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Wang P, Gao J, Xiao B, Long G, Zheng Q, Shou D. The Fastest Capillary Flow in Root-like Networks under Gravity. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:9741-9750. [PMID: 38652825 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c00740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Capillary flow has garnered significant attention due to its unique dynamic characteristics that require no external force. Creating a quantitative analytical model to evaluate capillary flow behaviors in root-like networks is essential for enhancing fluid control properties in functional textiles. In this study, we explore the capillary dynamics within root-like networks under the influence of gravity and derive the most rapid capillary flow via structural optimization. The flow time in a capillary is dominated by the capillary pressure, viscous pressure loss, and gravity, each of which exhibits diverse sensitivities to the structures of root-like networks. We scrutinize various structural parameters to understand their impact on capillary flow in root-like networks. Subsequently, optimal structural parameters (namely, the mother tube diameter and diameter ratio) are identified to minimize capillary flow time. Moreover, we discovered that the correlation between flow time and distance for capillary flow in root-like networks does not obey the classical Lucas-Washburn equation. These results affirm that root-like networks can enhance capillary flow, providing critical insights for numerous capillary-flow-dependent engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peilong Wang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Equipment Intensification and Intrinsic Safety, School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Jun Gao
- School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Business University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Boqi Xiao
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Equipment Intensification and Intrinsic Safety, School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
- Hubei Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Green Chemical Equipment, School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Gongbo Long
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Equipment Intensification and Intrinsic Safety, School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
- Hubei Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Green Chemical Equipment, School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Qian Zheng
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430073, China
| | - Dahua Shou
- Future Intelligent Wear Centre, School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
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2
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Mohammadi M, Ahmed Qadir S, Mahmood Faraj A, Hamid Shareef O, Mahmoodi H, Mahmoudi F, Moradi S. Navigating the future: Microfluidics charting new routes in drug delivery. Int J Pharm 2024:124142. [PMID: 38648941 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Microfluidics has emerged as a transformative force in the field of drug delivery, offering innovative avenues to produce a diverse range of nano drug delivery systems. Thanks to its precise manipulation of small fluid volumes and its exceptional command over the physicochemical characteristics of nanoparticles, this technology is notably able to enhance the pharmacokinetics of drugs. It has initiated a revolutionary phase in the domain of drug delivery, presenting a multitude of compelling advantages when it comes to developing nanocarriers tailored for the delivery of poorly soluble medications. These advantages represent a substantial departure from conventional drug delivery methodologies, marking a paradigm shift in pharmaceutical research and development. Furthermore, microfluidic platformsmay be strategically devised to facilitate targeted drug delivery with the objective of enhancing the localized bioavailability of pharmaceutical substances. In this paper, we have comprehensively investigated a range of significant microfluidic techniques used in the production of nanoscale drug delivery systems. This comprehensive review can serve as a valuable reference and offer insightful guidance for the development and optimization of numerous microfluidics-fabricated nanocarriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Mohammadi
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Syamand Ahmed Qadir
- Department of Medical Laboratory Techniques, Halabja Technical Institute, Research Center, Sulaimani Polytechnic University, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
| | - Aryan Mahmood Faraj
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Halabja Technical College of Applied Sciences, Sulaimani Polytechnic University, Halabja, Iraq
| | - Osama Hamid Shareef
- Department of Medical Laboratory Techniques, Halabja Technical Institute, Research Center, Sulaimani Polytechnic University, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
| | - Hassan Mahmoodi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Mahmoudi
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Sajad Moradi
- Nano Drug Delivery Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
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3
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Nan L, Zhang H, Weitz DA, Shum HC. Development and future of droplet microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:1135-1153. [PMID: 38165829 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00729d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, advances in droplet-based microfluidics have facilitated new approaches to process and analyze samples with unprecedented levels of precision and throughput. A wide variety of applications has been inspired across multiple disciplines ranging from materials science to biology. Understanding the dynamics of droplets enables optimization of microfluidic operations and design of new techniques tailored to emerging demands. In this review, we discuss the underlying physics behind high-throughput generation and manipulation of droplets. We also summarize the applications in droplet-derived materials and droplet-based lab-on-a-chip biotechnology. In addition, we offer perspectives on future directions to realize wider use of droplet microfluidics in industrial production and biomedical analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lang Nan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Huidan Zhang
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - David A Weitz
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
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4
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Gantz M, Neun S, Medcalf EJ, van Vliet LD, Hollfelder F. Ultrahigh-Throughput Enzyme Engineering and Discovery in In Vitro Compartments. Chem Rev 2023; 123:5571-5611. [PMID: 37126602 PMCID: PMC10176489 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Novel and improved biocatalysts are increasingly sourced from libraries via experimental screening. The success of such campaigns is crucially dependent on the number of candidates tested. Water-in-oil emulsion droplets can replace the classical test tube, to provide in vitro compartments as an alternative screening format, containing genotype and phenotype and enabling a readout of function. The scale-down to micrometer droplet diameters and picoliter volumes brings about a >107-fold volume reduction compared to 96-well-plate screening. Droplets made in automated microfluidic devices can be integrated into modular workflows to set up multistep screening protocols involving various detection modes to sort >107 variants a day with kHz frequencies. The repertoire of assays available for droplet screening covers all seven enzyme commission (EC) number classes, setting the stage for widespread use of droplet microfluidics in everyday biochemical experiments. We review the practicalities of adapting droplet screening for enzyme discovery and for detailed kinetic characterization. These new ways of working will not just accelerate discovery experiments currently limited by screening capacity but profoundly change the paradigms we can probe. By interfacing the results of ultrahigh-throughput droplet screening with next-generation sequencing and deep learning, strategies for directed evolution can be implemented, examined, and evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Gantz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge CB2 1GA, U.K
| | - Stefanie Neun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge CB2 1GA, U.K
| | - Elliot J Medcalf
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge CB2 1GA, U.K
| | - Liisa D van Vliet
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge CB2 1GA, U.K
| | - Florian Hollfelder
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge CB2 1GA, U.K
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5
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Ali M, Park J. Ultrasonic surface acoustic wave-assisted separation of microscale droplets with varying acoustic impedance. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY 2023; 93:106305. [PMID: 36706667 PMCID: PMC9938309 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2023.106305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In droplet-based microfluidic platforms, precise separation of microscale droplets of different chemical composition is increasingly necessary for high-throughput combinatorial chemistry in drug discovery and screening assays. A variety of droplet sorting methods have been proposed, in which droplets of the same kind are translocated. However, there has been relatively less effort in developing techniques to separate the uniform-sized droplets of different chemical composition. Most of the previous droplet sorting or separation techniques either rely on the droplet size for the separation marker or adopt on-demand application of a force field for the droplet sorting or separation. The existing droplet microfluidic separation techniques based on the in-droplet chemical composition are still in infancy because of the technical difficulties. In this study, we propose an acoustofluidic method to simultaneously separate microscale droplets of the same volume and dissimilar acoustic impedance using ultrasonic surface acoustic wave (SAW)-induced acoustic radiation force (ARF). For extensive investigation on the SAW-induced ARF acting on both cylindrical and spherical droplets, we first performed a set of the droplet sorting experiments under varying conditions of acoustic impedance of the dispersed phase fluid, droplet velocity, and wave amplitude. Moreover, for elucidation of the underlying physics, a new dimensionless number ARD was introduced, which was defined as the ratio of the ARF to the drag force acting on the droplets. The experimental results were comparatively analyzed by using a ray acoustics approach and found to be in good agreement with the theoretical estimation. Based on the findings, we successfully demonstrated the simultaneous separation of uniform-sized droplets of the different acoustic impedance under continuous application of the acoustic field in a label-free and detection-free manner. Insomuch as on-chip, precise separation of multiple kinds of droplets is critical in many droplet microfluidic applications, the proposed acoustofluidic approach will provide new prospects for microscale droplet separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mushtaq Ali
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Yongbong-ro 77, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinsoo Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Yongbong-ro 77, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea.
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6
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Li C, Zhai J, Jia Y. Digital Microfluidics with an On-Chip Drug Dispenser for Single or Combinational Drug Screening. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2679:25-39. [PMID: 37300607 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3271-0_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Rapid and accurate cancer drug screening is of great importance in precision medicine. However, the limited amount of tumor biopsy samples has hindered the application of traditional drug screening methods with microwell plates for individual patients. A microfluidic system provides an ideal platform for handling trace amounts of samples. This emerging platform has a good role in nucleic acid-related and cell related assays. Nevertheless, convenient drug dispensing remains a challenge for clinical on-chip cancer drug screening. Similar sized droplets are merged to add drugs for a desired screened concentration which significantly complicated the on-chip drug dispensing protocols. Here, we introduce a novel digital microfluidic system with a specially structured electrode (a drug dispenser) to dispense drugs by droplet electro-ejection under a high-voltage actuation signal, which can be conveniently adjusted by external electric controls. With this system, the screened drug concentrations span up to four orders of magnitude with small sample consumption. Various amounts of drugs can be delivered to the cell sample with desired amount in a flexible electric control. Moreover, single drug or combinatorial multidrug on-chip screening can be readily achieved. The drug response of normal MCF-10A breast cells and MDA-MB-231 breast tumor cells to two chemotherapeutic substances, cisplatin (Cis) and epirubicin (EP), was tested individually and in combination for proof-of-principle verification. The comparable on-chip and off-chip results confirmed the feasibility of our innovative DMF system for cancer drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caiwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analog- and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China
- Faculty of Science and Technology - DECE, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Jiao Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Analog- and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Yanwei Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Analog- and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - DECE, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau, China.
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7
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Li X, Fan X, Li Z, Shi L, Liu J, Luo H, Wang L, Du X, Chen W, Guo J, Li C, Liu S. Application of Microfluidics in Drug Development from Traditional Medicine. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:bios12100870. [PMID: 36291008 PMCID: PMC9599478 DOI: 10.3390/bios12100870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
While there are many clinical drugs for prophylaxis and treatment, the search for those with low or no risk of side effects for the control of infectious and non-infectious diseases is a dilemma that cannot be solved by today's traditional drug development strategies. The need for new drug development strategies is becoming increasingly important, and the development of new drugs from traditional medicines is the most promising strategy. Many valuable clinical drugs have been developed based on traditional medicine, including drugs with single active ingredients similar to modern drugs and those developed from improved formulations of traditional drugs. However, the problems of traditional isolation and purification and drug screening methods should be addressed for successful drug development from traditional medicine. Advances in microfluidics have not only contributed significantly to classical drug development but have also solved many of the thorny problems of new strategies for developing new drugs from traditional drugs. In this review, we provide an overview of advanced microfluidics and its applications in drug development (drug compound synthesis, drug screening, drug delivery, and drug carrier fabrication) with a focus on its applications in conventional medicine, including the separation and purification of target components in complex samples and screening of active ingredients of conventional drugs. We hope that our review gives better insight into the potential of traditional medicine and the critical role of microfluidics in the drug development process. In addition, the emergence of new ideas and applications will bring about further advances in the field of drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Li
- Sichuan Hanyuan County People’s Hospital, Hanyuan 625300, China
| | - Xiaoming Fan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Zhu Li
- College of Medical Technology, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China
| | - Lina Shi
- School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Jinkuan Liu
- School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Hongzhi Luo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi), Zunyi 563002, China
| | - Lijun Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Xiaoxin Du
- Office of Scientific Research & Development, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Wenzhu Chen
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The First People’s Hospital of Longquanyi District, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jiuchuan Guo
- The M.O.E. Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medical Diagnostics, The College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, #1 Yixueyuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400016, China
- Correspondence: (J.G.); (C.L.); (S.L.)
| | - Chenzhong Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Correspondence: (J.G.); (C.L.); (S.L.)
| | - Shan Liu
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Department of Medical Genetics, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
- Correspondence: (J.G.); (C.L.); (S.L.)
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8
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Breukers J, Op de Beeck H, Rutten I, López Fernández M, Eyckerman S, Lammertyn J. Highly flexible and accurate serial picoinjection in droplets by combined pressure and flow rate control. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:3475-3488. [PMID: 35943442 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00368f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Picoinjection is a robust method for reagent addition into microfluidic droplets and has enabled the implementation of numerous multistep droplet assays. Although serial picoinjectors allow to screen many conditions in one run by injecting different combinations of reagents, their use is limited because it is complex to accurately control each injector independently. Here, we present a novel method for flexible, individual picoinjector control that allows to inject a predefined range of volumes by controlling the flow rate of the injector as well as turning off injection by setting the equilibrium pressure, which resulted in a stable interface of the injector liquid with the main microfluidic channel. Robust setting of the equilibrium pressure of an injector was achieved by applying accurate (R2 > 0.94) linear models between the injector and oil pressure in real-time. To illustrate the flexibility of this method, we performed several proof-of-concepts using 1, 2 or 3 picoinjectors loaded with fluorescent dyes. We successfully demonstrated picoinjection approaches using time-invariant settings, in which an injector setting was applied for prolonged times, and time-variant picoinjection, in which the injector settings were continuously varied in order to sweep the injected volumes, both resulting in monodisperse (CV < 3.4%) droplet libraries with different but reproducible fluorescent intensities. To illustrate the potential of the technology for fast compound concentration screenings, we studied the effect of a concentration range of a detergent on single-cell lysis. We anticipate that this robust and versatile methodology will make the serial picoinjection technology more accessible to researchers, allowing its wide implementation in numerous life science applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolien Breukers
- Department of Biosystems, Biosensors Group, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
| | - Hannah Op de Beeck
- Department of Biosystems, Biosensors Group, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
| | - Iene Rutten
- Department of Biosystems, Biosensors Group, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
| | - Montserrat López Fernández
- Confo Therapeutics, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 30, Ghent 9052, Belgium
- Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB-Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, Ghent 9052, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, Ghent 9052, Belgium
| | - Sven Eyckerman
- Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB-Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, Ghent 9052, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 75, Ghent 9052, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Lammertyn
- Department of Biosystems, Biosensors Group, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
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9
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Heiligenthal L, van der Loh M, Polack M, Blaha ME, Moschütz S, Keim A, Sträter N, Belder D. Analysis of double-emulsion droplets with ESI mass spectrometry for monitoring lipase-catalyzed ester hydrolysis at nanoliter scale. Anal Bioanal Chem 2022; 414:6977-6987. [PMID: 35995875 PMCID: PMC9436884 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-04266-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidic double-emulsion droplets allow the realization and study of biphasic chemical processes such as chemical reactions or extractions on the nanoliter scale. Double emulsions of the rare type (o1/w/o2) are used here to realize a lipase-catalyzed reaction in the non-polar phase. The surrounding aqueous phase induces the transfer of the hydrophilic product from the core oil phase, allowing on-the-fly MS analysis in single double droplets. A microfluidic two-step emulsification process is developed to generate the (o1/w/o2) double-emulsion droplets. In this first example of microfluidic double-emulsion MS coupling, we show in proof-of-concept experiments that the chemical composition of the water layer can be read online using ESI–MS. Double-emulsion droplets were further employed as two-phase micro-reactors for the hydrolysis of the lipophilic ester p-nitrophenyl palmitate catalyzed by the Candida antarctica lipase B (CalB). Finally, the formation of the hydrophilic reaction product p-nitrophenol within the double-emulsion droplet micro-reactors is verified by subjecting the double-emulsion droplets to online ESI–MS analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Heiligenthal
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Linnéstraße 3, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marie van der Loh
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Linnéstraße 3, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Polack
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Linnéstraße 3, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Maximilian E Blaha
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Linnéstraße 3, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Susanne Moschütz
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antje Keim
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Norbert Sträter
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Detlev Belder
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Leipzig University, Linnéstraße 3, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
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Gervais T, Temiz Y, Aubé L, Delamarche E. Large-Scale Dried Reagent Reconstitution and Diffusion Control Using Microfluidic Self-Coalescence Modules. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2105939. [PMID: 35307960 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202105939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The positioning and manipulation of large numbers of reagents in small aliquots are paramount to many fields in chemistry and the life sciences, such as combinatorial screening, enzyme activity assays, and point-of-care testing. Here, a capillary microfluidic architecture based on self-coalescence modules capable of storing thousands of dried reagent spots per square centimeter is reported, which can all be reconstituted independently without dispersion using a single pipetting step and ≤5 μL of a solution. A simple diffusion-based mathematical model is also provided to guide the spotting of reagents in this microfluidic architecture at the experimental design stage to enable either compartmentalization, mixing, or the generation of complex multi-reagent chemical patterns. Results demonstrate the formation of chemical patterns with high accuracy and versatility, and simple methods for integrating reagents and imaging the resulting chemical patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Gervais
- IBM Research Europe - Zurich, Rueschlikon, 8803, Switzerland
- Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, H3C 3A7, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, H2X0A9, Canada
| | - Yuksel Temiz
- IBM Research Europe - Zurich, Rueschlikon, 8803, Switzerland
| | - Lucas Aubé
- Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, H3C 3A7, Canada
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11
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Zhai J, Li C, Li H, Yi S, Yang N, Miao K, Deng C, Jia Y, Mak PI, Martins RP. Cancer drug screening with an on-chip multi-drug dispenser in digital microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:4749-4759. [PMID: 34761772 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00895a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidics has been the most promising platform for drug screening with a limited number of cells. However, convenient on-chip preparation of a wide range of drug concentrations remains a large challenge and has restricted wide acceptance of microfluidics in precision medicine. In this paper, we report a digital microfluidic system with an innovative control structure and chip design for on-chip drug dispensing to generate concentrations that span three to four orders of magnitude, enabling single drug or combinatorial multi-drug screening with simple electronic control. Specifically, we utilize droplet ejection from a drug drop sitting on a special electrode, named a drug dispenser, under high-voltage pulse actuation to deliver the desired amount of drugs to be picked up by a cell suspension drop driven by low-voltage sine wave actuation. Our proof-of-principle validation for this technique as a convenient single and multi-drug screening involved testing of the drug toxicity of two chemotherapeutics, cisplatin (Cis) and epirubicin (EP), towards MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and MCF-10A normal breast cells. The results are consistent with those screened based on traditional 96-well plates. These findings demonstrate the reliability of the drug screening system with an on-chip drug dispenser. This system with fewer cancer cells, less drug consumption, a small footprint, and high scalability with regard to concentration could pave the way for drug screening on biopsied primary tumor cells for precision medicine or any concentration-related research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences/Tung Biomedical Sciences Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Caiwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - DECE, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Haoran Li
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - DECE, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Shuhong Yi
- Liver Transplantation Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ning Yang
- Department of Electronic Information Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Kai Miao
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Chuxia Deng
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Yanwei Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - DECE, University of Macau, Macau, China
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
- MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Pui-In Mak
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - DECE, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Rui P Martins
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau, China.
- Faculty of Science and Technology - DECE, University of Macau, Macau, China
- On leave from Instituto Superior Tecnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
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12
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Li B, Li X, Chu X, Lou P, Yuan Y, Zhuge A, Zhu X, Shen Y, Pan J, Zhang L, Li L, Wu Z. Micro-ecology restoration of colonic inflammation by in-Situ oral delivery of antibody-laden hydrogel microcapsules. Bioact Mater 2021; 15:305-315. [PMID: 35356818 PMCID: PMC8935091 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In-situ oral delivery of therapeutic antibodies, like monoclonal antibody, for chronic inflammation treatment is the most convenient approach compared with other administration routes. Moreover, the abundant links between the gut microbiota and colonic inflammation indicate that the synergistic or antagonistic effect of gut microbiota to colonic inflammation. However, the antibody activity would be significantly affected while transferring through the gastrointestinal tract due to hostile conditions. Moreover, these antibodies have short serum half-lives, thus, require to be frequently administered with high doses to be effective, leading to low patient tolerance. Here, we develop a strategy utilizing thin shell hydrogel microcapsule fabricated by microfluidic technique as the oral delivering carrier. By encapsulating antibodies in these microcapsules, antibodies survive in the hostile gastrointestinal environment and rapidly release into the small intestine through oral administration route, achieving the same therapeutic effect as the intravenous injection evaluated by a colonic inflammation disease model. Moreover, the abundance of some intestinal microorganisms as the indication of the improvement of inflammation has remarkably altered after in-situ antibody-laden microcapsules delivery, implying the restoration of micro-ecology of the intestine. These findings prove our microcapsules are exploited as an efficient oral delivery agent for antibodies with programmable function in clinical application. This thin shell hydrogel microcapsules using a water-in-water-in-oil as the template by microfluidic technique for orally delivery of antibodies is generated to protect from hostile stomach microenvironment and rapid released in the small intestine without losing their activity. The shell contains a double crosslinked network attributed to its ionic crosslinking and covalent crosslinking functionalities. The antibody-laden microcapsules demonstrate great therapeutic efficacy in DSS-induced colonic inflammation disease models, which is approximated to that of the intravenous injection treatment. Orally taken antibody-laden microcapsules restore the intestinal micro-ecological dysbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Li
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Research Units of Infectious Disease and Microecology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Pharmacology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Xiaodong Chu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Pengcheng Lou
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Research Units of Infectious Disease and Microecology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yin Yuan
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Research Units of Infectious Disease and Microecology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Aoxiang Zhuge
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Research Units of Infectious Disease and Microecology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Xueling Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Research Units of Infectious Disease and Microecology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yangfan Shen
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Research Units of Infectious Disease and Microecology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Jinghua Pan
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Liyuan Zhang
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, USA, 02138
- School of Petroleum Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, China
- Corresponding author. School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA, USA 02138. ;
| | - Lanjuan Li
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Research Units of Infectious Disease and Microecology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
- Corresponding author. State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China. ;
| | - Zhongwen Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Corresponding author.
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13
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Van Lent J, Breukers J, Ven K, Ampofo L, Horta S, Pollet F, Imbrechts M, Geukens N, Vanhoorelbeke K, Declerck P, Lammertyn J. Miniaturized single-cell technologies for monoclonal antibody discovery. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:3627-3654. [PMID: 34505611 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00243k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Antibodies (Abs) are among the most important class of biologicals, showcasing a high therapeutic and diagnostic value. In the global therapeutic Ab market, fully-human monoclonal Abs (FH-mAbs) are flourishing thanks to their low immunogenicity and high specificity. The rapidly emerging field of single-cell technologies has paved the way to efficiently discover mAbs by facilitating a fast screening of the antigen (Ag)-specificity and functionality of Abs expressed by B cells. This review summarizes the principles and challenges of the four key concepts to discover mAbs using these technologies, being confinement of single cells using either droplet microfluidics or microstructure arrays, identification of the cells of interest, retrieval of those cells and single-cell sequence determination required for mAb production. This review reveals the enormous potential for mix-and-matching of the above-mentioned strategies, which is illustrated by the plethora of established, highly integrated devices. Lastly, an outlook is given on the many opportunities and challenges that still lie ahead to fully exploit miniaturized single-cell technologies for mAb discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Van Lent
- Department of Biosystems, Biosensors Group, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
| | - Jolien Breukers
- Department of Biosystems, Biosensors Group, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
| | - Karen Ven
- Department of Biosystems, Biosensors Group, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
| | - Louanne Ampofo
- Department of Biosystems, Biosensors Group, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Sara Horta
- Laboratory for Thrombosis Research, IRF Life Sciences, KU Leuven Campus Kulak Kortrijk, Kortrijk 8500, Belgium
| | - Francesca Pollet
- Department of Biosystems, Biosensors Group, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
| | - Maya Imbrechts
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
- PharmAbs, The KU Leuven Antibody Center, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Nick Geukens
- PharmAbs, The KU Leuven Antibody Center, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Karen Vanhoorelbeke
- Laboratory for Thrombosis Research, IRF Life Sciences, KU Leuven Campus Kulak Kortrijk, Kortrijk 8500, Belgium
- PharmAbs, The KU Leuven Antibody Center, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Paul Declerck
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
- PharmAbs, The KU Leuven Antibody Center, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Lammertyn
- Department of Biosystems, Biosensors Group, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
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14
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Liu Y, Sun L, Zhang H, Shang L, Zhao Y. Microfluidics for Drug Development: From Synthesis to Evaluation. Chem Rev 2021; 121:7468-7529. [PMID: 34024093 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Drug development is a long process whose main content includes drug synthesis, drug delivery, and drug evaluation. Compared with conventional drug development procedures, microfluidics has emerged as a revolutionary technology in that it offers a miniaturized and highly controllable environment for bio(chemical) reactions to take place. It is also compatible with analytical strategies to implement integrated and high-throughput screening and evaluations. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the entire microfluidics-based drug development system, from drug synthesis to drug evaluation. The challenges in the current status and the prospects for future development are also discussed. We believe that this review will promote communications throughout diversified scientific and engineering communities that will continue contributing to this burgeoning field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiao Liu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Institute of Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Lingyu Sun
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Institute of Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Institute of Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Luoran Shang
- Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Institute of Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
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15
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Zhang JQ, Siltanen CA, Dolatmoradi A, Sun C, Chang KC, Cole RH, Gartner ZJ, Abate AR. High diversity droplet microfluidic libraries generated with a commercial liquid spotter. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4351. [PMID: 33623093 PMCID: PMC7902812 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83865-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Droplet libraries consisting of many reagents encapsulated in separate droplets are necessary for applications of microfluidics, including combinatorial chemical synthesis, DNA-encoded libraries, and massively multiplexed PCR. However, existing approaches for generating them are laborious and impractical. Here, we describe an automated approach using a commercial array spotter. The approach can controllably emulsify hundreds of different reagents in a fraction of the time of manual operation of a microfluidic device, and without any user intervention. We demonstrate that the droplets produced by the spotter are similarly uniform to those produced by microfluidics and automate the generation of a ~ 2 mL emulsion containing 192 different reagents in ~ 4 h. The ease with which it can generate high diversity droplet libraries should make combinatorial applications more feasible in droplet microfluidics. Moreover, the instrument serves as an automated droplet generator, allowing execution of droplet reactions without microfluidic expertise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Q Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,UC Berkeley-UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christian A Siltanen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Scribe Biosciences, Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ata Dolatmoradi
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chen Sun
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kai-Chun Chang
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Zev J Gartner
- UC Berkeley-UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Adam R Abate
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. .,UC Berkeley-UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. .,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA. .,California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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16
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Jia TZ, Caudan M, Mamajanov I. Origin of Species before Origin of Life: The Role of Speciation in Chemical Evolution. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:154. [PMID: 33671365 PMCID: PMC7922636 DOI: 10.3390/life11020154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Speciation, an evolutionary process by which new species form, is ultimately responsible for the incredible biodiversity that we observe on Earth every day. Such biodiversity is one of the critical features which contributes to the survivability of biospheres and modern life. While speciation and biodiversity have been amply studied in organismic evolution and modern life, it has not yet been applied to a great extent to understanding the evolutionary dynamics of primitive life. In particular, one unanswered question is at what point in the history of life did speciation as a phenomenon emerge in the first place. Here, we discuss the mechanisms by which speciation could have occurred before the origins of life in the context of chemical evolution. Specifically, we discuss that primitive compartments formed before the emergence of the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) could have provided a mechanism by which primitive chemical systems underwent speciation. In particular, we introduce a variety of primitive compartment structures, and associated functions, that may have plausibly been present on early Earth, followed by examples of both discriminate and indiscriminate speciation affected by primitive modes of compartmentalization. Finally, we discuss modern technologies, in particular, droplet microfluidics, that can be applied to studying speciation phenomena in the laboratory over short timescales. We hope that this discussion highlights the current areas of need in further studies on primitive speciation phenomena while simultaneously proposing directions as important areas of study to the origins of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Z. Jia
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan;
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, 1001 4th Ave., Suite 3201, Seattle, WA 98154, USA
| | - Melina Caudan
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan;
| | - Irena Mamajanov
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan;
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17
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Tripolitsiotis NP, Thomaidi M, Neochoritis CG. The Ugi Three‐Component Reaction; a Valuable Tool in Modern Organic Synthesis. European J Org Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202001157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Thomaidi
- Chemistry Department School of Science and Engineering University of Crete 70013 Heraklion Greece
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18
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Yu H, Zhao W, Ren L, Wang H, Guo P, Yang X, Ye Q, Shchukin D, Du Y, Dou S, Wang H. Laser-Generated Supranano Liquid Metal as Efficient Electron Mediator in Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e2001571. [PMID: 32643839 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202001571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Creating colloids of liquid metal with tailored dimensions has been of technical significance in nano-electronics while a challenge remains for generating supranano (<10 nm) liquid metal to unravel the mystery of their unconventional functionalities. Present study pioneers the technology of pulsed laser irradiation in liquid from a solid target to liquid, and yields liquid ternary nano-alloys that are laborious to obtain via wet-chemistry synthesis. Herein, the significant role of the supranano liquid metal on mediating the electrons at the grain boundaries of perovskite films, which are of significance to influence the carriers recombination and hysteresis in perovskite solar cells, is revealed. Such embedding of supranano liquid metal in perovskite films leads to a cesium-based ternary perovskite solar cell with stabilized power output of 21.32% at maximum power point tracing. This study can pave a new way of synthesizing multinary supranano alloys for advanced optoelectronic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiwu Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing Center for Nano Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University and Shaanxi Joint Laboratory of Graphene (NPU), Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
- School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, P. R. China
| | - Wenhao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing Center for Nano Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University and Shaanxi Joint Laboratory of Graphene (NPU), Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Long Ren
- Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2500, Australia
| | - Hongyue Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing Center for Nano Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University and Shaanxi Joint Laboratory of Graphene (NPU), Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Pengfei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing Center for Nano Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University and Shaanxi Joint Laboratory of Graphene (NPU), Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Xiaokun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing Center for Nano Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University and Shaanxi Joint Laboratory of Graphene (NPU), Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Qian Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing Center for Nano Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University and Shaanxi Joint Laboratory of Graphene (NPU), Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Dmitry Shchukin
- Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZF, UK
- Department of Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Gubkin University, 65/1 Leninsky Prospect, Moscow, 19991, Russia
| | - Yi Du
- Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2500, Australia
- BUAA-UOW Joint Research Centre and School of Physics, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Shixue Dou
- Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2500, Australia
- BUAA-UOW Joint Research Centre and School of Physics, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, P. R. China
| | - Hongqiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing Center for Nano Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University and Shaanxi Joint Laboratory of Graphene (NPU), Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
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19
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Miniaturized technologies for high-throughput drug screening enzymatic assays and diagnostics – A review. Trends Analyt Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2020.115862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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20
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Wang Y, Chen Z, Bian F, Shang L, Zhu K, Zhao Y. Advances of droplet-based microfluidics in drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 15:969-979. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1758663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuetong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhuoyue Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Feika Bian
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Luoran Shang
- Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kaixuan Zhu
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Suzhou Institute of Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhangjiagang, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
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21
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Microfluidic Chamber Design for Controlled Droplet Expansion and Coalescence. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11040394. [PMID: 32290165 PMCID: PMC7231328 DOI: 10.3390/mi11040394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The defined formation and expansion of droplets are essential operations for droplet-based screening assays. The volumetric expansion of droplets causes a dilution of the ingredients. Dilution is required for the generation of concentration graduation which is mandatory for many different assay protocols. Here, we describe the design of a microfluidic operation unit based on a bypassed chamber and its operation modes. The different operation modes enable the defined formation of sub-µL droplets on the one hand and the expansion of low nL to sub-µL droplets by controlled coalescence on the other. In this way the chamber acts as fluidic interface between two fluidic network parts dimensioned for different droplet volumes. Hence, channel confined droplets of about 30–40 nL from the first network part were expanded to cannel confined droplets of about 500 to about 2500 nL in the second network part. Four different operation modes were realized: (a) flow rate independent droplet formation in a self-controlled way caused by the bypassed chamber design, (b) single droplet expansion mode, (c) multiple droplet expansion mode, and (d) multiple droplet coalescence mode. The last mode was used for the automated coalescence of 12 droplets of about 40 nL volume to produce a highly ordered output sequence with individual droplet volumes of about 500 nL volume. The experimental investigation confirmed a high tolerance of the developed chamber against the variation of key parameters of the dispersed-phase like salt content, pH value and fluid viscosity. The presented fluidic chamber provides a solution for the problem of bridging different droplet volumes in a fluidic network.
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22
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Torabinia M, Asgari P, Dakarapu US, Jeon J, Moon H. On-chip organic synthesis enabled using an engine-and-cargo system in an electrowetting-on-dielectric digital microfluidic device. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:3054-3064. [PMID: 31373597 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00428a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a microfluidic chemical reaction using an electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) digital microfluidic device. Despite a number of chemical/biological applications using EWOD digital microfluidic devices, their applications to organic reactions have been seriously limited because most of the common solvents used in synthetic organic chemistry are not compatible with EWOD devices. To address this unsolved issue, we first introduce a novel technique using an "engine-and-cargo" system that enables the use of non-movable fluids (e.g., organic solvents) on an EWOD device. With esterification as the model reaction, on-chip chemical reactions were successfully demonstrated. Conversion data obtained from on-chip reactions were used to characterize and optimize the reaction with regard to reaction kinetics, solvent screening, and catalyst loading. As the first step toward on-chip combinatorial synthesis, parallel esterification of three different alcohols was demonstrated. Results from this study clearly show that an EWOD digital microfluidic platform is a promising candidate for microscale chemical reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matin Torabinia
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, USA.
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23
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Eills J, Hale W, Sharma M, Rossetto M, Levitt MH, Utz M. High-Resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy with Picomole Sensitivity by Hyperpolarization on a Chip. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:9955-9963. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b03507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- James Eills
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - William Hale
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Manvendra Sharma
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Matheus Rossetto
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Malcolm H. Levitt
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Marcel Utz
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
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24
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Jin T, Hadji EM, Zhao N, Duan Z, Wang J. Generation and Analysis of Axiolitic Liquid‐Metal Droplets in a T‐Junction Microfluidic Device. ChemistrySelect 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.201803975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Taoming Jin
- School of Chemical Engineering and TechnologyTianjin University Tianjin 300072 P.R. China
| | - Edward Mohamed Hadji
- School of Chemical Engineering and TechnologyTianjin University Tianjin 300072 P.R. China
| | - Na Zhao
- School of Chemical Engineering and TechnologyTianjin University Tianjin 300072 P.R. China
| | - Zhenya Duan
- College of Electromechanical EngineeringQingdao University of Science and Technology Qingdao 266061 P.R. China
| | - Jingtao Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering and TechnologyTianjin University Tianjin 300072 P.R. China
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25
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Wink K, Mahler L, Beulig JR, Piendl SK, Roth M, Belder D. An integrated chip-mass spectrometry and epifluorescence approach for online monitoring of bioactive metabolites from incubated Actinobacteria in picoliter droplets. Anal Bioanal Chem 2018; 410:7679-7687. [PMID: 30269162 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-018-1383-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We present a lab-on-a-chip approach for the analysis of secondary metabolites produced in microfluidic droplets by simultaneous epifluorescence microscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The approach includes encapsulation and long-term off-chip incubation of microbes in surfactant-stabilized droplets followed by a transfer of droplets into a microfluidic chip for subsequent analysis. Before the reinjected droplets are spaced and electrosprayed from an integrated emitter into a mass spectrometer, the presence of fluorescent marker molecules is monitored nearly simultaneously with a custom-made portable epifluorescence microscope. This combined fluorescence and MS-detection setup allows the analysis of metabolites and fluorescent labels in a complex biological matrix at a single droplet level. Using hyphae of Streptomyces griseus, encapsulated in microfluidic droplets of ~ 200 picoliter as a model system, we show the detection of in situ produced streptomycin by ESI-MS and the feasibility of detecting fluorophores inside droplets shortly before they are electrosprayed. The presented method expands the analytical toolbox for the discovery of bioactive metabolites such as novel antibiotics, produced by microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Wink
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 29, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lisa Mahler
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology -Hans Knöll Institute-, Bio Pilot Plant, Jena, 07745, Germany
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Julia R Beulig
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 29, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sebastian K Piendl
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 29, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Roth
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology -Hans Knöll Institute-, Bio Pilot Plant, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Detlev Belder
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 29, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
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26
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Hale W, Rossetto G, Greenhalgh R, Finch G, Utz M. High-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in microfluidic droplets. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:3018-3024. [PMID: 30131995 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00712h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A generic approach is presented that allows high-resolution NMR spectroscopy of water/oil droplet emulsions in microfluidic devices. Microfluidic NMR spectroscopy has recently made significant advances due to the design of micro-detector systems and their successful integration with microfluidic devices. Obtaining NMR spectra of droplet suspensions, however, is complicated by the inevitable differences in magnetic susceptibility between the chip material, the continuous phase, and the droplet phases. This leads to broadening of the NMR resonance lines and results in loss of spectral resolution. We have mitigated the susceptibility difference between the continuous (oil) phase and the chip material by incorporating appropriately designed air-filled structures into the chip. The susceptibilities of the continuous and droplet (aqueous) phases have been matched by doping the droplet phase with a Eu3+ complex. Our results demonstrate that this leads to a proton line width in the droplet phase of about 3 Hz, enabling high-resolution NMR techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Hale
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
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27
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Postek W, Kaminski TS, Garstecki P. A precise and accurate microfluidic droplet dilutor. Analyst 2018; 142:2901-2911. [PMID: 28676870 DOI: 10.1039/c7an00679a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate a microfluidic system for the precise (coefficient of variance between repetitions below 4%) and highly accurate (average difference from two-fold dilution below 1%) serial dilution of solutions inside droplets with a volume of ca. 1 μl. The two-fold dilution series can be prepared with the correlation coefficient as high as R2 = 0.999. The technique that we here describe uses hydrodynamic traps to precisely meter every droplet used in subsequent dilutions. We use only one metering trap to meter each and every droplet involved in the process of preparation of the dilution series. This eliminates the error of metering that would arise from the finite fidelity of fabrication of multiple metering traps. Metering every droplet at the same trap provides for high reproducibility of the volumes of the droplets, and thus high reproducibility of dilutions. We also present a device and method to precisely and accurately dilute one substance and simultaneously maintain the concentration of another substance throughout the dilution series without mixing their stock solutions. We compare the here-described precise and accurate dilution systems with a simple microdroplet dilutor that comprises several traps - each trap for a subsequent dilution. We describe the effect of producing more reproducible dilutions in a simple microdroplet dilutor thanks to the application of an alternating electric field.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Postek
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
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28
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Fernandes AC, Gernaey KV, Krühne U. “Connecting worlds – a view on microfluidics for a wider application”. Biotechnol Adv 2018; 36:1341-1366. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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29
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Madadkar P, Selvaganapathy PR, Ghosh R. Continuous flow microreactor for protein PEGylation. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2018; 12:044114. [PMID: 30174773 PMCID: PMC6102118 DOI: 10.1063/1.5030984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
PEGylation is increasingly being utilized to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of biopharmaceuticals. Various chemistries and reaction conditions have been established to synthesize PEGylated proteins and more are being developed. Both the extent of conversion and selectivity of protein PEGylation are highly sensitive to process variables and parameters. Therefore, microfluidic-based high-throughput screening platforms would be highly suitable for optimization of protein PEGylation. As part of this study, a poly-dimethylsiloxane-based continuous flow microreactor system was designed and its performance was compared head-to-head with a batch reactor. The reactants within the microreactor were contacted by passive micromixing based on chaotic advection generated by staggered herringbone grooves embedded in serpentine microchannels. The microreactor system was provided with means for on-chip reaction quenching. Lysozyme was used as the model protein while methoxy-polyethylene glycol-(CH2)5COO-NHS was used as the PEGylation reagent. Full mixing was achieved close to the microreactor inlet, making the device suitable for protein PEGylation. The effect of mixing type, i.e., simple stirring versus chaotic laminar mixing on PEGylation, was investigated. Higher selectivity (as high as 100% selectivity) was obtained with the microreactor while the conversion was marginally lower.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. Madadkar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7, Canada
| | - P. R. Selvaganapathy
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7, Canada
| | - R. Ghosh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7, Canada
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30
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Eduati F, Utharala R, Madhavan D, Neumann UP, Longerich T, Cramer T, Saez-Rodriguez J, Merten CA. A microfluidics platform for combinatorial drug screening on cancer biopsies. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2434. [PMID: 29934552 PMCID: PMC6015045 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04919-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Screening drugs on patient biopsies from solid tumours has immense potential, but is challenging due to the small amount of available material. To address this, we present here a plug-based microfluidics platform for functional screening of drug combinations. Integrated Braille valves allow changing the plug composition on demand and enable collecting >1200 data points (56 different conditions with at least 20 replicates each) per biopsy. After deriving and validating efficient and specific drug combinations for two genetically different pancreatic cancer cell lines and xenograft mouse models, we additionally screen live cells from human solid tumours with no need for ex vivo culturing steps, and obtain highly specific sensitivity profiles. The entire workflow can be completed within 48 h at assay costs of less than US$ 150 per patient. We believe this can pave the way for rapid determination of optimal personalized cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Eduati
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SD, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Ramesh Utharala
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dharanija Madhavan
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ulf Peter Neumann
- Department of Surgery, RWTH University Hospital, 52057, Aachen, Germany
- ESCAM - European Surgery Center Aachen Maastricht, Aachen, Germany and Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Longerich
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH University Hospital, 52057, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Cramer
- ESCAM - European Surgery Center Aachen Maastricht, Aachen, Germany and Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Molecular Tumor Biology, Department Surgery, RWTH University Hospital, 52057, Aachen, Germany
| | - Julio Saez-Rodriguez
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SD, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
- Joint Research Centre for Computational Biomedicine (JRC-COMBINE), RWTH Aachen University, Faculty of Medicine, 52057, Aachen, Germany.
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine, BIOQUANT-Center, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Christoph A Merten
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany.
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31
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Liu Y, Jiang X. Why microfluidics? Merits and trends in chemical synthesis. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:3960-3978. [PMID: 28913530 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00627f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The intrinsic limitations of conventional batch synthesis have hindered its applications in both solving classical problems and exploiting new frontiers. Microfluidic technology offers a new platform for chemical synthesis toward either molecules or materials, which has promoted the progress of diverse fields such as organic chemistry, materials science, and biomedicine. In this review, we focus on the improved performance of microreactors in handling various situations, and outline the trend of microfluidic synthesis (microsynthesis, μSyn) from simple microreactors to integrated microsystems. Examples of synthesizing both chemical compounds and micro/nanomaterials show the flexible applications of this approach. We aim to provide strategic guidance for the rational design, fabrication, and integration of microdevices for synthetic use. We critically evaluate the existing challenges and future opportunities associated with this burgeoning field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Liu
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for BioNanotechnology & CAS Key Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.
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32
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Baccouche A, Okumura S, Sieskind R, Henry E, Aubert-Kato N, Bredeche N, Bartolo JF, Taly V, Rondelez Y, Fujii T, Genot AJ. Massively parallel and multiparameter titration of biochemical assays with droplet microfluidics. Nat Protoc 2017; 12:1912-1932. [PMID: 28837132 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2017.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Biochemical systems in which multiple components take part in a given reaction are of increasing interest. Because the interactions between these different components are complex and difficult to predict from basic reaction kinetics, it is important to test for the effect of variations in the concentration for each reagent in a combinatorial manner. For example, in PCR, an increase in the concentration of primers initially increases template amplification, but large amounts of primers result in primer-dimer by-products that inhibit the amplification of the template. Manual titration of biochemical mixtures rapidly becomes costly and laborious, forcing scientists to settle for suboptimal concentrations. Here we present a droplet-based microfluidics platform for mapping of the concentration space of up to three reaction components followed by detection with a fluorescent readout. The concentration of each reaction component is read through its internal standard (barcode), which is fluorescent but chemically orthogonal. We describe in detail the workflow, which comprises the following: (i) production of the microfluidics chips, (ii) preparation of the biochemical mixes, (iii) their mixing and compartmentalization into water-in-oil emulsion droplets via microfluidics, (iv) incubation and imaging of the fluorescent barcode and reporter signals by fluorescence microscopy and (v) image processing and data analysis. We also provide recommendations for choosing the appropriate fluorescent markers, programming the pressure profiles and analyzing the generated data. Overall, this platform allows a researcher with a few weeks of training to acquire ∼10,000 data points (in a 1D, 2D or 3D concentration space) over the course of a day from as little as 100-1,000 μl of reaction mix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Baccouche
- LIMMS, CNRS-Institute of Industrial Science, UMI 2820, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Earth Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shu Okumura
- LIMMS, CNRS-Institute of Industrial Science, UMI 2820, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,CIBIS, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rémi Sieskind
- LIMMS, CNRS-Institute of Industrial Science, UMI 2820, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Laboratoire Gulliver, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Elia Henry
- LIMMS, CNRS-Institute of Industrial Science, UMI 2820, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Laboratoire Gulliver, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Nathanaël Aubert-Kato
- Earth Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Information Science, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS, Institute of Intelligent Systems and Robotics (ISIR), Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Bredeche
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS, Institute of Intelligent Systems and Robotics (ISIR), Paris, France
| | | | - Valérie Taly
- INSERM UMR-S1147, CNRS SNC5014, Paris Descartes University, Equipe labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Yannick Rondelez
- LIMMS, CNRS-Institute of Industrial Science, UMI 2820, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Laboratoire Gulliver, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Teruo Fujii
- LIMMS, CNRS-Institute of Industrial Science, UMI 2820, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,CIBIS, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Anthony J Genot
- LIMMS, CNRS-Institute of Industrial Science, UMI 2820, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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33
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Huang CM, Zhu Y, Jin DQ, Kelly RT, Fang Q. Direct Surface and Droplet Microsampling for Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Analysis with an Integrated Dual-Probe Microfluidic Chip. Anal Chem 2017; 89:9009-9016. [PMID: 28780855 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b01679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Ambient mass spectrometry (MS) has revolutionized the way of MS analysis and broadened its application in various fields. This paper describes the use of microfluidic techniques to simplify the setup and improve the functions of ambient MS by integrating the sampling probe, electrospray emitter probe, and online mixer on a single glass microchip. Two types of sampling probes, including a parallel-channel probe and a U-shaped channel probe, were designed for dry-spot and liquid-phase droplet samples, respectively. We demonstrated that the microfabrication techniques not only enhanced the capability of ambient MS methods in analysis of dry-spot samples on various surfaces, but also enabled new applications in the analysis of nanoliter-scale chemical reactions in an array of droplets. The versatility of the microchip-based ambient MS method was demonstrated in multiple different applications including evaluation of residual pesticide on fruit surfaces, sensitive analysis of low-ionizable analytes using postsampling derivatization, and high-throughput screening of Ugi-type multicomponent reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong-Min Huang
- Institute of Microanalytical Systems, Department of Chemistry and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Zhejiang University , Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Institute of Microanalytical Systems, Department of Chemistry and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Zhejiang University , Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Di-Qiong Jin
- Institute of Microanalytical Systems, Department of Chemistry and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Zhejiang University , Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Ryan T Kelly
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Qun Fang
- Institute of Microanalytical Systems, Department of Chemistry and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Zhejiang University , Hangzhou, 310058, China
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34
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Sesen M, Alan T, Neild A. Droplet control technologies for microfluidic high throughput screening (μHTS). LAB ON A CHIP 2017. [PMID: 28631799 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00005g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The transition from micro well plate and robotics based high throughput screening (HTS) to chip based screening has already started. This transition promises reduced droplet volumes thereby decreasing the amount of fluids used in these studies. Moreover, it significantly boosts throughput allowing screening to keep pace with the overwhelming number of molecular targets being discovered. In this review, we analyse state-of-the-art droplet control technologies that exhibit potential to be used in this new generation of screening devices. Since these systems are enclosed and usually planar, even some of the straightforward methods used in traditional HTS such as pipetting and reading can prove challenging to replicate in microfluidic high throughput screening (μHTS). We critically review the technologies developed for this purpose in depth, describing the underlying physics and discussing the future outlooks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhsincan Sesen
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
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35
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Beulig RJ, Warias R, Heiland JJ, Ohla S, Zeitler K, Belder D. A droplet-chip/mass spectrometry approach to study organic synthesis at nanoliter scale. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:1996-2002. [PMID: 28513728 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00313g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A droplet-based microfluidic device with seamless hyphenation to electrospray mass spectrometry was developed to rapidly investigate organic reactions in segmented flow providing a versatile tool for drug development. A chip-MS interface with an integrated counterelectrode allowed for a flexible positioning of the chip-emitter in front of the MS orifice as well as an independent adjustment of the electrospray potentials. This was necessary to avoid contamination of the mass spectrometer as well as sample overloading due to the high analyte concentrations. The device was exemplarily applied to study the scope of an amino-catalyzed domino reaction with low picomole amount of catalyst in individual nanoliter sized droplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Beulig
- Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Linnéstraße 3, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
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36
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Postek W, Kaminski TS, Garstecki P. A passive microfluidic system based on step emulsification allows the generation of libraries of nanoliter-sized droplets from microliter droplets of varying and known concentrations of a sample. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:1323-1331. [PMID: 28271118 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00014f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We present a novel geometry of microfluidic channels that allows us to passively generate monodisperse emulsions of hundreds of droplets smaller than 1 nL from collections of larger (ca. 0.4 μL) mother droplets. We introduce a new microfluidic module for the generation of droplets via passive break-up at a step. The module alleviates a common problem in step emulsification with efficient removal of the droplets from the vicinity of the step. In our solution, the droplets are pushed away from the step by a continuous liquid that bypasses the mother droplets via specially engineered bypasses that lead to the step around the main channel. We show that the bypasses tighten the distribution of volume of daughter droplets and eliminate subpopulations of daughter droplets. Clearing away the just produced droplets from the vicinity of the step provides for similar conditions of break-up for every subsequent droplet and, consequently, leads to superior monodispersity of the generated emulsions. Importantly, this function is realized autonomously (passively) in a protocol in which only a sequence of large mother droplets is forced through the module. Our system features the advantage of step emulsification systems in that the volumes of the generated droplets depend very weakly on the rate of flow through the module - an increase in the flow rate by 300% causes only a slight increase of the average diameter of generated droplets by less than 5%. We combined our geometry with a simple T-junction and a simple trap-based microdroplet dilutor to produce a collection of libraries of droplets of gradually changing and known concentrations of a sample. The microfluidic system can be operated with only two syringe pumps set at constant rates of flow during the experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Postek
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - T S Kaminski
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - P Garstecki
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
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37
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Sesen M, Devendran C, Malikides S, Alan T, Neild A. Surface acoustic wave enabled pipette on a chip. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:438-447. [PMID: 27995242 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc01318j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Mono-disperse droplet formation in microfluidic devices allows the rapid production of thousands of identical droplets and has enabled a wide range of chemical and biological studies through repeat tests performed at pico-to-nanoliter volume samples. However, it is exactly this efficiency of production which has hindered the ability to carefully control the location and quantity of the distribution of various samples on a chip - the key requirement for replicating micro well plate based high throughput screening in vastly reduced volumetric scales. To address this need, here, we present a programmable microfluidic chip capable of pipetting samples from mobile droplets with high accuracy using a non-contact approach. Pipette on a chip (PoaCH) system selectively ejects (pipettes) part of a droplet into a customizable reaction chamber using surface acoustic waves (SAWs). Droplet pipetting is shown to range from as low as 150 pL up to 850 pL with precision down to tens of picoliters. PoaCH offers ease of integration with existing lab on a chip systems as well as a robust and contamination-free droplet manipulation technique in closed microchannels enabling potential implementation in screening and other studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhsincan Sesen
- Laboratory for Microsystems, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
| | - Citsabehsan Devendran
- Laboratory for Microsystems, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
| | - Sean Malikides
- Laboratory for Microsystems, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
| | - Tuncay Alan
- Laboratory for Microsystems, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
| | - Adrian Neild
- Laboratory for Microsystems, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
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38
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Heida T, Neubauer JW, Seuss M, Hauck N, Thiele J, Fery A. Mechanically Defined Microgels by Droplet Microfluidics. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.201600418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Heida
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics; Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V; Hohe Str. 6 01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Jens W. Neubauer
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics; Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V; Hohe Str. 6 01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Maximilian Seuss
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics; Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V; Hohe Str. 6 01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Nicolas Hauck
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics; Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V; Hohe Str. 6 01069 Dresden Germany
- Leibniz Research Cluster (LRC); Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V; Hohe Str. 6 01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Julian Thiele
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics; Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V; Hohe Str. 6 01069 Dresden Germany
- Leibniz Research Cluster (LRC); Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V; Hohe Str. 6 01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Andreas Fery
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics; Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V; Hohe Str. 6 01069 Dresden Germany
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymeric Materials; Technische Universität Dresden; Hohe Str. 6 01069 Dresden Germany
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39
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Shembekar N, Chaipan C, Utharala R, Merten CA. Droplet-based microfluidics in drug discovery, transcriptomics and high-throughput molecular genetics. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:1314-31. [PMID: 27025767 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc00249h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Droplet-based microfluidics enables assays to be carried out at very high throughput (up to thousands of samples per second) and enables researchers to work with very limited material, such as primary cells, patient's biopsies or expensive reagents. An additional strength of the technology is the possibility to perform large-scale genotypic or phenotypic screens at the single-cell level. Here we critically review the latest developments in antibody screening, drug discovery and highly multiplexed genomic applications such as targeted genetic workflows, single-cell RNAseq and single-cell ChIPseq. Starting with a comprehensive introduction for non-experts, we pinpoint current limitations, analyze how they might be overcome and give an outlook on exciting future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nachiket Shembekar
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Chawaree Chaipan
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Ramesh Utharala
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Christoph A Merten
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, Heidelberg, Germany.
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40
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High-throughput screening approaches and combinatorial development of biomaterials using microfluidics. Acta Biomater 2016; 34:1-20. [PMID: 26361719 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2015.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
From the first microfluidic devices used for analysis of single metabolic by-products to highly complex multicompartmental co-culture organ-on-chip platforms, efforts of many multidisciplinary teams around the world have been invested in overcoming the limitations of conventional research methods in the biomedical field. Close spatial and temporal control over fluids and physical parameters, integration of sensors for direct read-out as well as the possibility to increase throughput of screening through parallelization, multiplexing and automation are some of the advantages of microfluidic over conventional, 2D tissue culture in vitro systems. Moreover, small volumes and relatively small cell numbers used in experimental set-ups involving microfluidics, can potentially decrease research cost. On the other hand, these small volumes and numbers of cells also mean that many of the conventional molecular biology or biochemistry assays cannot be directly applied to experiments that are performed in microfluidic platforms. Development of different types of assays and evidence that such assays are indeed a suitable alternative to conventional ones is a step that needs to be taken in order to have microfluidics-based platforms fully adopted in biomedical research. In this review, rather than providing a comprehensive overview of the literature on microfluidics, we aim to discuss developments in the field of microfluidics that can aid advancement of biomedical research, with emphasis on the field of biomaterials. Three important topics will be discussed, being: screening, in particular high-throughput and combinatorial screening; mimicking of natural microenvironment ranging from 3D hydrogel-based cellular niches to organ-on-chip devices; and production of biomaterials with closely controlled properties. While important technical aspects of various platforms will be discussed, the focus is mainly on their applications, including the state-of-the-art, future perspectives and challenges. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Microfluidics, being a technology characterized by the engineered manipulation of fluids at the submillimeter scale, offers some interesting tools that can advance biomedical research and development. Screening platforms based on microfluidic technologies that allow high-throughput and combinatorial screening may lead to breakthrough discoveries not only in basic research but also relevant to clinical application. This is further strengthened by the fact that reliability of such screens may improve, since microfluidic systems allow close mimicking of physiological conditions. Finally, microfluidic systems are also very promising as micro factories of a new generation of natural or synthetic biomaterials and constructs, with finely controlled properties.
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41
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One-to-one encapsulation based on alternating droplet generation. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15196. [PMID: 26487193 PMCID: PMC4613679 DOI: 10.1038/srep15196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper reports the preparation of encapsulated particles as models of cells using an alternating droplet generation encapsulation method in which the number of particles in a droplet is controlled by a microchannel to achieve one-to-one encapsulation. Using a microchannel in which wettability is treated locally, the fluorescent particles used as models of cells were successfully encapsulated in uniform water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) emulsion droplets. Furthermore, 20% of the particle-containing droplets contained one particle. Additionally, when a surfactant with the appropriate properties was used, the fluorescent particles within each inner aqueous droplet were enclosed in the merged droplet by spontaneous droplet coalescence. This one-to-one encapsulation method based on alternating droplet generation could be used for a variety of applications, such as high-throughput single-cell assays, gene transfection into cells or one-to-one cell fusion.
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42
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Enhancing Throughput of Combinatorial Droplet Devices via Droplet Bifurcation, Parallelized Droplet Fusion, and Parallelized Detection. MICROMACHINES 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/mi6101434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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43
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Pit AM, de Ruiter R, Kumar A, Wijnperlé D, Duits MHG, Mugele F. High-throughput sorting of drops in microfluidic chips using electric capacitance. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2015; 9:044116. [PMID: 26339316 PMCID: PMC4537480 DOI: 10.1063/1.4928452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
We analyze a recently introduced approach for the sorting of aqueous drops with biological content immersed in oil, using a microfluidic chip that combines the functionality of electrowetting with the high throughput of two-phase flow microfluidics. In this electrostatic sorter, three co-planar electrodes covered by a thin dielectric layer are placed directly below the fluidic channel. Switching the potential of the central electrode creates an electrical guide that leads the drop to the desired outlet. The generated force, which deflects the drop, can be tuned via the voltage. The working principle is based on a contrast in conductivity between the drop and the continuous phase, which ensures successful operation even for drops of highly conductive biological media like phosphate buffered saline. Moreover, since the electric field does not penetrate the drop, its content is protected from electrical currents and Joule heating. A simple capacitive model allows quantitative prediction of the electrostatic forces exerted on drops. The maximum achievable sorting rate is determined by a competition between electrostatic and hydrodynamic forces. Sorting speeds up to 1200 per second are demonstrated for conductive drops of 160 pl in low viscosity oil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen M Pit
- Physics of Complex Fluids Group, MESA+ Institute, University of Twente , P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Riëlle de Ruiter
- Physics of Complex Fluids Group, MESA+ Institute, University of Twente , P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Anand Kumar
- Physics of Complex Fluids Group, MESA+ Institute, University of Twente , P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel Wijnperlé
- Physics of Complex Fluids Group, MESA+ Institute, University of Twente , P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Michèl H G Duits
- Physics of Complex Fluids Group, MESA+ Institute, University of Twente , P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Frieder Mugele
- Physics of Complex Fluids Group, MESA+ Institute, University of Twente , P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
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44
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Allazetta S, Lutolf MP. Stem cell niche engineering through droplet microfluidics. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2015; 35:86-93. [PMID: 26051090 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Revised: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Stem cells reside in complex niches in which their behaviour is tightly regulated by various biochemical and biophysical signals. In order to unveil some of the crucial stem cell-niche interactions and expedite the implementation of stem cells in clinical and pharmaceutical applications, in vitro methodologies are being developed to reconstruct key features of stem cell niches. Recently, droplet-based microfluidics has emerged as a promising strategy to build stem cell niche models in a miniaturized and highly precise fashion. This review highlights current advances in using droplet microfluidics in stem cell biology. We also discuss recent efforts in which microgel technology has been interfaced with high-throughput analyses to engender screening paradigms with an unparalleled potential for basic and applied biological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Allazetta
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matthias P Lutolf
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland; Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, EPFL, Switzerland.
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45
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Verboket PE, Borovinskaya O, Meyer N, Günther D, Dittrich PS. A microfluidic chip for ICPMS sample introduction. J Vis Exp 2015:52525. [PMID: 25867751 PMCID: PMC4401232 DOI: 10.3791/52525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
This protocol discusses the fabrication and usage of a disposable low cost microfluidic chip as sample introduction system for inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The chip produces monodisperse aqueous sample droplets in perfluorohexane (PFH). Size and frequency of the aqueous droplets can be varied in the range of 40 to 60 µm and from 90 to 7,000 Hz, respectively. The droplets are ejected from the chip with a second flow of PFH and remain intact during the ejection. A custom-built desolvation system removes the PFH and transports the droplets into the ICPMS. Here, very stable signals with a narrow intensity distribution can be measured, showing the monodispersity of the droplets. We show that the introduction system can be used to quantitatively determine iron in single bovine red blood cells. In the future, the capabilities of the introduction device can easily be extended by the integration of additional microfluidic modules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nicole Meyer
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich
| | - Detlef Günther
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich;
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46
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Akartuna I, Aubrecht DM, Kodger TE, Weitz DA. Chemically induced coalescence in droplet-based microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2015; 15:1140-4. [PMID: 25537080 DOI: 10.1039/c4lc01285b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
We present a new microfluidic method to coalesce pairs of surfactant-stabilized water-in-fluorocarbon oil droplets. We achieve this through the local addition of a poor solvent for the surfactant, perfluorobutanol, which induces cohesion between droplet interfaces causing them to merge. The efficiency of this technique is comparable to existing techniques providing an alternative method to coalesce pairs of droplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilke Akartuna
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, USA.
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Jeong HH, Jin SH, Lee BJ, Kim T, Lee CS. Microfluidic static droplet array for analyzing microbial communication on a population gradient. LAB ON A CHIP 2015; 15:889-899. [PMID: 25494004 DOI: 10.1039/c4lc01097c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) is a type of cell-cell communication using signal molecules that are released and detected by cells, which respond to changes in their population density. A few studies explain that QS may operate in a density-dependent manner; however, due to experimental challenges, this fundamental hypothesis has never been investigated. Here, we present a microfluidic static droplet array (SDA) that combines a droplet generator with hydrodynamic traps to independently generate a bacterial population gradient into a parallel series of droplets under complete chemical and physical isolation. The SDA independently manipulates both a chemical concentration gradient and a bacterial population density. In addition, the bacterial population gradient in the SDA can be tuned by a simple change in the number of sample plug loading. Finally, the method allows the direct analysis of complicated biological events in an addressable droplet to enable the characterization of bacterial communication in response to the ratio of two microbial populations, including two genetically engineered QS circuits, such as the signal sender for acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) production and the signal receiver bacteria for green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression induced by AHL. For the first time, we found that the population ratio of the signal sender and receiver indicates a significant and potentially interesting partnership between microbial communities. Therefore, we envision that this simple SDA could be a useful platform in various research fields, including analytical chemistry, combinatorial chemistry, synthetic biology, microbiology, and molecular biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heon-Ho Jeong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-764, Republic of Korea.
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Mahler L, Tovar M, Weber T, Brandes S, Rudolph MM, Ehgartner J, Mayr T, Figge MT, Roth M, Zang E. Enhanced and homogeneous oxygen availability during incubation of microfluidic droplets. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra20118g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Up to now, droplets have been statically incubated, resulting in limited and inhomogeneous oxygenation affecting encapsulated cells. Dynamic droplet incubation is presented as a solution.
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49
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Tangen U, Sharma A, Wagler P, McCaskill JS. On demand nanoliter-scale microfluidic droplet generation, injection, and mixing using a passive microfluidic device. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2015; 9:014119. [PMID: 25759752 PMCID: PMC4327917 DOI: 10.1063/1.4907895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
We here present and characterize a programmable nanoliter scale droplet-on-demand device that can be used separately or readily integrated into low cost single layer rapid prototyping microfluidic systems for a wide range of user applications. The passive microfluidic device allows external (off-the-shelf) electronically controlled pinch valves to program the delivery of nanoliter scale aqueous droplets from up to 9 different inputs to a central outlet channel. The inputs can be either continuous aqueous fluid streams or microliter scale aqueous plugs embedded in a carrier fluid, in which case the number of effective input solutions that can be employed in an experiment is no longer strongly constrained (100 s-1000 s). Both nanoliter droplet sequencing output and nanoliter-scale droplet mixing are reported with this device. Optimization of the geometry and pressure relationships in the device was achieved in several hardware iterations with the support of open source microfluidic simulation software and equivalent circuit models. The requisite modular control of pressure relationships within the device is accomplished using hydrodynamic barriers and matched resistance channels with three different channel heights, custom parallel reversible microfluidic I/O connections, low dead-volume pinch valves, and a simply adjustable array of external screw valves. Programmable sequences of droplet mixes or chains of droplets can be achieved with the device at low Hz frequencies, limited by device elasticity, and could be further enhanced by valve integration. The chip has already found use in the characterization of droplet bunching during export and the synthesis of a DNA library.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Tangen
- Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Microsystems Chemistry and BioIT (BioMIP), Ruhr-University Bochum , 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Abhishek Sharma
- Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Microsystems Chemistry and BioIT (BioMIP), Ruhr-University Bochum , 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Patrick Wagler
- Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Microsystems Chemistry and BioIT (BioMIP), Ruhr-University Bochum , 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - John S McCaskill
- Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Microsystems Chemistry and BioIT (BioMIP), Ruhr-University Bochum , 44780 Bochum, Germany
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50
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Küster SK, Pabst M, Zenobi R, Dittrich PS. Screening for protein phosphorylation using nanoscale reactions on microdroplet arrays. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014; 54:1671-5. [PMID: 25504774 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201409440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
We present a novel and straightforward screening method to detect protein phosphorylations in complex protein mixtures. A proteolytic digest is separated by a conventional nanoscale liquid chromatography (nano-LC) separation and the eluate is immediately compartmentalized into microdroplets, which are spotted on a microarray MALDI plate. Subsequently, the enzyme alkaline phosphatase is applied to every second microarray spot to remove the phosphate groups from phosphorylated peptides, which results in a mass shift of n×-80 Da. The MALDI-MS scan of the microarray is then evaluated by a software algorithm to automatically identify the phosphorylated peptides by exploiting the characteristic chromatographic peak profile induced by the phosphatase treatment. This screening method does not require extensive MS/MS experiments or peak list evaluation and can be easily extended to other enzymatic or chemical reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon K Küster
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093 Zurich (Switzerland)
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