring microcapsules. Cell proliferation and high integrity of the microcapsules were also demonstrated by long-term incubation of microcapsules containing a single live cell. We expect that this method for the simple and rapid purification of encapsulated single-cell microcapsules will attain widespread adoption, assisting cell biologists and clinicians in the development of single-cell experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Do-Hyun Lee
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Yuseong-gu, Republic of Korea
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Hong S, Hsu HJ, Kaunas R, Kameoka J. Collagen microsphere production on a chip. LAB ON A CHIP 2012; 12:3277-80. [PMID: 22824954 DOI: 10.1039/c2lc40558j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
We have developed an integrated microfluidic material processing chip and demonstrated the rapid production of collagen microspheres encapsulating cells with high uniformity and cell viability. The chip integrated three material processing steps. Monodisperse microdroplets were generated at a microfluidic T junction between aqueous and mineral oil flows. The flow was heated immediately to 37 °C to initiate collagen fiber assembly within a gelation channel. Gelled microspheres were extracted from the mineral oil phase into cell culture media within an extraction chamber. Collagen gelation immediately after microdroplet generation significantly reduced coalescence among microdroplets that led to non-uniform microsphere production. The microfluidic extraction approach led to higher microsphere recovery and cell viability than when a conventional centrifugation extraction approach was employed. These results indicate that chip-based material processing is a promising approach for cell-ECM microenvironment generation for applications such as tissue engineering and stem cell delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungmin Hong
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
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Luo RC, Chen CH. Structured Microgels through Microfluidic Assembly and Their Biomedical Applications. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.4236/soft.2012.11001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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