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Ahmadi F, Tran H, Letourneau N, Little SR, Fortin A, Moraitis AN, Shih SCC. An Automated Single-Cell Droplet-Digital Microfluidic Platform for Monoclonal Antibody Discovery. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2308950. [PMID: 38441226 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202308950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibody (mAb) discovery plays a prominent role in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Droplet microfluidics has become a standard technology for high-throughput screening of antibody-producing cells due to high droplet single-cell confinement frequency and rapid analysis and sorting of the cells of interest with their secreted mAbs. In this work, a new method is described for on-demand co-encapsulation of cells that eliminates the difficulties associated with washing in between consecutive steps inside the droplets and enables the washing and addition of fresh media. The new platform identifies hybridoma cells that are expressing antibodies of interest using antibody-characterization assays to find the best-performing or rare-cell antibody candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Ahmadi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Hao Tran
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Natasha Letourneau
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Samuel R Little
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Annie Fortin
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Anna N Moraitis
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Steve C C Shih
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
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2
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Weigel N, Li Y, Fery A, Thiele J. From microfluidics to hierarchical hydrogel materials. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2022.101673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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3
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Hauck N, Beck T, Cojoc G, Schlüßler R, Ahmed S, Raguzin I, Mayer M, Schubert J, Müller P, Guck J, Thiele J. PNIPAAm microgels with defined network architecture as temperature sensors in optical stretchers. MATERIALS ADVANCES 2022; 3:6179-6190. [PMID: 35979502 PMCID: PMC9342673 DOI: 10.1039/d2ma00296e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Stretching individual living cells with light is a standard method to assess their mechanical properties. Yet, heat introduced by the laser light of optical stretchers may unwittingly change the mechanical properties of cells therein. To estimate the temperature induced by an optical trap, we introduce cell-sized, elastic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) microgels that relate temperature changes to hydrogel swelling. For their usage as a standardized calibration tool, we analyze the effect of free-radical chain-growth gelation (FCG) and polymer-analogous photogelation (PAG) on hydrogel network heterogeneity, micromechanics, and temperature response by Brillouin microscopy and optical diffraction tomography. Using a combination of tailor-made PNIPAAm macromers, PAG, and microfluidic processing, we obtain microgels with homogeneous network architecture. With that, we expand the capability of standardized microgels in calibrating and validating cell mechanics analysis, not only considering cell and microgel elasticity but also providing stimuli-responsiveness to consider dynamic changes that cells may undergo during characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Hauck
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Timon Beck
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light Staudtstraße 2 D-91058 Erlangen Germany
| | - Gheorghe Cojoc
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
| | - Raimund Schlüßler
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
| | - Saeed Ahmed
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
| | - Ivan Raguzin
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Martin Mayer
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Jonas Schubert
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Paul Müller
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light Staudtstraße 2 D-91058 Erlangen Germany
| | - Jochen Guck
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light Staudtstraße 2 D-91058 Erlangen Germany
| | - Julian Thiele
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
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Tiemeijer BM, Tel J. Hydrogels for Single-Cell Microgel Production: Recent Advances and Applications. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:891461. [PMID: 35782502 PMCID: PMC9247248 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.891461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-cell techniques have become more and more incorporated in cell biological research over the past decades. Various approaches have been proposed to isolate, culture, sort, and analyze individual cells to understand cellular heterogeneity, which is at the foundation of every systematic cellular response in the human body. Microfluidics is undoubtedly the most suitable method of manipulating cells, due to its small scale, high degree of control, and gentle nature toward vulnerable cells. More specifically, the technique of microfluidic droplet production has proven to provide reproducible single-cell encapsulation with high throughput. Various in-droplet applications have been explored, ranging from immunoassays, cytotoxicity assays, and single-cell sequencing. All rely on the theoretically unlimited throughput that can be achieved and the monodispersity of each individual droplet. To make these platforms more suitable for adherent cells or to maintain spatial control after de-emulsification, hydrogels can be included during droplet production to obtain “microgels.” Over the past years, a multitude of research has focused on the possibilities these can provide. Also, as the technique matures, it is becoming clear that it will result in advantages over conventional droplet approaches. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview on how various types of hydrogels can be incorporated into different droplet-based approaches and provide novel and more robust analytic and screening applications. We will further focus on a wide range of recently published applications for microgels and how these can be applied in cell biological research at the single- to multicell scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. M. Tiemeijer
- Laboratory of Immunoengineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, TU Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Institute of Complex Molecular Systems, TU Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - J. Tel
- Laboratory of Immunoengineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, TU Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Institute of Complex Molecular Systems, TU Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: J. Tel,
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5
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Zhao Y, Gu Y, Gao G. Piezoelectricity induced by pulsed hydraulic pressure enables in situ membrane demulsification and oil/water separation. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 215:118245. [PMID: 35290871 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Recovering oil from oily wastewater is not only for economic gains but also for mitigating environmental pollution. However, demulsification of oil droplets stabilized with surfactants is challenging because of their low surface energy. Although the widely used oil/water separation membrane technologies based on size screening have attracted considerable attention in the past few decades, they are incapable of demulsification of stabilized oil emulsions and the membrane concentrates often require post-processing. Herein, the piezoelectric ceramic membrane (PCM), which can respond to the inherent transmembrane pressure in the pressure-driven membrane processes, was employed to transform hydraulic pressure pulses into electroactive responses to in situ demulsification. The pulsed transmembrane pressure on the PCM results in the generation of considerable rapid voltage oscillations over 3.2 V and a locally high electric field intensity of 7.2 × 107 V/m, which is capable of electrocoalescence with no additional stimuli or high voltage devices. Negative dielectrophoresis (DEP) force occurred in this membrane process and repelled the large size of oil after demulsification away from the PCM surface, ensuring continuous membrane demulsification and oil/water separation. Overall, PCM provides a further opportunity to develop an environmentally friendly and energy-saving electroresponsive membrane technology for practical applications in wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yuna Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Guandao Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Research Center for Environmental Nanotechnology (ReCENT), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
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6
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Gaikwad R, Sen AK. An optomicrofluidic device for the detection and isolation of drop-encapsulated target cells in single-cell format. Analyst 2021; 146:95-108. [PMID: 33107500 DOI: 10.1039/d0an00160k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Single-cell analysis has emerged as a powerful method for genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics characterisation at the individual cell level. Here, we demonstrate a technique for the detection and selective isolation of target cells encapsulated in microdroplets in single-cell format. A sample containing a mixed population of cells with fluorescently labelled target cells can be focused using a sheath fluid to direct cells in single file toward a droplet junction, wherein the cells are encapsulated inside droplets. The droplets containing the cells migrate toward the centre of the channel owing to non-inertial lift force. The cells present in the droplets are studied and characterised based on forward scatter (FSC), side scatter (SSC), and fluorescence (FL) signals. The FL signals from the target cells can be used to activate a selective isolation module based on electro-coalescence, using suitable electronics and a program to sort droplets containing the target cells in single-cell format from droplets containing background cells. We demonstrated the detection and isolation of target cells (cancer cells: HeLa and DU145) from mixed populations of cells, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) + cervical cancer cells (HeLa) and PBMC + human prostate cancer cells (DU145), at a concentration range of 104-106 ml-1 at 300 cells per s. The performance of the device is characterised in terms of sorting efficiency (>97%), enrichment (>1800×), purity (>98%), and recovery (>95%). The sorted target cells were found to be viable (>95% viability) and showed good proliferation when cultured, showing the potential of the proposed sorting technique for downstream analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Gaikwad
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai-600036, India.
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7
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Mhatre S, Simon S, Sjöblom J. Experimental Evidence of Enhanced Adsorption Dynamics at Liquid-Liquid Interfaces under an Electric Field. Anal Chem 2020; 92:12860-12870. [PMID: 32892617 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c01287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we investigate the adsorption of surface-active compounds at the water-oil interface subjected to an electric field. A fluid system comprising a pendent water drop surrounded by an asphaltene-rich organic phase is exposed to a DC uniform electric field. Two subfractions of asphaltenes having contrasting affinities to the water-oil interface are used as surface-active compounds. The microscopic changes in the drop shape, as a result of asphaltene adsorption, are captured and the drop profiles are analyzed using our in-house code for axisymmetric drop shape analysis (ADSA) under an electric field. The estimates of dynamic interfacial tension under different strengths of the field (E0) and concentrations of the asphaltene subfractions (C) are used to calculate adsorption dynamics and surface excess. The experimental observations and careful analyses of the data suggest that the externally applied electric field significantly stimulates the mass-transfer rate at the liquid-liquid interface. The enhancement in mass transport at the water-oil interface can be attributed to the axisymmetric electrohydrodynamic fluid flows generated on either side of the interface. The boost in mass transport is evident from the growing decay in equilibrium interfacial tension (γeq) and increased surface excess (Γeq) upon increasing strength of the applied electric field. The mass-transfer intensification does not increase monotonously with the electric field strength above an optimum E0, which is in agreement with the previous theoretical studies in the literature. However, these first explicit experimental measurements of adsorption at an interface under an electric field suggest that the optimum E0 is determined by characteristics of the surface-active molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameer Mhatre
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada T2N 1N4
| | - Sébastien Simon
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Johan Sjöblom
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
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8
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Leary T, Yeganeh M, Maldarelli C. Microfluidic Study of the Electrocoalescence of Aqueous Droplets in Crude Oil. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:7348-7360. [PMID: 32280876 PMCID: PMC7144161 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b04259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
In electrocoalescence, an electric field is applied to a dispersion of conducting water droplets in a poorly conducting oil to force the droplets to merge in the direction of the field. Electrocoalescence is used in petroleum refining to separate water from crude oil and in droplet-based microfluidics to combine droplets of water in oil and to break emulsions. Using a microfluidic design to generate a two-dimensional (2D) emulsion, we demonstrate that electrocoalescence in an opaque crude oil can be visualized with optical microscopy and studied on an individual droplet basis in a chamber whose height is small enough to make the dispersions two dimensional and transparent. From reconstructions of images of the 2D electrocoalescence, the electrostatic forces driving the droplet merging are calculated in a numerically exact manner and used to predict observed coalescence events. Hence, the direct simulation of the electrocoalescence-driven breakdown of 2D emulsions in microfluidic devices can be envisioned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Leary
- The
Benjamin Levich Institute for Physicochemical Hydrodynamics and Department
of Chemical Engineering, The City College
of New York, New York, New York 10031, United
States
| | - Mohsen Yeganeh
- ExxonMobil
Research and Engineering Company, Annandale, New Jersey 08801, United States
| | - Charles Maldarelli
- The
Benjamin Levich Institute for Physicochemical Hydrodynamics and Department
of Chemical Engineering, The City College
of New York, New York, New York 10031, United
States
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9
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Feng K, Gao N, Zhang W, Zhou K, Dong H, Wang P, Tian L, He G, Li G. Creation of Nonspherical Microparticles through Osmosis-Driven Arrested Coalescence of Microfluidic Emulsions. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e1903884. [PMID: 31512376 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201903884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Droplet-based microfluidics enable the production of emulsions and microparticles with spherical shapes, but the high-throughput fabrication of nonspherical emulsions and microparticles still remains challenging because interfacial tension plays a dominant role during preparation. Herein, ionic liquids (ILs) containing salts, which possess sufficient osmotic pressure to realize water transport and phase separation, are introduced as inner cores of oil-in-oil-in-water double emulsions and it is shown that nonspherical emulsions can be constructed by osmosis-driven arrested coalescence of inner cores. Subsequently, ultraviolet polymerization of the nonspherical emulsions leads to nonspherical microparticles. By tailoring the number, composition, and size of inner cores as well as coalescence time, a variety of nonspherical shapes such as dumbbell, rod, spindle, snowman, tumbler, three-pointed star, triangle, and scalene triangle are created. Importantly, benefitting from excellent solvency of ILs, this system can serve as a general platform to produce nonspherical microparticles made from different materials. Moreover, by controlling the osmotic pressure, programmed coalescence of inner cores in double emulsions is realizable, which indicates the potential to build microreactors. Thus, a simple and high-throughput strategy to create nonspherical microparticles with arrested coalescence shapes is developed for the first time and can be further used to construct novel materials and microreactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Feng
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Ning Gao
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Wanlin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Kang Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hao Dong
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Li Tian
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Guokang He
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Guangtao Li
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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10
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Navi M, Abbasi N, Salari A, Tsai SSH. Magnetic water-in-water droplet microfluidics: Systematic experiments and scaling mathematical analysis. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2020; 14:024101. [PMID: 32161632 PMCID: PMC7056455 DOI: 10.1063/1.5144137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
A major barrier to the clinical utilization of microfluidically generated water-in-oil droplets is the cumbersome washing steps required to remove the non-biocompatible organic oil phase from the droplets. In this paper, we report an on-chip magnetic water-in-water droplet generation and manipulation platform using a biocompatible aqueous two-phase system of a polyethylene glycol-polypropylene glycol-polyethylene glycol triblock copolymer (PEG-PPG-PEG) and dextran (DEX), eliminating the need for subsequent washing steps. By careful selection of a ferrofluid that shows an affinity toward the DEX phase (the dispersed phase in our microfluidic device), we generate magnetic DEX droplets in a non-magnetic continuous phase of PEG-PPG-PEG. We apply an external magnetic field to manipulate the droplets and sort them into different outlets. We also perform scaling analysis to model the droplet deflection and find that the experimental data show good agreement with the model. We expect that this type of all-biocompatible magnetic droplet microfluidic system will find utility in biomedical applications, such as long-term single cell analysis. In addition, the model can be used for designing experimental parameters to achieve a desired droplet trajectory.
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Kleine-Brüggeney H, van Vliet LD, Mulas C, Gielen F, Agley CC, Silva JCR, Smith A, Chalut K, Hollfelder F. Long-Term Perfusion Culture of Monoclonal Embryonic Stem Cells in 3D Hydrogel Beads for Continuous Optical Analysis of Differentiation. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2019; 15:e1804576. [PMID: 30570812 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201804576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 12/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Developmental cell biology requires technologies in which the fate of single cells is followed over extended time periods, to monitor and understand the processes of self-renewal, differentiation, and reprogramming. A workflow is presented, in which single cells are encapsulated into droplets (Ø: 80 µm, volume: ≈270 pL) and the droplet compartment is later converted to a hydrogel bead. After on-chip de-emulsification by electrocoalescence, these 3D scaffolds are subsequently arrayed on a chip for long-term perfusion culture to facilitate continuous cell imaging over 68 h. Here, the response of murine embryonic stem cells to different growth media, 2i and N2B27, is studied, showing that the exit from pluripotency can be monitored by fluorescence time-lapse microscopy, by immunostaining and by reverse-transcription and quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The defined 3D environment emulates the natural context of cell growth (e.g., in tissue) and enables the study of cell development in various matrices. The large scale of cell cultivation (in 2000 beads in parallel) may reveal infrequent events that remain undetected in lower throughput or ensemble studies. This platform will help to gain qualitative and quantitative mechanistic insight into the role of external factors on cell behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Kleine-Brüggeney
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Liisa D van Vliet
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Carla Mulas
- Wellcome Trust/Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Fabrice Gielen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Chibeza C Agley
- Wellcome Trust/Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | - José C R Silva
- Wellcome Trust/Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Austin Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
- Wellcome Trust/Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | - Kevin Chalut
- Wellcome Trust/Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, 19 J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Florian Hollfelder
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
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12
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Navi M, Abbasi N, Jeyhani M, Gnyawali V, Tsai SSH. Microfluidic diamagnetic water-in-water droplets: a biocompatible cell encapsulation and manipulation platform. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:3361-3370. [PMID: 30375625 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00867a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics enables cellular encapsulation for biomedical applications such as single-cell analysis, which is an important tool used by biologists to study cells on a single-cell level, and understand cellular heterogeneity in cell populations. However, most cell encapsulation strategies in microfluidics rely on random encapsulation processes, resulting in large numbers of empty droplets. Therefore, post-sorting of droplets is necessary to obtain samples of purely cell-encapsulating droplets. With the recent advent of aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) as a biocompatible alternative of the conventional water-in-oil droplet systems for cellular encapsulation, there has also been a focus on integrating ATPS with droplet microfluidics. In this paper, we describe a new technique that combines ATPS-based water-in-water droplets with diamagnetic manipulation to isolate single-cell encapsulating water-in-water droplets, and achieve a purity of 100% in a single pass. We exploit the selective partitioning of ferrofluid in an ATPS of polyethylene glycol-polypropylene glycol-polyethylene glycol triblock copolymer (PEG-PPG-PEG) and dextran (DEX), to achieve diamagnetic manipulation of water-in-water droplets. A cell-triggered Rayleigh-Plateau instability in the dispersed phase thread results in a size distinction between the cell-encapsulating and empty droplets, enabling diamagnetic separation and sorting of the cell-encapsulating droplets from empty droplets. This is a simple and biocompatible all-aqueous platform for single-cell encapsulation and droplet manipulation, with applications in single-cell analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Navi
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada.
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13
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Xu Y, Lee JH, Li Z, Wang L, Ordog T, Bailey RC. A droplet microfluidic platform for efficient enzymatic chromatin digestion enables robust determination of nucleosome positioning. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:2583-2592. [PMID: 30046796 PMCID: PMC6103843 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00599k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The first step in chromatin-based epigenetic assays involves the fragmentation of chromatin to facilitate precise genomic localization of the associated DNA. Here, we report the development of a droplet microfluidic device that can rapidly and efficiently digest chromatin into single nucleosomes starting from whole-cell input material offering simplified and automated processing compared to conventional manual preparation. We demonstrate the digestion of chromatin from 2500-125 000 Jurkat cells using micrococcal nuclease for enzymatic processing. We show that the yield of mononucleosomal DNA can be optimized by controlling enzyme concentration and incubation time, with resulting mononucleosome yields exceeding 80%. Bioinformatic analysis of sequenced mononucleosomal DNA (MNase-seq) indicated a high degree of reproducibility and concordance (97-99%) compared with conventionally processed preparations. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of robust and automated nucleosome preparation using a droplet microfluidic platform for nucleosome positioning and downstream epigenomic assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Xu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Kamperman T, Karperien M, Le Gac S, Leijten J. Single-Cell Microgels: Technology, Challenges, and Applications. Trends Biotechnol 2018; 36:850-865. [PMID: 29656795 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2018.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Single-cell-laden microgels effectively act as the engineered counterpart of the smallest living building block of life: a cell within its pericellular matrix. Recent breakthroughs have enabled the encapsulation of single cells in sub-100-μm microgels to provide physiologically relevant microniches with minimal mass transport limitations and favorable pharmacokinetic properties. Single-cell-laden microgels offer additional unprecedented advantages, including facile manipulation, culture, and analysis of individual cell within 3D microenvironments. Therefore, single-cell microgel technology is expected to be instrumental in many life science applications, including pharmacological screenings, regenerative medicine, and fundamental biological research. In this review, we discuss the latest trends, technical challenges, and breakthroughs, and present our vision of the future of single-cell microgel technology and its applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Kamperman
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522NB Enschede, The Netherlands. https://twitter.com/DBE_MIRA
| | - Marcel Karperien
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522NB Enschede, The Netherlands. https://twitter.com/UTwente
| | - Séverine Le Gac
- Applied Microfluidics for BioEngineering Research, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522NB Enschede, The Netherlands. https://twitter.com/utwenteEN
| | - Jeroen Leijten
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522NB Enschede, The Netherlands.
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15
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Luo X, Huang X, Yan H, Yang D, Wang J, He L. Breakup modes and criterion of droplet with surfactant under direct current electric field. Chem Eng Res Des 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2018.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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16
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Srivastava A, Karthick S, Jayaprakash KS, Sen AK. Droplet Demulsification Using Ultralow Voltage-Based Electrocoalescence. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:1520-1527. [PMID: 29236503 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b03323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Demulsification of droplets stabilized with surfactant is very challenging due to their low surface energy. We report ultralow voltage-based electrocoalescence phenomenon for the demulsification of aqueous droplets with an aqueous stream. In the absence of electric field, due to the disjoining pressure resulting from the tail-tail interaction between the surfactant molecules present on the aqueous droplets and interface, coalescence of aqueous droplets with the aqueous stream is prevented. However, above a critical electric field, the electrical stress overcomes the disjoining pressure, thus leading to the droplet coalescence. The influence of surfactant concentration, droplet diameter, and velocity on the electrocoalescence phenomena is studied. The macroscopic contact between the aqueous droplet with the aqueous stream enables droplet coalescence at much lower voltage (10 to 90 V), which is at least two orders of magnitude smaller than voltages used in prior works (1.0 to 3.0 kV). The electrocoalescence phenomena is used for the extraction of microparticles encapsulated in aqueous droplets into the aqueous stream and size-based selective demulsification. A new paradigm of droplet electrocoalescence and content extraction is presented that would find significant applications in chemistry and biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Srivastava
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras , Chennai 600036, India
| | - S Karthick
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras , Chennai 600036, India
| | - K S Jayaprakash
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras , Chennai 600036, India
| | - A K Sen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras , Chennai 600036, India
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17
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Jia Y, Ren Y, Hou L, Liu W, Deng X, Jiang H. Sequential Coalescence Enabled Two-Step Microreactions in Triple-Core Double-Emulsion Droplets Triggered by an Electric Field. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2017; 13:1702188. [PMID: 29044912 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201702188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Advances in microfluidic emulsification have enabled the generation of exquisite multiple-core droplets, which are promising structures to accommodate microreactions. An essential requirement for conducting reactions is the sequential coalescence of the multiple cores encapsulated within these droplets, therefore, mixing the reagents together in a controlled sequence. Here, a microfluidic approach is reported for the conduction of two-step microreactions by electrically fusing three cores inside double-emulsion droplets. Using a microcapillary glass device, monodisperse water-in-oil-in-water droplets are fabricated with three compartmented reagents encapsulated inside. An AC electric field is then applied through a polydimethylsiloxane chip to trigger the sequential mixing of the reagents, where the precise sequence is guaranteed by the discrepancy of the volume or conductivity of the inner cores. A two-step reaction in each droplet is ensured by two times of core coalescence, which totally takes 20-40 s depending on varying conditions. The optimal parameters of the AC signal for the sequential fusion of the inner droplets are identified. Moreover, the capability of this technique is demonstrated by conducting an enzyme-catalyzed reaction used for glucose detection with the double-emulsion droplets. This technique should benefit a wide range of applications that require multistep reactions in micrometer scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yankai Jia
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Yukun Ren
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Likai Hou
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Weiyu Liu
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Xiaokang Deng
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Hongyuan Jiang
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
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18
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Karbaschi M, Shahi P, Abate AR. Rapid, chemical-free breaking of microfluidic emulsions with a hand-held antistatic gun. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2017; 11:044107. [PMID: 28794817 PMCID: PMC5519397 DOI: 10.1063/1.4995479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics can form and process millions of picoliter droplets with speed and ease, allowing the execution of huge numbers of biological reactions for high-throughput studies. However, at the conclusion of most experiments, the emulsions must be broken to recover and analyze their contents. This is usually achieved with demulsifiers, like perfluorooctanol and chloroform, which can interfere with downstream reactions and harm cells. Here, we describe a simple approach to rapidly and efficiently break microfluidic emulsions, which requires no chemicals. Our method allows one-pot multi-step reactions, making it useful for large scale automated processing of reactions requiring demulsification. Using a hand-held antistatic gun, we pulse emulsions with the electric field, coalescing ∼100 μl of droplets in ∼10 s. We show that while emulsions broken with chemical demulsifiers exhibit potent PCR inhibition, the antistatic-broken emulsions amplify efficiently. The ability to break emulsions quickly without chemicals should make our approach valuable for most demulsification needs in microfluidics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Karbaschi
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Payam Shahi
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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19
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Kataoka ÉM, Murer RC, Santos JM, Carvalho RM, Eberlin MN, Augusto F, Poppi RJ, Gobbi AL, Hantao LW. Simple, Expendable, 3D-Printed Microfluidic Systems for Sample Preparation of Petroleum. Anal Chem 2017; 89:3460-3467. [PMID: 28230979 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b04413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we introduce a simple protocol to manufacture disposable, 3D-printed microfluidic systems for sample preparation of petroleum. This platform is produced with a consumer-grade 3D-printer, using fused deposition modeling. Successful incorporation of solid-phase extraction (SPE) to microchip was ensured by facile 3D element integration using proposed approach. This 3D-printed μSPE device was applied to challenging matrices in oil and gas industry, such as crude oil and oil-brine emulsions. Case studies investigated important limitations of nonsilicon and nonglass microchips, namely, resistance to nonpolar solvents and conservation of sample integrity. Microfluidic features remained fully functional even after prolonged exposure to nonpolar solvents (20 min). Also, 3D-printed μSPE devices enabled fast emulsion breaking and solvent deasphalting of petroleum, yielding high recovery values (98%) without compromising maltene integrity. Such finding was ascertained by high-resolution molecular analyses using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry by monitoring important biomarker classes, such as C10 demethylated terpanes, ααα-steranes, and monoaromatic steroids. 3D-Printed chips enabled faster and reliable preparation of maltenes by exhibiting a 10-fold reduction in sample processing time, compared to the reference method. Furthermore, polar (oxygen-, nitrogen-, and sulfur-containing) analytes found in low-concentrations were analyzed by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Analysis results demonstrated that accurate characterization may be accomplished for most classes of polar compounds, except for asphaltenes, which exhibited lower recoveries (82%) due to irreversible adsorption to sorbent phase. Therefore, 3D-printing is a compelling alternative to existing microfabrication solutions, as robust devices were easy to prepare and operate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Érica M Kataoka
- Laboratório Nacional de Nanotecnologia, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais , Campinas, São Paulo 13083-100, Brazil
| | - Rui C Murer
- Laboratório Nacional de Nanotecnologia, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais , Campinas, São Paulo 13083-100, Brazil
| | - Jandyson M Santos
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas , Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Rogério M Carvalho
- Centro de Pesquisas e Desenvolvimento Américo Miguez de Mello, Petrobras , Rio de Janeiro, 20031-912 Brazil
| | - Marcos N Eberlin
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas , Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Fabio Augusto
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas , Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Ronei J Poppi
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas , Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Angelo L Gobbi
- Laboratório Nacional de Nanotecnologia, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais , Campinas, São Paulo 13083-100, Brazil
| | - Leandro W Hantao
- Laboratório Nacional de Nanotecnologia, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais , Campinas, São Paulo 13083-100, Brazil.,Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas , Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, Brazil
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20
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Thiele J. Polymer Material Design by Microfluidics Inspired by Cell Biology and Cell-Free Biotechnology. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.201600429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julian Thiele
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e. V; Leibniz Research Cluster (LRC); Hohe Straße 6 01069 Dresden Germany
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21
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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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Mhatre S, Vivacqua V, Ghadiri M, Abdullah A, Al-Marri M, Hassanpour A, Hewakandamby B, Azzopardi B, Kermani B. Electrostatic phase separation: A review. Chem Eng Res Des 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2015.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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23
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Barman J, Nagarajan AK, Khare K. Controlled electro-coalescence/non-coalescence on lubricating fluid infused slippery surfaces. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra21936a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aqueous drops on lubricating oil infused substrates depict non-coalescence or spontaneous coalescence which can be controlled using an external electric field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitesh Barman
- Department of Physics
- Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
- Kanpur – 208016
- India
| | | | - Krishnacharya Khare
- Department of Physics
- Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
- Kanpur – 208016
- India
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