1
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Zhang N, Li C, Dou X, Du Y, Tian F. Test Article for automation purposes. Crit Rev Anal Chem 2023; 53:1969-1989. [PMID: 37881955 DOI: 10.1080/10408347.2022.2042999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Digital recombinase polymerase amplification (dRPA) aims to quantify the initial amount of nucleic acid by dividing nucleic acid and all reagents required for the RPA reaction evenly into numerous individual reaction units, such as chambers or droplets. dRPA turns out to be a prominent technique for quantifying the absolute quantity of target nucleic acid because of its advantages including low equipment requirements, short time consumption, as well as high sensitivity and specificity. dRPA combined with microfluidics are recognized as simple, various, and high-throughput nucleic acid quantization systems. This paper classifies the microfluidic dRPA systems over the last decade. We analyze and summarize the vital technologies of various microfluidic dRPA systems (e.g., chip preparation process, segmentation principle, microfluidic control, and statistical analysis methods), and major efforts to address limitations (e.g., prevention of evaporation and contamination, accurate initiation, and reduction of manual operation). In addition, this paper summarizes key factors and potential constraints to the success of the microfluidic dRPA to help more researchers, and possible strategies to overcome the mentioned challenges. Lastly, actual suggestions and strategies are proposed for the subsequent development of microfluidic dRPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Zhang
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Chao Li
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuechen Dou
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Yaohua Du
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Tian
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
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2
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Yin C, Jiang X, Mann S, Tian L, Drinkwater BW. Acoustic Trapping: An Emerging Tool for Microfabrication Technology. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023:e2207917. [PMID: 36942987 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202207917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The high throughput deposition of microscale objects with precise spatial arrangement represents a key step in microfabrication technology. This can be done by creating physical boundaries to guide the deposition process or using printing technologies; in both approaches, these microscale objects cannot be further modified after they are formed. The utilization of dynamic acoustic fields offers a novel approach to facilitate real-time reconfigurable miniaturized systems in a contactless manner, which can potentially be used in physics, chemistry, biology, as well as materials science. Here, the physical interactions of microscale objects in an acoustic pressure field are discussed and how to fabricate different acoustic trapping devices and how to tune the spatial arrangement of the microscale objects are explained. Moreover, different approaches that can dynamically modulate microscale objects in acoustic fields are presented, and the potential applications of the microarrays in biomedical engineering, chemical/biochemical sensing, and materials science are highlighted alongside a discussion of future research challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengying Yin
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Detection Technology and Medicinal Effectiveness Appraisal, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Xingyu Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Detection Technology and Medicinal Effectiveness Appraisal, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Stephen Mann
- Centre for Protolife Research and Centre for Organized Matter Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK
- Max Planck-Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China
| | - Liangfei Tian
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Detection Technology and Medicinal Effectiveness Appraisal, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
- Binjiang Institute of Zhejiang University, 66 Dongxin Road, Hangzhou, 310053, China
- Department of Ultrasound, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Bruce W Drinkwater
- Faculty of Engineering, Queen's Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TR, UK
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3
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Shao F, Lee PW, Li H, Hsieh K, Wang TH. Emerging platforms for high-throughput enzymatic bioassays. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:120-133. [PMID: 35863950 PMCID: PMC9789168 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Enzymes have essential roles in catalyzing biological reactions and maintaining metabolic systems. Many in vitro enzymatic bioassays have been developed for use in industrial and research fields, such as cell biology, enzyme engineering, drug screening, and biofuel production. Of note, many of these require the use of high-throughput platforms. Although the microtiter plate remains the standard for high-throughput enzymatic bioassays, microfluidic arrays and droplet microfluidics represent emerging methods. Each has seen significant advances and offers distinct advantages; however, drawbacks in key performance metrics, including reagent consumption, reaction manipulation, reaction recovery, real-time measurement, concentration gradient range, and multiplexity, remain. Herein, we compare recent high-throughput platforms using the aforementioned metrics as criteria and provide insights into remaining challenges and future research trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangchi Shao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Pei-Wei Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kuangwen Hsieh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tza-Huei Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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4
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Choi JW, Seo WH, Lee YS, Kim SY, Kim BS, Lee KG, Lee SJ, Chung BG. Development of an IoT-integrated multiplexed digital PCR system for quantitative detection of infectious diseases. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:3933-3941. [PMID: 36102682 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00726f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
For rapid detection of the COVID-19 infection, the digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) with higher sensitivity and specificity has been presented as a promising method of point-of-care testing (POCT). Unlike the conventional real-time PCR (qPCR), the dPCR system allows absolute quantification of the target DNA without a calibration curve. Although a number of dPCR systems have previously been reported, most of these previous assays lack multiplexing capabilities. As different variants of COVID-19 have rapidly emerged, there is an urgent need for highly specific multiplexed detection systems. Additionally, the advances in the Internet of Things (IoT) technology have enabled the onsite detection of infectious diseases. Here, we present an IoT-integrated multiplexed dPCR (IM-dPCR) system involving sample compartmentalization, DNA amplification, fluorescence imaging, and quantitative analysis. This IM-dPCR system comprises three modules: a plasmonic heating-based thermal cycler, a multi-color fluorescence imaging set-up, and a firmware control module. Combined with a custom-developed smartphone application built on an IoT platform, the IM-dPCR system enabled automatic processing, data collection, and cloud storage. Using a self-priming microfluidic chip, 9 RNA groups (e.g., H1N1, H3N2, IFZ B, DENV2, DENV3, DENV4, OC43, 229E, and NL63) associated with three infectious diseases (e.g., influenza, dengue, and human coronaviruses) were analyzed with higher linearity (>98%) and sensitivity (1 copy per μL). The IM-dPCR system exhibited comparable analytical accuracy to commercial qPCR platforms. Therefore, this IM-dPCR system plays a crucial role in the onsite detection of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Wook Choi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Won Ho Seo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Suh Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, Korea.
| | - So Young Kim
- Biology, Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Korea
| | | | - Kyoung G Lee
- Center for Nano Bio Development, National NanoFab Center (NNFC), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Seok Jae Lee
- Center for Nano Bio Development, National NanoFab Center (NNFC), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Bong Geun Chung
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, Korea.
- Institute of Integrated Biotechnology, Sogang University, Seoul, Korea
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5
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Facile and scalable tubing-free sample loading for droplet microfluidics. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13340. [PMID: 35922529 PMCID: PMC9349288 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17352-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics has in recent years found a wide range of analytical and bioanalytical applications. In droplet microfluidics, the samples that are discretized into droplets within the devices are predominantly loaded through tubings, but such tubing-based sample loading has drawbacks such as limited scalability for processing many samples, difficulty for automation, and sample wastage. While advances in autosamplers have alleviated some of these drawbacks, sample loading that can instead obviate tubings offers a potentially promising alternative but has been underexplored. To fill the gap, we introduce herein a droplet device that features a new Tubing Eliminated Sample Loading Interface (TESLI). TESLI integrates a network of programmable pneumatic microvalves that regulate vacuum and pressure sources so that successive sub-microliter samples can be directly spotted onto the open-to-atmosphere TESLI inlet, vacuumed into the device, and pressurized into nanoliter droplets within the device with minimal wastage. The same vacuum and pressure regulation also endows TESLI with cleaning and sample switching capabilities, thus enabling scalable processing of many samples in succession. Moreover, we implement a pair of TESLIs in our device to parallelize and alternate their operation as means to minimizing idle time. For demonstration, we use our device to successively process 44 samples into droplets—a number that can further scale. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of tubing-free sample loading and a promising approach for advancing droplet microfluidics.
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6
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Steinacher M, Amstad E. Spray-Assisted Formation of Micrometer-Sized Emulsions. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:13952-13961. [PMID: 35258934 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c00963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Emulsion drops with defined sizes are frequently used to conduct chemical reactions on picoliter scales or as templates to form microparticles. Despite tremendous progress that has been achieved in the production of emulsions, the high throughput formation of drops with well-defined diameters of a few micrometers remains challenging. Drops of this size, however, are in high demand, for example, for many pharmaceutical, food, and materials science applications. Here, we introduce a scalable method to produce water-in-oil emulsion drops possessing controlled diameters of just a few micrometers: We fabricate calibrated aerosol drops and transfer them into an oil bath to form stable emulsions at rates up to 480 μL min-1 of the dispersed phase. We demonstrate that the emulsification is thermodynamically driven such that design principles to successfully form emulsions can easily be deduced. We employ these emulsion drops as templates to form well-defined micrometer-sized hydrogel spheres and capsules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Steinacher
- Soft Materials Laboratory, Institute of Materials, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Esther Amstad
- Soft Materials Laboratory, Institute of Materials, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
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7
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Zhang N, Li C, Dou X, Du Y, Tian F. Overview and Future Perspectives of Microfluidic Digital Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (dRPA). Crit Rev Anal Chem 2022; 52:1969-1989. [PMID: 35201910 DOI: 10.1080/10408347.2022.2042669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Digital recombinase polymerase amplification (dRPA) aims to quantify the initial amount of nucleic acid by dividing nucleic acid and all reagents required for the RPA reaction evenly into numerous individual reaction units, such as chambers or droplets. dRPA turns out to be a prominent technique for quantifying the absolute quantity of target nucleic acid because of its advantages including low equipment requirements, short time consumption, as well as high sensitivity and specificity. dRPA combined with microfluidics are recognized as simple, various, and high-throughput nucleic acid quantization systems. This paper classifies the microfluidic dRPA systems over the last decade. We analyze and summarize the vital technologies of various microfluidic dRPA systems (e.g., chip preparation process, segmentation principle, microfluidic control, and statistical analysis methods), and major efforts to address limitations (e.g., prevention of evaporation and contamination, accurate initiation, and reduction of manual operation). In addition, this paper summarizes key factors and potential constraints to the success of the microfluidic dRPA to help more researchers, and possible strategies to overcome the mentioned challenges. Lastly, actual suggestions and strategies are proposed for the subsequent development of microfluidic dRPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Zhang
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Chao Li
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuechen Dou
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Yaohua Du
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Tian
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
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8
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Sun Y, Huang Y, Qi T, Jin Q, Jia C, Zhao J, Feng S, Liang L. Wet-Etched Microchamber Array Digital PCR Chip for SARS-CoV-2 Virus and Ultra-Early Stage Lung Cancer Quantitative Detection. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:1819-1826. [PMID: 35036821 PMCID: PMC8751011 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c05082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
We report a novel design of chamber-based digital polymerase chain reaction (cdPCR) chip structure. Using a wet etching process and silicon-glass bonding, the chamber size can be adjusted independently of the process and more feasibly in a normal lab. In addition, the structure of the chip is optimized through hydrodynamic computer simulations to eliminate dead space when the sample is injected into the chip. The samples will be distributed to each separated microchambers for an isolated reaction based on Poisson distribution. Due to the difference in expansion coefficients, isolation of the sample in the microchambers by the oil phase on top ensures homogeneity and independence of the sample in the microchambers. The prepared microarray cdPCR chip enables high-throughput and high-sensitivity quantitative measurement of the SARS-CoV-2 virus gene and the mutant lung cancer gene. We applied the chip for the detection of different concentrations of the mix containing the open reading frame 1ab (ORF1ab) gene, the most specific and conservative gene region of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In addition to this, we also successfully detected the fluorescence of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant gene in independent microchambers. At a throughput of 46 200 microchambers, solution mixtures containing both genes were successfully tested quantitatively, with a detection limit of 10 copies/μL. Importantly, the chips are individually inexpensive and easy to industrialize. In addition, the microarray can provide a unified solution for other viral sequences, cancer marker assay development, and point-of-care testing (POCT).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimeng Sun
- State
Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem
and Information Technology, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
- Center
of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yaru Huang
- State
Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem
and Information Technology, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
- School
of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200235, China
| | - Tong Qi
- State
Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem
and Information Technology, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
| | - Qinghui Jin
- State
Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem
and Information Technology, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
- Faculty
of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Chunping Jia
- State
Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem
and Information Technology, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
| | - Jianlong Zhao
- State
Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem
and Information Technology, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
- Center
of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shilun Feng
- State
Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem
and Information Technology, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
| | - Lijuan Liang
- State
Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem
and Information Technology, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
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9
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Mao P, Cao L, Li Z, You M, Gao B, Xie X, Xue Z, Peng P, Yao C, Xu F. A digitalized isothermal nucleic acid testing platform based on a pump-free open droplet array microfluidic chip. Analyst 2021; 146:6960-6969. [PMID: 34657942 DOI: 10.1039/d1an01373d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Digital PCR has shown great potential for quantitative nucleic acid testing (NAT), but most existing platforms are dependent on large auxiliary equipment (e.g., vacuum pump, amplification instrument, fluorescence microscope) to achieve target dispersion, amplification, signal capture and result analysis. Such complex, expensive and bulky NAT platforms have limited their applications in resource-limited areas, especially for point-of-care testing (POCT). In this work, we designed a digital isothermal NAT platform based on a pump-free open droplet array microfluidic chip. A pump-free microfluidic chip was developed based on an open microdroplet array in the form of thousands of independent microdroplets for spontaneous sample dispersion, without the need for external power. Combined with a handheld fluorescent signal reader based on a smartphone, this digital NAT platform can accurately quantify as low as 1 copy per μL of λDNA. Therefore, our integrated NAT platform, as a potable, robust and low-cost tool for highly accurate NA quantitative analysis, holds great potential for POCT applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Mao
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, P.R. China. .,Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China.,Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sichuan Provincial Crops Hospital, Chinese People's Armed Police Forces, Leshan 614000, P.R. China
| | - Lei Cao
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China.,The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China.
| | - Zedong Li
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China.,The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China.
| | - Minli You
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China.,The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China.
| | - Bin Gao
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Xianghong Xie
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sichuan Provincial Crops Hospital, Chinese People's Armed Police Forces, Leshan 614000, P.R. China
| | - Zhenrui Xue
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, P.R. China. .,Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China
| | - Ping Peng
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, P.R. China. .,Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China
| | - Chunyan Yao
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, P.R. China.
| | - Feng Xu
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China.,The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China.
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10
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Cao L, Guo X, Mao P, Ren Y, Li Z, You M, Hu J, Tian M, Yao C, Li F, Xu F. A Portable Digital Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Platform Based on Microgel Array and Hand-Held Reader. ACS Sens 2021; 6:3564-3574. [PMID: 34606243 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.1c00603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) has found widespread applications in molecular diagnosis of various diseases owing to its sensitive single-molecule detection capability. However, the existing dPCR platforms rely on the auxiliary procedure to disperse DNA samples, which needs complicated operation, expensive apparatus, and consumables. Besides, the complex and costly dPCR readers also impede the applications of dPCR for point-of-care testing (POCT). Herein, we developed a portable digital loop-mediated isothermal amplification (dLAMP) platform, integrating a microscale hydrogel (microgel) array chip for sample partition, a miniaturized heater for DNA amplification, and a hand-held reader for digital readout. In the platform, the chip with thousands of isolated microgels holds the capability of self-absorption and partition of DNA samples, thus avoiding auxiliary equipment and professional personnel operations. Using the integrated dLAMP platform, λDNA templates have been quantified with a good linear detection range of 2-1000 copies/μL and a detection limit of 1 copy/μL. As a demonstration, the epidermal growth factor receptor L858R gene mutation, a crucial factor for the susceptibility of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor in non-small-cell lung cancer treatment, has been accurately identified by the dLAMP platform with a spiked plasma sample. This work shows that the developed dLAMP platform provides a low-cost, facile, and user-friendly solution for the absolute quantification of DNA, showing great potential for the POCT of nucleic acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Cao
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Xiaojin Guo
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Ping Mao
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Yulin Ren
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Zedong Li
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Minli You
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Jie Hu
- Suzhou DiYinAn Biotechnology Company Ltd., Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Miao Tian
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Chunyan Yao
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Fei Li
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Feng Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
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11
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Mandsberg NK, Højgaard J, Joshi SS, Nielsen LH, Boisen A, Hwu ET. Consumer-Grade Inkjet Printer for Versatile and Precise Chemical Deposition. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:7786-7794. [PMID: 33778290 PMCID: PMC7992151 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c00282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Two simple, mechanical modifications are introduced to a consumer-grade inkjet printer to greatly increase its applicability. First, roller isolation bars are added to unlock multiple prints on the same substrate without smearing. This enables printing on a diverse set of substrates (rigid, elastic, liquid, granular, and sticky). Second, spring loadings are added to increase the print precision up to 50-fold, which facilitates alignment to a pre-patterned substrate or between successive prints. Utilizing the expanded substrate compatibility and the increased print precision, we explore tunable loading of drug combinations into microdevices. This loading method has promising applications within point-of-care personalized medication. Furthermore, we show how inkjet printers with array-type printheads (in our case, 6 x 90 nozzles) allow for quasi-simultaneous loading of reactants into microfluidic systems. The ability to do a quasi-simultaneous introduction of chemicals may be particularly useful for studies of rapidly reacting systems of three or more reactants, where premature introduction can shift the initial conditions from the intended. We believe that our modifications to an affordable system will inspire researchers to explore the possibilities of inkjet printing even further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaj Kofoed Mandsberg
- Center for Intelligent Drug
Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics (IDUN),
Department of Health Technology, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jesper Højgaard
- Center for Intelligent Drug
Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics (IDUN),
Department of Health Technology, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Shreya Suhas Joshi
- Center for Intelligent Drug
Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics (IDUN),
Department of Health Technology, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Line Hagner Nielsen
- Center for Intelligent Drug
Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics (IDUN),
Department of Health Technology, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anja Boisen
- Center for Intelligent Drug
Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics (IDUN),
Department of Health Technology, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - En Te Hwu
- Center for Intelligent Drug
Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics (IDUN),
Department of Health Technology, Technical
University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
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12
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Li X, Liu B, Pei B, Chen J, Zhou D, Peng J, Zhang X, Jia W, Xu T. Inkjet Bioprinting of Biomaterials. Chem Rev 2020; 120:10793-10833. [PMID: 32902959 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 225] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The inkjet technique has the capability of generating droplets in the picoliter volume range, firing thousands of times in a few seconds and printing in the noncontact manner. Since its emergence, inkjet technology has been widely utilized in the publishing industry for printing of text and pictures. As the technology developed, its applications have been expanded from two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) and even used to fabricate components of electronic devices. At the end of the twentieth century, researchers were aware of the potential value of this technology in life sciences and tissue engineering because its picoliter-level printing unit is suitable for depositing biological components. Currently inkjet technology has been becoming a practical tool in modern medicine serving for drug development, scaffold building, and cell depositing. In this article, we first review the history, principles and different methods of developing this technology. Next, we focus on the recent achievements of inkjet printing in the biological field. Inkjet bioprinting of generic biomaterials, biomacromolecules, DNAs, and cells and their major applications are introduced in order of increasing complexity. The current limitations/challenges and corresponding solutions of this technology are also discussed. A new concept, biopixels, is put forward with a combination of the key characteristics of inkjet printing and basic biological units to bring a comprehensive view on inkjet-based bioprinting. Finally, a roadmap of the entire 3D bioprinting is depicted at the end of this review article, clearly demonstrating the past, present, and future of 3D bioprinting and our current progress in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinda Li
- Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Boxun Liu
- Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute (TBSI), Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Ben Pei
- Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianwei Chen
- Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute (TBSI), Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China.,East China Institute of Digital Medical Engineering, Shangrao 334000, People's Republic of China
| | - Dezhi Zhou
- Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiayi Peng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinzhi Zhang
- Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Wang Jia
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Xu
- Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.,Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute (TBSI), Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
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13
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Zhu H, Zhang H, Ni S, Korabečná M, Yobas L, Neuzil P. The vision of point-of-care PCR tests for the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Trends Analyt Chem 2020; 130:115984. [PMID: 32834243 PMCID: PMC7369599 DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2020.115984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Infectious diseases, such as the most recent case of coronavirus disease 2019, have brought the prospect of point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests into the spotlight. A rapid, accurate, low-cost, and easy-to-use test in the field could stop epidemics before they develop into full-blown pandemics. Unfortunately, despite all the advances, it still does not exist. Here, we critically review the limited number of prototypes demonstrated to date that is based on a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and has come close to fulfill this vision. We summarize the requirements for the POC-PCR tests and then go on to discuss the PCR product-detection methods, the integration of their functional components, the potential applications, and other practical issues related to the implementation of lab-on-a-chip technologies. We conclude our review with a discussion of the latest findings on nucleic acid-based diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanliang Zhu
- Department of Microsystem Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Road, Xi'an, 710072 Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Haoqing Zhang
- Department of Microsystem Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Road, Xi'an, 710072 Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Sheng Ni
- Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, S.A.R., PR China
| | - Marie Korabečná
- Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Albertov 4, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Levent Yobas
- Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, S.A.R., PR China,Corresponding author
| | - Pavel Neuzil
- Department of Microsystem Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Road, Xi'an, 710072 Shaanxi, PR China,CEITEC Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 123, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic,Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communications, Brno University of Technology, Technická 3058/10, 616 00 Brno, Czech Republic,Corresponding author. Department of Microsystem Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 West Youyi Road, Xi'an, 710072 Shaanxi, PR China
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14
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Kuang M, Wu L, Huang Z, Wang J, Zhang X, Song Y. Inkjet Printing of a Micro/Nanopatterned Surface to Serve as Microreactor Arrays. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:30962-30971. [PMID: 32515181 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c07066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Microreactors are of great importance for chemical reaction screening, nanoparticle synthesis, protein crystallization, DNA detection, organic synthesis, etc. Here, we reported an effective, flexible, and low-cost method for fabricating microreactor arrays by inkjet printing technology. This strategy utilizes the controllable sliding behavior of the three-phase contact line to form hydrophilic-hydrophobic micropatterns for microreactors with sizes low to several hundreds of nanometers. Reactions in the order of 1 × 10-21 mol molecules can be realized in these microreactors, and crystallization processes can also be conducted to synthesize single crystals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minxuan Kuang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Clothing Materials R & D and Assessment, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Textile Nanofiber, School of Materials Design & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Lei Wu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Zhandong Huang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jingxia Wang
- Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interface Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Xiuqin Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Clothing Materials R & D and Assessment, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Textile Nanofiber, School of Materials Design & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yanlin Song
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
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15
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He Y, Yin J, Wu W, Liang H, Zhu F, Mu Y, Fan H, Zhang T. Rapid In Situ Photoimmobilization of a Planar Droplet Array for Digital PCR. Anal Chem 2020; 92:8530-8535. [PMID: 32412739 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c01304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Digital PCR (dPCR) is a powerful technique capable of absolute quantification of nucleic acids with good accuracy. Droplet-based dPCR (ddPCR), among others, is one of the most important dPCR techniques. However, the surface tension-controlled droplets may suffer from fusion/fission due to the vigorous temperature change in PCR thermal cycling. Besides, the free movement of droplets makes them unsuitable for real-time fluorescence monitoring. In this paper, we first developed a photoimmobilized planar droplet array (PIPDA) by using a photocurable polyurethane as the continuous oil phase. It is found that uniform water-in-oil droplets of various sizes can be readily generated, and more importantly, the oil phase can be rapidly solidified in just a few seconds upon exposure to UV irradiation. This process will leave the droplets immobilized in the accommodation chamber as a stable planar array and, thus, effectively prevent the movement, coalescence, and breakup of droplets. In addition, a novel multilayered chip design has been proposed, which can thoroughly overcome the evaporation issue that commonly exists in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based dPCR chips. With these two innovations, the ddPCR experiment could be performed in a robust manner, and shows a promising potential in the development of real-time ddPCR technique. These features may therefore enable the wide application of PIPDA-based ddPCR in various fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu He
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Juxin Yin
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Wenshuai Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Hongxiao Liang
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Futianchun Zhu
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Ying Mu
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.,College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Hongliang Fan
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Hygiene, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou 310013, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
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16
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Barui S, Saunders RE, Naskar S, Basu B, Derby B. Acoustic Poration and Dynamic Healing of Mammalian Cell Membranes during Inkjet Printing. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2019; 6:749-757. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.9b01635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Srimanta Barui
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
- Laboratory for Biomaterials and Translational Center on Biomaterials for Orthopedic and Dental Applications, Materials Research Centre, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Rachel E. Saunders
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Sharmistha Naskar
- Laboratory for Biomaterials and Translational Center on Biomaterials for Orthopedic and Dental Applications, Materials Research Centre, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Bikramjit Basu
- Laboratory for Biomaterials and Translational Center on Biomaterials for Orthopedic and Dental Applications, Materials Research Centre, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Brian Derby
- School of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
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17
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Shams Khorrami A, Rezai P. Oscillating dispersed-phase co-flow microfluidic droplet generation: jet length reduction effect. SOFT MATTER 2018; 14:9870-9876. [PMID: 30474087 DOI: 10.1039/c8sm02098a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Microdroplet generation methods are assessed by two important criteria of droplet throughput and size dispersity. The widely-used co-flow droplet generation technique is bottlenecked with droplet polydispersity at high throughputs due to transition to an unstable jetting regime at high dispersed-phase (d-phase) flow rates. In this paper, we introduce a novel technique to oscillate the d-phase nozzle inside the continuous phase (c-phase) channel to suppress the jetting effect. The effect of the nozzle oscillation frequency (0-15 Hz) on the jet length was studied at different d-phase (Qd = 1.8, 2.4 and 3.0 ml min-1) and c-phase (Qc = 6, 12 and 18 ml min-1) flow rates and d-phase viscosities (1, 2.5, and 6 mPa s). The jet length was directly proportional to the d-phase flow rate and inversely proportional to the oscillation frequency. Oscillation-induced jet length reduction was more significant at high jet velocities, but a less steep jet length reduction was always observed at oscillation frequencies higher than 10 Hz. A maximum jet length reduction of 70.8% was obtained at the highest d-phase and lowest c-phase flow rates. Increasing the viscosity of the d-phase resulted in diminishing the effect of oscillation on jet length reduction. Moreover, we observed that nozzle oscillation could disintegrate the long jet into droplets of various sizes that were mostly smaller than the stationary-mode droplets. We hypothesize that oscillating the dispersion nozzle at lower flow rates, without the jetting effect, can simultaneously generate multi-size monodisperse droplets. This active technique can also be implemented into aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) in which droplet generation is a difficult task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Shams Khorrami
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, York University, BRG 433B, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada.
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18
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Sreejith KR, Ooi CH, Jin J, Dao DV, Nguyen NT. Digital polymerase chain reaction technology - recent advances and future perspectives. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:3717-3732. [PMID: 30402632 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00990b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) technology has remained a "hot topic" in the last two decades due to its potential applications in cell biology, genetic engineering, and medical diagnostics. Various advanced techniques have been reported on sample dispersion, thermal cycling and output monitoring of digital PCR. However, a fully automated, low-cost and handheld digital PCR platform has not been reported in the literature. This paper attempts to critically evaluate the recent developments in techniques for sample dispersion, thermal cycling and output evaluation for dPCR. The techniques are discussed in terms of hardware simplicity, portability, cost-effectiveness and suitability for automation. The present paper also discusses the research gaps observed in each step of dPCR and concludes with possible improvements toward portable, low-cost and automatic digital PCR systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamalalayam Rajan Sreejith
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, 4111 Queensland, Australia.
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19
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Sun Y, Song W, Sun X, Zhang S. Inkjet-Printing Patterned Chip on Sticky Superhydrophobic Surface for High-Efficiency Single-Cell Array Trapping and Real-Time Observation of Cellular Apoptosis. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:31054-31060. [PMID: 30148358 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b10703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell assays have broad applications in cellular studies, tissue engineering, fundamental studies of cell-cell interactions, and understanding of cell-to-cell variations. Most existing methods for micron-sized cell patterning are still based on lithography-based microfabrication process. Thus, exploiting new mask-free strategies while maintaining high-precision single-cell patterning is still a great challenge. Here, we presented a facile, low-cost, and mask-free approach for constructing high-resolution patterning on sticky superhydrophobic (SH) substrates based on inkjet printing with ordinary precision. In this work, the SH surface with both high contact angle and relatively high contact angle hysteresis can not only obtain high-resolution spots but also avoid droplets bouncing behavior. We improved the feature size of printed protein spots as small as 4 μm, which is much smaller than protein spots used for single-cell trapping. Moreover, with the assistance of a narrow microchannel, the inkjet-printing patterned chip with fibronectin ink allows for fast and high-efficiency trapping of multiple single-cell arrays. Using this method, single-cell occupancy could reach approximately 81% within 30 min on subcellular-sized patterning chip, and there was no significant effect on cell viability. As a proof of concept, this chip has been applied to study the real-time apoptosis of single cells and demonstrated the potential in cells' heterogeneity analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingnan Sun
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Detection Technology for Tumor Makers, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Linyi University , Linyi , Shandong 276005 , P. R. China
| | - Wenhua Song
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Detection Technology for Tumor Makers, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Linyi University , Linyi , Shandong 276005 , P. R. China
| | - Xiaohan Sun
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Detection Technology for Tumor Makers, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Linyi University , Linyi , Shandong 276005 , P. R. China
| | - Shusheng Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Detection Technology for Tumor Makers, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Linyi University , Linyi , Shandong 276005 , P. R. China
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20
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Zhang J, Chen F, He Z, Ma Y, Uchiyama K, Lin JM. A novel approach for precisely controlled multiple cell patterning in microfluidic chips by inkjet printing and the detection of drug metabolism and diffusion. Analyst 2018; 141:2940-7. [PMID: 27045202 DOI: 10.1039/c6an00395h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this work we report the use of inkjet printing as a precise and convenient means for microscale cell patterning in microfluidic chips followed by cell co-culture, stimulation and analysis. A self-made inkjet printing device was manufactured with adjustable parameters, which was capable of multiple cell printing within biocompatible materials. Sodium alginate was used as a printing matrix for cell encapsulation, and precisely distributed cell arrays on glass slides were obtained by accurate software controlled printing. By covering a PDMS layer with the corresponding microchannels onto the cell array substrate and subsequently injecting an ion cross-linking reagent, the cells containing alginate arrays gelated immediately and were immobilized on the bottom of the microchip, which could be utilized for cell culture and analysis. HepG2 cells and U251 cells were successfully co-patterned in the microchip and used for drug metabolism and diffusion experiment to imitate the in vivo situation, as a means to ascertain the capability of the system for precise microscale cell patterning in a microchip. The prodrug tegafur was metabolized by HepG2 cells into the active anticancer compound 5-fluorouracil and this produced an adverse gradient effect on U251 cells according to the distance from the HepG2 cells. The developed approach presented a feasible way to integrate inkjet cell printing and microfluidic chips for the first time, which is proved to be capable of spatially controlled printing of multiple kinds of cells into a microchip for cell culture, stimulation and analysis, which could be applied to tissue engineering, drug testing and related areas. We envision that the approach will help significantly increase the cell patterning efficacy in microfluidic chips as well as reduce the extent of laborious experimental work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Fengming Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Ziyi He
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Yuan Ma
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Katsumi Uchiyama
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minamiohsawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Jin-Ming Lin
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. and Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in University of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
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21
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Mao Y, Pan Y, Li X, Li B, Chu J, Pan T. High-precision digital droplet pipetting enabled by a plug-and-play microfluidic pipetting chip. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:2720-2729. [PMID: 30014071 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00505b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Emerging demands for handling minute liquid samples and reagents have been constantly growing in a wide variety of medical and biological areas. This calls for low-volume and high-precision liquid handling solutions with ease-of-use and portability. In this article, a new digital droplet pipetting method is introduced for the first time, derived from the microfluidic impact printing principle. Configured as a conventional handheld pipette, the prototype device consists of a plug-and-play and disposable microfluidic pipetting chip, driven by a programmable electromagnetic actuator for on-demand dispensing of nanoliter droplets. In particular, the impact-driven microfluidic pipetting chip, in place of the traditional disposable pipette tips, offers both liquid loading and droplet generation. The printing nozzle has been micro-fabricated using a femtosecond laser with a super-hydrophobic structure, in order to minimize the dispensing residues. As a result of the high-precision droplet dispensing principle, the variations of the dispensed volume have been successfully reduced from 49.5% to 0.6% at 0.1 μL, as compared to its commercial counterparts. A proof-of-concept study for concentration dilution and quantitative analysis of cell drug resistance has been carried out by using the digital droplet pipetting system, demonstrating its potential in a broad range of biomedical applications which require both high precision and low-volume processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Mao
- Department of Precision Machinery & Precision Instrumentation, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
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22
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Hassanzadeh-Barforoushi A, Law AMK, Hejri A, Asadnia M, Ormandy CJ, Gallego-Ortega D, Ebrahimi Warkiani M. Static droplet array for culturing single live adherent cells in an isolated chemical microenvironment. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:2156-2166. [PMID: 29922784 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00403j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
We present here a new method to easily and reliably generate an array of hundreds of dispersed nanoliter-volume semi-droplets for single-cells culture and analysis. The liquid segmentation step occurs directly in indexed traps by a tweezer-like mechanism and is stabilized by spatial confinement. Unlike common droplet-based techniques, the semi-droplet wets its surrounding trap walls thus supporting the culturing of both adherent and non-adherent cells. To eliminate cross-droplet cell migration and chemical cross-talk each semi-droplet is separated from a nearby trap by an ∼80 pL air plug. The overall setup and injection procedure takes less than 10 minutes, is insensitive to fabrication defects and supports cell recovery for downstream analysis. The method offers a new approach to easily capture, image and culture single cells in a chemically isolated microenvironment as a preliminary step towards high-throughput single-cell assays.
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23
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Chatzimichail S, Supramaniam P, Ces O, Salehi-Reyhani A. Counting Proteins in Single Cells with Addressable Droplet Microarrays. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 30035757 DOI: 10.3791/56110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Often cellular behavior and cellular responses are analyzed at the population level where the responses of many cells are pooled together as an average result masking the rich single cell behavior within a complex population. Single cell protein detection and quantification technologies have made a remarkable impact in recent years. Here we describe a practical and flexible single cell analysis platform based on addressable droplet microarrays. This study describes how the absolute copy numbers of target proteins may be measured with single cell resolution. The tumor suppressor p53 is the most commonly mutated gene in human cancer, with more than 50% of total cancer cases exhibiting a non-healthy p53 expression pattern. The protocol describes steps to create 10 nL droplets within which single human cancer cells are isolated and the copy number of p53 protein is measured with single molecule resolution to precisely determine the variability in expression. The method may be applied to any cell type including primary material to determine the absolute copy number of any target proteins of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Oscar Ces
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London
| | - Ali Salehi-Reyhani
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London;
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24
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Mandsberg NK, Hansen O, Taboryski R. Generation of micro-droplet arrays by dip-coating of biphilic surfaces; the dependence of entrained droplet volume on withdrawal velocity. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12794. [PMID: 28986533 PMCID: PMC5630605 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12658-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Droplet array chips were realized using an alignment-free fabrication process in silicon. The chips were textured with a homogeneous nano-scale surface roughness but were partially covered with a self-assembled monolayer of perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS), resulting in a super-biphilic surface. When submerged in water and withdrawn again, microliter sized droplets are formed due to pinning of water on the hydrophilic spots. The entrained droplet volumes were investigated under variation of spot size and withdrawal velocity. Two regimes of droplet formation were revealed: at low speeds, the droplet volume achieved finite values even for vanishing speeds, while at higher speeds the volume was governed by fluid inertia. A simple 2D boundary layer model describes the behavior at high speeds well. Entrained droplet volume could be altered, post-fabrication, by more than a factor of 15, which opens up for more applications of the dip-coating technique due to the significant increase in versatility of the micro-droplet array platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaj Kofoed Mandsberg
- Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ole Hansen
- Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Rafael Taboryski
- Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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Wang C, Liu W, Tan M, Sun H, Yu Y. An open-pattern droplet-in-oil planar array for single cell analysis based on sequential inkjet printing technology. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2017; 11:044106. [PMID: 28794816 PMCID: PMC5519398 DOI: 10.1063/1.4995294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Cellular heterogeneity represents a fundamental principle of cell biology for which a readily available single-cell research tool is urgently required. Here, we present a novel method combining cell-sized well arrays with sequential inkjet printing. Briefly, K562 cells with phosphate buffer saline buffer were captured at high efficiency (74.5%) in a cell-sized well as a "primary droplet" and sealed using fluorinated oil. Then, piezoelectric inkjet printing technology was adapted to precisely inject the cell lysis buffer and the fluorogenic substrate, fluorescein-di-β-D-galactopyranoside, as a "secondary droplet" to penetrate the sealing oil and fuse with the "primary droplet." We thereby successfully measured the intracellular β-galactosidase activity of K562 cells at the single-cell level. Our method allows, for the first time, the ability to simultaneously accommodate the high occupancy rate of single cells and sequential addition of reagents while retaining an open structure. We believe that the feasibility and flexibility of our method will enhance its use as a universal single-cell research tool as well as accelerate the adoption of inkjet printing in the study of cellular heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hongbo Sun
- State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People's Republic of China
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Garcia-Cordero JL, Fan ZH. Sessile droplets for chemical and biological assays. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:2150-2166. [PMID: 28561839 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00366h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Sessile droplets are non-movable droplets spanning volumes in the nL-to-μL range. The sessile-droplet-based platform provides a paradigm shift from the conventional, flow-based lab-on-a-chip philosophy, yet offering similar benefits: low reagent/sample consumption, high throughput, automation, and most importantly flexibility and versatility. Moreover, the platform relies less heavily on sophisticated fabrication techniques, often sufficient with a hydrophobic substrate, and no pump is required for operation. In addition, exploiting the physical phenomena that naturally arise when a droplet evaporates, such as the coffee-ring effect or Marangoni flow, can lead to fascinating applications. In this review, we introduce the physics of droplets, and then focus on the different types of chemical and biological assays that have been implemented in sessile droplets, including analyte concentration, particle separation and sorting, cell-based assays, and nucleic acid amplification. Finally, we provide our perspectives on this unique micro-scale platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose L Garcia-Cordero
- Unidad Monterrey, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Cinvestav-IPN), Via del Conocimiento 201, Parque PIIT, Apodaca, NL, CP. 66628 Mexico.
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Zhu Q, Xu Y, Qiu L, Ma C, Yu B, Song Q, Jin W, Jin Q, Liu J, Mu Y. A scalable self-priming fractal branching microchannel net chip for digital PCR. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:1655-1665. [PMID: 28418438 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00267j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
As an absolute quantification method at the single-molecule level, digital PCR has been widely used in many bioresearch fields, such as next generation sequencing, single cell analysis, gene editing detection and so on. However, existing digital PCR methods still have some disadvantages, including high cost, sample loss, and complicated operation. In this work, we develop an exquisite scalable self-priming fractal branching microchannel net digital PCR chip. This chip with a special design inspired by natural fractal-tree systems has an even distribution and 100% compartmentalization of the sample without any sample loss, which is not available in existing chip-based digital PCR methods. A special 10 nm nano-waterproof layer was created to prevent the solution from evaporating. A vacuum pre-packaging method called self-priming reagent introduction is used to passively drive the reagent flow into the microchannel nets, so that this chip can realize sequential reagent loading and isolation within a couple of minutes, which is very suitable for point-of-care detection. When the number of positive microwells stays in the range of 100 to 4000, the relative uncertainty is below 5%, which means that one panel can detect an average of 101 to 15 374 molecules by the Poisson distribution. This chip is proved to have an excellent ability for single molecule detection and quantification of low expression of hHF-MSC stem cell markers. Due to its potential for high throughput, high density, low cost, lack of sample and reagent loss, self-priming even compartmentalization and simple operation, we envision that this device will significantly expand and extend the application range of digital PCR involving rare samples, liquid biopsy detection and point-of-care detection with higher sensitivity and accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiangyuan Zhu
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber Systems and Control, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
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Inkjet automated single cells and matrices printing system for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. Talanta 2017; 162:474-478. [DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2016.10.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Revised: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Spontaneous assembly of chemically encoded two-dimensional coacervate droplet arrays by acoustic wave patterning. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13068. [PMID: 27708286 PMCID: PMC5059748 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The spontaneous assembly of chemically encoded, molecularly crowded, water-rich micro-droplets into periodic defect-free two-dimensional arrays is achieved in aqueous media by a combination of an acoustic standing wave pressure field and in situ complex coacervation. Acoustically mediated coalescence of primary droplets generates single-droplet per node micro-arrays that exhibit variable surface-attachment properties, spontaneously uptake dyes, enzymes and particles, and display spatial and time-dependent fluorescence outputs when exposed to a reactant diffusion gradient. In addition, coacervate droplet arrays exhibiting dynamical behaviour and exchange of matter are prepared by inhibiting coalescence to produce acoustically trapped lattices of droplet clusters that display fast and reversible changes in shape and spatial configuration in direct response to modulations in the acoustic frequencies and fields. Our results offer a novel route to the design and construction of ‘water-in-water' micro-droplet arrays with controllable spatial organization, programmable signalling pathways and higher order collective behaviour. Isolated droplets can be used as micro-reactors, yet it is challenging to operate them functionally in solution and observe chemical exchanges between droplets. Here, Tian et al. use an acoustic trap to assemble water-based micro-droplets into periodic arrays, spontaneously separated from solution media.
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Cao L, Cui X, Hu J, Li Z, Choi JR, Yang Q, Lin M, Ying Hui L, Xu F. Advances in digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) and its emerging biomedical applications. Biosens Bioelectron 2016; 90:459-474. [PMID: 27818047 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2016.09.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Since the invention of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 1985, PCR has played a significant role in molecular diagnostics for genetic diseases, pathogens, oncogenes and forensic identification. In the past three decades, PCR has evolved from end-point PCR, through real-time PCR, to its current version, which is the absolute quantitive digital PCR (dPCR). In this review, we first discuss the principles of all key steps of dPCR, i.e., sample dispersion, amplification, and quantification, covering commercialized apparatuses and other devices still under lab development. We highlight the advantages and disadvantages of different technologies based on these steps, and discuss the emerging biomedical applications of dPCR. Finally, we provide a glimpse of the existing challenges and future perspectives for dPCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Cao
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Xingye Cui
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Jie Hu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Zedong Li
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Jane Ru Choi
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Qingzhen Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Min Lin
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Li Ying Hui
- Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Space Medicine Fundamentals and Application, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing 100094, PR China
| | - Feng Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China.
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Picoliter Well Array Chip-Based Digital Recombinase Polymerase Amplification for Absolute Quantification of Nucleic Acids. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153359. [PMID: 27074005 PMCID: PMC4830604 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Absolute, precise quantification methods expand the scope of nucleic acids research and have many practical applications. Digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) is a powerful method for nucleic acid detection and absolute quantification. However, it requires thermal cycling and accurate temperature control, which are difficult in resource-limited conditions. Accordingly, isothermal methods, such as recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), are more attractive. We developed a picoliter well array (PWA) chip with 27,000 consistently sized picoliter reactions (314 pL) for isothermal DNA quantification using digital RPA (dRPA) at 39°C. Sample loading using a scraping liquid blade was simple, fast, and required small reagent volumes (i.e., <20 μL). Passivating the chip surface using a methoxy-PEG-silane agent effectively eliminated cross-contamination during dRPA. Our creative optical design enabled wide-field fluorescence imaging in situ and both end-point and real-time analyses of picoliter wells in a 6-cm2 area. It was not necessary to use scan shooting and stitch serial small images together. Using this method, we quantified serial dilutions of a Listeria monocytogenes gDNA stock solution from 9 × 10-1 to 4 × 10-3 copies per well with an average error of less than 11% (N = 15). Overall dRPA-on-chip processing required less than 30 min, which was a 4-fold decrease compared to dPCR, requiring approximately 2 h. dRPA on the PWA chip provides a simple and highly sensitive method to quantify nucleic acids without thermal cycling or precise micropump/microvalve control. It has applications in fast field analysis and critical clinical diagnostics under resource-limited settings.
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HE QD, HUANG DP, HUANG G, CHEN ZG. Advance in Research of Microfluidic Polymerase Chain Reaction Chip. CHINESE JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/s1872-2040(16)60921-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Bergeron S, Laforte V, Lo PS, Li H, Juncker D. Evaluating mixtures of 14 hygroscopic additives to improve antibody microarray performance. Anal Bioanal Chem 2015; 407:8451-62. [PMID: 26345442 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-015-8992-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2015] [Revised: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Microarrays allow the miniaturization and multiplexing of biological assays while only requiring minute amounts of samples. As a consequence of the small volumes used for spotting and the assays, evaporation often deteriorates the quality, reproducibility of spots, and the overall assay performance. Glycerol is commonly added to antibody microarray printing buffers to decrease evaporation; however, it often decreases the binding of antibodies to the surface, thereby negatively affecting assay sensitivity. Here, combinations of 14 hygroscopic chemicals were used as additives to printing buffers for contact-printed antibody microarrays on four different surface chemistries. The ability of the additives to suppress evaporation was quantified by measuring the residual buffer volume in open quill pins over time. The seven best additives were then printed either individually or as a 1:1 mixture of two additives, and the homogeneity, intensity, and reproducibility of both the spotted protein and of a fluorescently labeled analyte in an assay were quantified. Among the 28 combinations on the four slides, many were found to outperform glycerol, and the best additive mixtures were further evaluated by changing the ratio of the two additives. We observed that the optimal additive mixture was dependent on the slide chemistry, and that it was possible to increase the binding of antibodies to the surface threefold compared to 50 % glycerol, while decreasing whole-slide coefficient of variation to 5.9 %. For the two best slides, improvements were made for both the limit of detection (1.6× and 5.9×, respectively) and the quantification range (1.2× and 2.1×, respectively). The additive mixtures identified here thus help improve assay reproducibility and performance, and might be beneficial to all types of microarrays that suffer from evaporation of the printing buffers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Bergeron
- McGill University & Genome Quebec Innovation Centre, McGill University, 740 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 0G1
- Biomedical Engineering Department, McGill University, 3775 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 2B4
| | - Veronique Laforte
- McGill University & Genome Quebec Innovation Centre, McGill University, 740 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 0G1
- Biomedical Engineering Department, McGill University, 3775 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 2B4
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Department, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 2B4
| | - Pik-Shan Lo
- McGill University & Genome Quebec Innovation Centre, McGill University, 740 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 0G1
- Biomedical Engineering Department, McGill University, 3775 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 2B4
| | - Huiyan Li
- McGill University & Genome Quebec Innovation Centre, McGill University, 740 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 0G1
- Biomedical Engineering Department, McGill University, 3775 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 2B4
| | - David Juncker
- McGill University & Genome Quebec Innovation Centre, McGill University, 740 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 0G1.
- Biomedical Engineering Department, McGill University, 3775 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 2B4.
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Department, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 2B4.
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Li B, Fan J, Li J, Chu J, Pan T. Piezoelectric-driven droplet impact printing with an interchangeable microfluidic cartridge. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2015; 9:054101. [PMID: 26392833 PMCID: PMC4560724 DOI: 10.1063/1.4928298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic impact printing has been recently introduced, utilizing its nature of simple device architecture, low cost, non-contamination, and scalable multiplexability and high throughput. In this paper, we have introduced an impact-based droplet printing platform utilizing a simple plug-and-play microfluidic cartridge driven by piezoelectric actuators. Such a customizable printing system allows for ultrafine control of droplet volume from picoliters (∼23 pl) to nanoliters (∼10 nl), a 500 fold variation. The high flexibility of droplet generation can be simply achieved by controlling the magnitude of actuation (e.g., driving voltage) and the waveform shape of actuation pulses, in addition to nozzle size restrictions. Detailed printing characterizations on these parameters have been conducted consecutively. A multiplexed impact printing system has been prototyped and demonstrated to provide the functions of single-droplet jetting and droplet multiplexing as well as concentration gradient generation. Moreover, a generic biological assay has also been tested and validated on this printing platform. Therefore, the microfluidic droplet printing system could be of potential value to establish multiplexed micro reactors for high-throughput life science applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jinzhen Fan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California , Davis 95616, USA
| | - Jiannan Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California , Davis 95616, USA
| | - Jiaru Chu
- Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China , Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Tingrui Pan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California , Davis 95616, USA
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Sun Y, Chen X, Zhou X, Zhu J, Yu Y. Droplet-in-oil array for picoliter-scale analysis based on sequential inkjet printing. LAB ON A CHIP 2015; 15:2429-36. [PMID: 25904463 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc00356c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, inkjet printing, as a new method to fabricate microdroplet microarrays, has been increasingly applied in the field of biochemical diagnostics. To further improve the general applicability of the inkjet printing technology in fabricating biochemical chips, in this work, we introduce a model to describe the multiple injection procedure implemented by the inkjet printing approach, with experimental verification. The multiple injection model demonstrates a new sequential inkjet printing method that generates picoliter-scale multicomponent droplet-in-oil arrays via multistep printing on uniform planar substrates. Based on our previous work on double-inkjet printing, this technique adapts the piezoelectric inkjet printing technology to fabricate an oil droplet array, into which multiple precise injections of secondary droplets with different compositions and volumes can be automatically printed in the required sequence, simultaneously addressing the evaporation issues associated with printing picoliter droplets without external assistance. In this paper, we first describe the theory and characterize the model, which account for the basic principles of sequential inkjet printing, as well as validate the design in terms of multiple injections, droplet fusion, and rapid mixing. The feasibility and effectiveness of the method are also demonstrated in a dual fluorescence assay and a β-galactosidase enzyme inhibition assay. We believe that applying the sequential inkjet printing methodology in existing inkjet printing devices will enhance their use as universal diagnostic tools as well as accelerate the adoption of inkjet printing in multistep screening experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingnan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 912, Beijing 100083, PR China.
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Hu SW, Xu BY, Ye WK, Xia XH, Chen HY, Xu JJ. Versatile microfluidic droplets array for bioanalysis. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:935-940. [PMID: 25525675 DOI: 10.1021/am5075216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We propose a novel method to obtain versatile droplets arrays on a regional hydrophilic chip that is fabricated by PDMS soft lithography and regional plasma treatment. It enables rapid liquid dispensation and droplets array formation just making the chip surface in contact with solution. By combining this chip with a special Christmas Tree structure, the droplets array with concentrations in gradient is generated. It possesses the greatly improved performance of convenience and versatility in bioscreening and biosensing. For example, high throughput condition screening of toxic tests of CdSe quantum dots on HL-60 cells are conducted and cell death rates are successfully counted quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, a rapid biosensing approach for cancer biomarkers carcinoma embryonic antigen (CEA) is developed via magnetic beads (MBs)-based sandwich immunoassay methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan-Wen Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, P.R. China
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37
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Yang J, Katagiri D, Mao S, Zeng H, Nakajima H, Uchiyama K. Generation of controlled monodisperse porous polymer particles by dipped inkjet injection. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c4ra13275k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A piezoelectric drop-on-demand (DOD) inkjet microchip with its nozzle immersed in organic phase was used to generate monodisperse porous polymer particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianmin Yang
- Department of Applied Chemistry
- Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences
- Tokyo Metropolitan University
- Hachioji
- Japan
| | - Daisuke Katagiri
- Department of Applied Chemistry
- Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences
- Tokyo Metropolitan University
- Hachioji
- Japan
| | - Sifeng Mao
- Department of Applied Chemistry
- Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences
- Tokyo Metropolitan University
- Hachioji
- Japan
| | - Hulie Zeng
- Department of Applied Chemistry
- Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences
- Tokyo Metropolitan University
- Hachioji
- Japan
| | - Hizuru Nakajima
- Department of Applied Chemistry
- Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences
- Tokyo Metropolitan University
- Hachioji
- Japan
| | - Katsumi Uchiyama
- Department of Applied Chemistry
- Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences
- Tokyo Metropolitan University
- Hachioji
- Japan
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