1
|
Wippold JA, Chu M, Renberg R, Li Y, Adams B, Han A. XPORT ENTRAP: A droplet microfluidic platform for enhanced DNA transfer between microbial species. N Biotechnol 2024; 81:10-19. [PMID: 38408724 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2024.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
A significant hurdle for the widespread implementation and use of synthetic biology is the challenge of highly efficient introduction of DNA into microorganisms. This is especially a barrier for the utilization of non-model organisms and/or novel chassis species for a variety of applications, ranging from molecular biology to biotechnology and biomanufacturing applications. Common approaches to episomal and chromosomal gene editing, which employ techniques such as chemical competence and electroporation, are typically only amenable to a small subset of microbial species while leaving the vast majority of microorganisms in nature genetically inaccessible. To address this challenge, we have employed the previously described B. subtilis broad-host conjugation strain, XPORT, which was modularly designed for loading DNA cargo and conjugating such DNA into recalcitrant microbes. In this current work, we have leveraged and adapted the XPORT strain for use in a droplet microfluidic platform to enable increased efficiency of conjugation-based DNA transfer. The system named DNA ENTRAP (DNA ENhanced TRAnsfer Platform) utilizes cell-encapsulated water-in-oil emulsion droplets as pico-liter-volume bioreactors that allows controlled contacts between the donor and receiver cells within the emulsion bioreactor. This allowed enhanced XPORT-mediated genetic transfer over the current benchtop XPORT process, demonstrated using two different Bacillus subtilis strains (donor and receiver), as well as increased throughput (e.g., number of successfully conjugated cells) due to the automated assay steps inherent to microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems. DNA ENTRAP paves the way for a streamlined automation of culturing and XPORT-mediated genetic transfer processes as well as future high-throughput cell engineering and screening applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Wippold
- United States Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory - DEVCOM ARL, Adelphi, MD, USA
| | - Monica Chu
- United States Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory - DEVCOM ARL, Adelphi, MD, USA
| | - Rebecca Renberg
- United States Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory - DEVCOM ARL, Adelphi, MD, USA
| | - Yuwen Li
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, USA
| | - Bryn Adams
- United States Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory - DEVCOM ARL, Adelphi, MD, USA.
| | - Arum Han
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bartkova S, Zapotoczna M, Sanka I, Scheler O. A Guide to Biodetection in Droplets. Anal Chem 2024; 96:9745-9755. [PMID: 38842026 PMCID: PMC11190884 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Droplet-based methods for optical biodetection enable unprecedented high-throughput experimental parameters. The methods, however, remain underused due to the accompanying multidisciplinary and complicated experimental workflows. Here, we provide a tutorial for droplet-based optical biodetection workflows with a focus on the key aspect of label selection. By discussing and guiding readers through recent state-of-the-art studies, we aim to make droplet-based approaches more accessible to the general scientific public.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simona Bartkova
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), Akadeemia tee 15, Tallinn 12618, Estonia
| | - Marta Zapotoczna
- Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Immanuel Sanka
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), Akadeemia tee 15, Tallinn 12618, Estonia
| | - Ott Scheler
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), Akadeemia tee 15, Tallinn 12618, Estonia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Chrysanthou A, Bosch-Fortea M, Nadal C, Zarbakhsh A, Gautrot JE. Interfacial mechanics of β-casein and albumin mixed protein assemblies at liquid-liquid interfaces. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 674:379-391. [PMID: 38941932 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.06.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Protein emulsifiers play an important role in formulation science, from food product development to emerging applications in biotechnologies. The impact of mixed protein assemblies on surface composition and interfacial shear mechanics remains broadly unexplored, in comparison to the impact that formulation has on dilatational mechanics and surface tension or pressure. In this report, we use interfacial shear rheology to quantify the evolution of interfacial shear moduli as a function of composition in bovine serum albumin (BSA)/β-casein mixed assemblies. We present the pronounced difference in mechanics of these two protein, at oil interfaces, and observe the dominance of β-casein in regulating interfacial shear mechanics. This observation correlates well with the strong asymmetry of adsorption of these two proteins, characterised by fluorescence microscopy. Using neutron reflectometry and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, we examine the architecture of corresponding protein assemblies and their surface diffusion, providing evidence for distinct morphologies, but surprisingly comparable diffusion profiles. Finally, we explore the impact of crosslinking and sequential protein adsorption on the interfacial shear mechanics of corresponding assemblies. Overall, this work indicates that, despite comparable surface densities, BSA and β-casein assemblies at liquid-liquid interfaces display almost 2 orders of magnitude difference in interfacial shear storage modulus and markedly different viscoelastic profiles. In addition, co-adsorption and sequential adsorption processes are found to further modulate interfacial shear mechanics. Beyond formulation science, the understanding of complex mixed protein assemblies and mechanics may have implications for the stability of emulsions and may underpin changes in the mechanical strength of corresponding interfaces, for example in tissue culture or in physiological conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Chrysanthou
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Minerva Bosch-Fortea
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Clemence Nadal
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Ali Zarbakhsh
- School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, E1 4NS London, United Kingdom
| | - Julien E Gautrot
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Leal-Alves C, Deng Z, Kermeci N, Shih SCC. Integrating microfluidics and synthetic biology: advancements and diverse applications across organisms. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2834-2860. [PMID: 38712893 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc01090b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic biology is the design and modification of biological systems for specific functions, integrating several disciplines like engineering, genetics, and computer science. The field of synthetic biology is to understand biological processes within host organisms through the manipulation and regulation of their genetic pathways and the addition of biocontrol circuits to enhance their production capabilities. This pursuit serves to address global challenges spanning diverse domains that are difficult to tackle through conventional routes of production. Despite its impact, achieving precise, dynamic, and high-throughput manipulation of biological processes is still challenging. Microfluidics offers a solution to those challenges, enabling controlled fluid handling at the microscale, offering lower reagent consumption, faster analysis of biochemical reactions, automation, and high throughput screening. In this review, we diverge from conventional focus on automating the synthetic biology design-build-test-learn cycle, and instead, focus on microfluidic platforms and their role in advancing synthetic biology through its integration with host organisms - bacterial cells, yeast, fungi, animal cells - and cell-free systems. The review illustrates how microfluidic devices have been instrumental in understanding biological systems by showcasing microfluidics as an essential tool to create synthetic genetic circuits, pathways, and organisms within controlled environments. In conclusion, we show how microfluidics expedite synthetic biology applications across diverse domains including but not limited to personalized medicine, bioenergy, and agriculture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Leal-Alves
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1515 Ste-Catherine St. W, Montréal, QC, H3G1M8 Canada
| | - Zhiyang Deng
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1515 Ste-Catherine St. W, Montréal, QC, H3G1M8 Canada
| | - Natalia Kermeci
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada.
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada
| | - Steve C C Shih
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1515 Ste-Catherine St. W, Montréal, QC, H3G1M8 Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, QC, H4B1R6 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gao F, Rafiq M, Cong H, Yu B, Shen Y. Current research status and development prospects of embolic microspheres containing biological macromolecules and others. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 267:131494. [PMID: 38608974 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Transcatheter arterial embolization (TACE) has been used in the treatment of malignant tumors, sudden hemorrhage, uterine fibroids, and other diseases, and with advances in imaging techniques and devices, materials science, and drug release technology, more and more embolic agents that are drug-carrying, self-imaging, or have multiple functions are being developed. Microspheres provide safer and more effective therapeutic results as embolic agents, with their unique spherical appearance and good embolic properties. Embolic microspheres are the key to arterial embolization, blocking blood flow and nutrient supply to the tumor target. This review summarizes some of the currently published embolic microspheres, classifies embolic microspheres according to matrix, and summarizes the characteristics of the microsphere materials, the current status of research, directions, and the value of existing and potential applications. It provides a direction to promote the development of embolic microspheres towards multifunctionalization, and provides a reference to promote the research and application of embolic microspheres in the treatment of tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fengyuan Gao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Biomedical Materials and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Muhammad Rafiq
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Biomedical Materials and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Hailin Cong
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Biomedical Materials and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; State Key Laboratory of Bio-Fibers and Eco-Textiles, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China.
| | - Bing Yu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Biomedical Materials and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; State Key Laboratory of Bio-Fibers and Eco-Textiles, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China.
| | - Youqing Shen
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute of Biomedical Materials and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Center for Bionanoengineering, and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lei X, Ye W, Safdarin F, Baghaei S. Microfluidics devices for sports: A review on technology for biomedical application used in fields such as biomedicine, drug encapsulation, preparation of nanoparticles, cell targeting, analysis, diagnosis, and cell culture. Tissue Cell 2024; 87:102339. [PMID: 38432127 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2024.102339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Microfluidics is an interdisciplinary field that combines knowledge from various disciplines, including biology, chemistry, sports medicine, fluid dynamics, kinetic biomechanics, and microelectronics, to manipulate and control fluids and particles in micron-scale channels and chambers. These channels and chambers can be fabricated using different materials and methods to achieve various geometries and shapes. Microfluidics has numerous biomedical applications, such as drug encapsulation, nanoparticle preparation, cell targeting, analysis, diagnosis, and treatment of sports injuries in both professional and non-professional athletes. It can also be used in other fields, such as biological analysis, chemical synthesis, optics, and acceleration in the treatment of critical sports injuries. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of microfluidic technology, including its fabrication methods, current platform materials, and its applications in sports medicine. Biocompatible, biodegradable, and semi-crystalline polymers with unique mechanical and thermal properties are one of the promising materials in microfluidic technology. Despite the numerous advantages of microfluidic technology, further research and development are necessary. Although the technology offers benefits such as ease of operation and cost efficiency, it is still in its early stages. In conclusion, this review emphasizes the potential of microfluidic technology and highlights the need for continued research to fully exploit its potential in the biomedical field and sport applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuehui Lei
- Graduate School of Wuhan Institute of Physical Education, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Weiwu Ye
- National Traditional Sports College of Harbin Sports University, Harbin 150008, China.
| | - F Safdarin
- Mechanical Engineering Department, lslamic Azad University, Esfahan, Iran
| | - Sh Baghaei
- Mechanical Engineering Department, lslamic Azad University, Esfahan, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Qi L, Hang T, Jiang W, Li S, Zhang H, Liang X, Lei L, Bi Q, Jiang H, Li Y. Proteinaceous Microsphere-Based Water-in-Oil Pickering Emulsions for Preservation of Chlorella Cells. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:647. [PMID: 38475330 DOI: 10.3390/polym16050647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Microalgae are highly regarded as ideal materials for the creation of liquid biofuels and have substantial potential for growth and utilization. However, traditional storage and culture methods for microalgae are plagued by challenges such as uncontrolled growth, bacterial contamination, and self-shading among algae. These issues severely impede the photosynthetic process and the efficient extraction of biomass energy. This study tackles these problems by utilizing magnetic hydrophobic protein particles to stabilize water-in-oil Pickering emulsions. This allows for the micro-compartment storage and magnetic transfer of algae. Additionally, the successful encapsulation of Chlorella cells in high-internal-phase water-in-oil Pickering emulsions effectively mitigates the settling problem of Chlorella cells in the liquid phase, thereby enabling the potential use of Pickering emulsions for the confined cultivation of microalgae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lin Qi
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Teng Hang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Weijie Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Sinong Li
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xiang Liang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Le Lei
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Qiangqiang Bi
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Hang Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yunxing Li
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Zohouri D, Lienard-Mayor T, Obeid S, Taverna M, Mai TD. A review on hyphenation of droplet microfluidics to separation techniques: From instrumental conception to analytical applications for limited sample volumes. Anal Chim Acta 2024; 1291:342090. [PMID: 38280779 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.342090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we review various strategies to couple sample processing in microfluidic droplets with different separation techniques, including liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and capillary electrophoresis. Separation techniques interfaced with droplet microfluidics represent an emerging trend in analytical chemistry, in which micro to femtoliter droplets serve as microreactors, a bridge between analytical modules, as well as carriers of target analytes between sample treatment and separation/detection steps. This allows to overcome the hurdles encountered in separation science, notably the low degree of module integration, working volume incompatibility, and cross contamination between different operational stages. For this droplet-separation interfacing purpose, this review covers different instrumental designs from all works on this topic up to May 2023, together with our viewpoints on respective advantages and considerations. Demonstration and performance of droplet-interfaced separation strategies for limited sample volumes are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Delaram Zohouri
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut Galien Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
| | - Théo Lienard-Mayor
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut Galien Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
| | - Sameh Obeid
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut Galien Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
| | - Myriam Taverna
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut Galien Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
| | - Thanh Duc Mai
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut Galien Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Chen H, Liu R, Cai S, Zhang Y, Zhu C, Yu H, Li S. Intermediate product control in cascade reaction for one-pot production of ε-caprolactone by Escherichia coli. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2300210. [PMID: 38403458 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
ε-Caprolactone is an important non-toxic compound for polymer synthesis like polycaprolactone which has been widely used in drug delivery and degradable plastics. To meet the demand for a green economy, a bi-enzymatic cascade, consisting of an alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and a cyclohexanone monooxygenase (CHMO), was designed and introduced into Escherichia coli to synthesize ε-caprolactone from cyclohexanol with a self-sufficient NADPH-cofactor regeneration system. To further improve the catalytic efficiency, a carbonyl group-dependent colorimetric method using inexpensive 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) was developed for assay of cyclohexanone, an intermediate production of cascade reaction. It can be used to screen mutant strains with high catalytic efficiency from high-throughput library by detecting the absorbance value in microtiter plates (MTP) instead of gas chromatography (GC) analysis. Moreover, an RBS combinatorial library was constructed for balancing the expression of ADH and CHMO from two independent transcriptional units. After the high-throughput screening based on intermediate product control, an optimal variant with higher substrate tolerance and long-term stability was obtained from RBS combinatorial library. Through a fed-batch process, ε-caprolactone production reached 148.2 mM after 70 h of reaction under the optimized conditions, which was the highest yield achieved to date.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hefeng Chen
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ran Liu
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shengliang Cai
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingjiao Zhang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chaoyi Zhu
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hao Yu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuang Li
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Meshram S, Adhikari TB. Microbiome-Mediated Strategies to Manage Major Soil-Borne Diseases of Tomato. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:364. [PMID: 38337897 PMCID: PMC10856849 DOI: 10.3390/plants13030364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is consumed globally as a fresh vegetable due to its high nutritional value and antioxidant properties. However, soil-borne diseases can severely limit tomato production. These diseases, such as bacterial wilt (BW), Fusarium wilt (FW), Verticillium wilt (VW), and root-knot nematodes (RKN), can significantly reduce the yield and quality of tomatoes. Using agrochemicals to combat these diseases can lead to chemical residues, pesticide resistance, and environmental pollution. Unfortunately, resistant varieties are not yet available. Therefore, we must find alternative strategies to protect tomatoes from these soil-borne diseases. One of the most promising solutions is harnessing microbial communities that can suppress disease and promote plant growth and immunity. Recent omics technologies and next-generation sequencing advances can help us develop microbiome-based strategies to mitigate tomato soil-borne diseases. This review emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the utilization of beneficial microbiomes to mitigate soil-borne diseases and improve crop productivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Meshram
- Department of Plant Pathology, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144402, India;
| | - Tika B. Adhikari
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Patil PD, Salokhe S, Karvekar A, Suryavanshi P, Phirke AN, Tiwari MS, Nadar SS. Microfluidic based continuous enzyme immobilization: A comprehensive review. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:127358. [PMID: 37827414 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Conventional techniques for enzyme immobilization suffer from suboptimal activity recovery due to insufficient enzyme loading and inadequate stability. Furthermore, these techniques are time-consuming and involve multiple steps which limit the applicability of immobilized enzymes. In contrast, the use of microfluidic devices for enzyme immobilization has garnered significant attention due to its ability to precisely control immobilization parameters, resulting in highly active immobilized enzymes. This approach offers several advantages, including reduced time and energy consumption, enhanced mass-heat transfer, and improved control over the mixing process. It maintains the superior structural configuration in immobilized form which ultimately affects the overall efficiency. The present review article comprehensively explains the design, construction, and various methods employed for enzyme immobilization using microfluidic devices. The immobilized enzymes prepared using these techniques demonstrated excellent catalytic activity, remarkable stability, and outstanding recyclability. Moreover, they have found applications in diverse areas such as biosensors, biotransformation, and bioremediation. The review article also discusses potential future developments and foresees significant challenges associated with enzyme immobilization using microfluidics, along with potential remedies. The development of this advanced technology not only paves the way for novel and innovative approaches to enzyme immobilization but also allows for the straightforward scalability of microfluidic-based techniques from an industrial standpoint.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pravin D Patil
- Department of Basic Science & Humanities, SVKM'S NMIMS Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management & Engineering, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400056, India
| | - Sakshi Salokhe
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Kolhapur Institute of Technology's College of Engineering, Kolhapur 416 234, India
| | - Aparna Karvekar
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Kolhapur Institute of Technology's College of Engineering, Kolhapur 416 234, India
| | - Prabhavati Suryavanshi
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Kolhapur Institute of Technology's College of Engineering, Kolhapur 416 234, India
| | - Ajay N Phirke
- Department of Basic Science & Humanities, SVKM'S NMIMS Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management & Engineering, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400056, India
| | - Manishkumar S Tiwari
- Department of Data Science, SVKM'S NMIMS Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management & Engineering, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400056, India
| | - Shamraja S Nadar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Matunga (E), Mumbai 400019, India.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Hoshino M, Ota Y, Suyama T, Morishita Y, Tsuneda S, Noda N. Water-in-oil droplet-mediated method for detecting and isolating infectious bacteriophage particles via fluorescent staining. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1282372. [PMID: 38125569 PMCID: PMC10731258 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1282372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are the most abundant entities on Earth. In contrast with the number of phages considered to be in existence, current phage isolation and screening methods lack throughput. Droplet microfluidic technology has been established as a platform for high-throughput screening of biological and biochemical components. In this study, we developed a proof-of-concept method for isolating phages using water-in-oil droplets (droplets) as individual chambers for phage propagation and co-cultivating T2 phage and their host cell Escherichia coli within droplets. Liquid cultivation of microbes will facilitate the use of microbes that cannot grow on or degrade agar as host cells, ultimately resulting in the acquisition of phages that infect less known bacterial cells. The compartmentalizing characteristic of droplets and the use of a fluorescent dye to stain phages simultaneously enabled the enumeration and isolation of viable phage particles. We successfully recultivated the phages after simultaneously segregating single phage particles into droplets and inoculating them with their host cells within droplets. By recovering individual droplets into 96-well plates, we were able to isolate phage clones derived from single phage particles. The success rate for phage recovery was 35.7%. This study lays the building foundations for techniques yet to be developed that will involve the isolation and rupturing of droplets and provides a robust method for phage enumeration and isolation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miu Hoshino
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yuri Ota
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, Japan
- On-chip Biotechnologies Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsushi Suyama
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, Japan
| | | | - Satoshi Tsuneda
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naohiro Noda
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, Japan
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Muta M, Kawakubo W, Yoon DH, Tanaka D, Sekiguchi T, Shoji S, Ito M, Hatada Y, Funatsu T, Iizuka R. Deformability-Based Microfluidic Microdroplet Screening to Obtain Agarolytic Bacterial Cells. Anal Chem 2023; 95:16107-16114. [PMID: 37877901 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c02174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Environmental microorganisms possess enzymes that can digest macromolecules such as agarose into smaller molecules that can be utilized for growth. These enzymes could be valuable for the effective utilization of global resources. However, since most of the microorganisms on Earth remain uncultured, there is significant untapped enzymatic potential in nature. Therefore, it is necessary to develop innovative tools and strategies for exploring these enzymatic resources. To address this, we developed a method for screening microbial cells that secrete hydrogel-degrading enzymes using deformability-based microfluidic microdroplet sorting. In this method, microbial cells are encapsulated as single cells in water-in-oil (W/O) microdroplets with a hydrogel whose shape becomes deformable as the hydrogel is progressively degraded into smaller molecules. Screening is achieved using a microfluidic device that passively sorts the deformed W/O microdroplets. Using this method, we successfully sorted agarose-containing microdroplets, encapsulating single bacterial cells that hydrolyzed agarose. This method can be used to screen various hydrogel-degrading microbial cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mikihisa Muta
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Wataru Kawakubo
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Dong Hyun Yoon
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan
| | - Daiki Tanaka
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan
| | - Tetsushi Sekiguchi
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan
| | - Shuichi Shoji
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan
| | - Mei Ito
- Department of Life Science and Green Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Saitama Institute of Technology, 1690 Fusaiji, Fukaya-shi 369-0293, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yuji Hatada
- Department of Life Science and Green Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Saitama Institute of Technology, 1690 Fusaiji, Fukaya-shi 369-0293, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takashi Funatsu
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Ryo Iizuka
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Sun L, Bian F, Xu D, Luo Y, Wang Y, Zhao Y. Tailoring biomaterials for biomimetic organs-on-chips. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2023; 10:4724-4745. [PMID: 37697735 DOI: 10.1039/d3mh00755c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Organs-on-chips are microengineered microfluidic living cell culture devices with continuously perfused chambers penetrating to cells. By mimicking the biological features of the multicellular constructions, interactions among organs, vascular perfusion, physicochemical microenvironments, and so on, these devices are imparted with some key pathophysiological function levels of living organs that are difficult to be achieved in conventional 2D or 3D culture systems. In this technology, biomaterials are extremely important because they affect the microstructures and functionalities of the organ cells and the development of the organs-on-chip functions. Thus, herein, we provide an overview on the advances of biomaterials for the construction of organs-on-chips. After introducing the general components, structures, and fabrication techniques of the biomaterials, we focus on the studies of the functions and applications of these biomaterials in the organs-on-chips systems. Applications of the biomaterial-based organs-on-chips as alternative animal models for pharmaceutical, chemical, and environmental tests are described and highlighted. The prospects for exciting future directions and the challenges of biomaterials for realizing the further functionalization of organs-on-chips are also presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lingyu Sun
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Feika Bian
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Dongyu Xu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Yuan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China.
| | - Yongan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China.
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
- Southeast University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518071, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Luu XC, Shida Y, Suzuki Y, Kuwahara D, Fujimoto T, Takahashi Y, Sato N, Nakamura A, Ogasawara W. Ultrahigh-throughput screening of Trichoderma reesei strains capable of carbon catabolite repression release and cellulase hyperproduction using a microfluidic droplet platform. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2023; 87:1393-1406. [PMID: 37550222 DOI: 10.1093/bbb/zbad108] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Trichoderma reesei is the most well-known cellulase producer in the biorefinery industry. Its cellulase biosynthesis is repressed by glucose via carbon catabolite repression (CCR), making CCR-releasing strains with cellulase hyperproduction desirable. Here, we employed a microfluidic droplet platform to culture and screen T. reesei mutants capable of CCR release and cellulase overproduction from extensive mutagenesis libraries. With 3 mutagenesis rounds, about 6.20 × 103 droplets were sorted from a population of 1.51 × 106 droplets in a period of 4.4 h; 76 recovery mutants were screened on flask fermentation, and 2 glucose uptake retarded mutants, MG-9-3 and MG-9-3-30, were eventually isolated. We also generated a hypercellulase producer, M-5, with CCR release via a single mutagenesis round. The hyphal morphology and molecular mechanisms in the mutants were analyzed. This versatile approach combined with a comprehensive understanding of CCR release mechanisms will provide innovative and effective strategies for low-cost cellulase production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Chinh Luu
- Department of Science of Technology Innovation, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yosuke Shida
- Department of Materials Science and Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Suzuki
- Department of Science of Technology Innovation, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
| | - Daiki Kuwahara
- Department of Materials Science and Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
| | - Takeshi Fujimoto
- Department of Materials Science and Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yuka Takahashi
- Department of Materials Science and Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
| | - Naomi Sato
- Department of Science of Technology Innovation, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
| | - Akihiro Nakamura
- Department of Science of Technology Innovation, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
| | - Wataru Ogasawara
- Department of Science of Technology Innovation, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
- Department of Materials Science and Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Escobar A, Diab-Liu A, Bosland K, Xu CQ. Microfluidic Device-Based Virus Detection and Quantification in Future Diagnostic Research: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic. BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:935. [PMID: 37887128 PMCID: PMC10605122 DOI: 10.3390/bios13100935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The global economic and healthcare crises experienced over the past three years, as a result of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has significantly impacted the commonplace habits of humans around the world. SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) phenomenon, has contributed to the deaths of millions of people around the world. The potential diagnostic applications of microfluidic devices have previously been demonstrated to effectively detect and quasi-quantify several different well-known viruses such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza, and SARS-CoV-2. As a result, microfluidics has been further explored as a potential alternative to our currently available rapid tests for highly virulent diseases to better combat and manage future potential outbreaks. The outbreak management during COVID-19 was initially hindered, in part, by the lack of available quantitative rapid tests capable of confirming a person's active infectiousness status. Therefore, this review will explore the use of microfluidic technology, and more specifically RNA-based virus detection methods, as an integral part of improved diagnostic capabilities and will present methods for carrying the lessons learned from COVID-19 forward, toward improved diagnostic outcomes for future pandemic-level threats. This review will first explore the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and how diagnostic technology was shown to have required even greater advancements to keep pace with the transmission of such a highly infectious virus. Secondly, the historical significance of integrating microfluidic technology in diagnostics and how the different types of genetic-based detection methods may vary in their potential practical applications. Lastly, the review will summarize the past, present, and future potential of RNA-based virus detection/diagnosis and how it might be used to better prepare for a future pandemic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andres Escobar
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Alex Diab-Liu
- Department of Engineering Physics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Kamaya Bosland
- Department of Engineering Physics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Chang-Qing Xu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
- Department of Engineering Physics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Chrysanthou A, Bosch-Fortea M, Gautrot JE. Co-Surfactant-Free Bioactive Protein Nanosheets for the Stabilization of Bioemulsions Enabling Adherent Cell Expansion. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:4465-4477. [PMID: 36683574 PMCID: PMC10565825 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Bioemulsions are attractive platforms for the scalable expansion of adherent cells and stem cells. In these systems, cell adhesion is enabled by the assembly of protein nanosheets that display high interfacial shear moduli and elasticity. However, to date, most successful systems reported to support cell adhesion at liquid substrates have been based on coassemblies of protein and reactive cosurfactants, which limit the translation of bioemulsions. In this report, we describe the design of protein nanosheets based on two globular proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and β-lactoglobulin (BLG), biofunctionalized with RGDSP peptides to enable cell adhesion. The interfacial mechanics of BSA and BLG assemblies at fluorinated liquid-water interfaces is studied by interfacial shear rheology, with and without cosurfactant acyl chloride. Conformational changes associated with globular protein assembly are studied by circular dichroism and protein densities at fluorinated interfaces are evaluated via surface plasmon resonance. Biofunctionalization mediated by sulfo-succinimidyl 4-(N-maleimidomethyl) cyclohexane-1-carboxylate (sulfo-SMCC) is studied by fluorescence microscopy. On the basis of the relatively high elasticities observed in the case of BLG nanosheets, even in the absence of cosurfactant, the adhesion and proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells and human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells on bioemulsions stabilized by RGD-functionalized protein nanosheets is studied. To account for the high cell spreading and proliferation observed at these interfaces, despite initial moderate interfacial elasticities, the deposition of fibronectin fibers at the surface of corresponding microdroplets is characterized by immunostaining and confocal microscopy. These results demonstrate the feasibility of achieving high cell proliferation on bioemulsions with protein nanosheets assembled without cosurfactants and establish strategies for rational design of scaffolding proteins enabling the stabilization of interfaces with strong shear mechanics and elasticity, as well as bioactive and cell adhesive properties. Such protein nanosheets and bioemulsions are proposed to enable the development of new generations of bioreactors for the scale up of cell manufacturing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Chrysanthou
- Institute
of Bioengineering and School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Minerva Bosch-Fortea
- Institute
of Bioengineering and School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Julien E. Gautrot
- Institute
of Bioengineering and School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Sanka I, Bartkova S, Pata P, Ernits M, Meinberg MM, Agu N, Aruoja V, Smolander OP, Scheler O. User-friendly analysis of droplet array images. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1272:341397. [PMID: 37355339 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Water-in-oil droplets allow performing massive experimental parallelization and high-throughput studies, such as single-cell experiments. However, analyzing such vast arrays of droplets usually requires advanced expertise and sophisticated workflow tools, which limits accessibility for a wider user base in the fields of chemistry and biology. Thus, there is a need for more user-friendly tools for droplet analysis. In this article, we deliver a set of analytical pipelines for user-friendly analysis of typical scenarios in droplet experiments. We built pipelines that combine various open-source image-analysis software with a custom-developed data processing tool called "EasyFlow". Our pipelines are applicable to the typical experimental scenarios that users encounter when working with droplets: i) mono- and polydisperse droplets, ii) brightfield and fluorescent images, iii) droplet and object detection, iv) signal profile of droplets and objects (e.g., fluorescence).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Immanuel Sanka
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Simona Bartkova
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Pille Pata
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Mart Ernits
- MATTER, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
| | | | - Natali Agu
- Rapla Gymnasium, Kooli 8, 79513, Rapla, Estonia
| | - Villem Aruoja
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Akadeemia tee 23, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Olli-Pekka Smolander
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia.
| | - Ott Scheler
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Trinh TND, Do HDK, Nam NN, Dan TT, Trinh KTL, Lee NY. Droplet-Based Microfluidics: Applications in Pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:937. [PMID: 37513850 PMCID: PMC10385691 DOI: 10.3390/ph16070937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Droplet-based microfluidics offer great opportunities for applications in various fields, such as diagnostics, food sciences, and drug discovery. A droplet provides an isolated environment for performing a single reaction within a microscale-volume sample, allowing for a fast reaction with a high sensitivity, high throughput, and low risk of cross-contamination. Owing to several remarkable features, droplet-based microfluidic techniques have been intensively studied. In this review, we discuss the impact of droplet microfluidics, particularly focusing on drug screening and development. In addition, we surveyed various methods of device fabrication and droplet generation/manipulation. We further highlight some promising studies covering drug synthesis and delivery that were updated within the last 5 years. This review provides researchers with a quick guide that includes the most up-to-date and relevant information on the latest scientific findings on the development of droplet-based microfluidics in the pharmaceutical field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thi Ngoc Diep Trinh
- Department of Materials Science, School of Applied Chemistry, Tra Vinh University, Tra Vinh City 87000, Vietnam
| | - Hoang Dang Khoa Do
- NTT Hi-Tech Institute, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ward 13, District 04, Ho Chi Minh City 70000, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Nhat Nam
- Biotechnology Center, School of Agriculture and Aquaculture, Tra Vinh University, Tra Vinh City 87000, Vietnam
| | - Thach Thi Dan
- Department of Materials Science, School of Applied Chemistry, Tra Vinh University, Tra Vinh City 87000, Vietnam
| | - Kieu The Loan Trinh
- BioNano Applications Research Center, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Nae Yoon Lee
- Department of BioNano Technology, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Jiang J, Yang G, Ma F. Fluorescence coupling strategies in fluorescence-activated droplet sorting (FADS) for ultrahigh-throughput screening of enzymes, metabolites, and antibodies. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 66:108173. [PMID: 37169102 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence-activated droplet sorting (FADS) has emerged as a powerful tool for ultrahigh-throughput screening of enzymes, metabolites, and antibodies. Fluorescence coupling strategies (FCSs) are key to the development of new FADS methods through their coupling of analyte properties such as concentration, activities, and affinity with fluorescence signals. Over the last decade, a series of FCSs have been developed, greatly expanding applications of FADS. Here, we review recent advances in FCS for different analyte types, providing a critical comparison of the available FCSs and further classification into four categories according to their principles. We also summarize successful FADS applications employing FCSs in enzymes, metabolites, and antibodies. Further, we outline possible future developments in this area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingjie Jiang
- Medical Enzyme Engineering Center, CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China
| | - Guangyu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Fuqiang Ma
- Medical Enzyme Engineering Center, CAS Key Lab of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Fang W, Tao Z, Li H, Yin S, Xu T, Huang Y, Wong T. AC-electric-field-controlled multi-component droplet coalescence at microscale. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:2341-2355. [PMID: 37078784 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00086a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Droplet coalescence with fast response, high controllability and monodispersity has been widely investigated in industrial production and bioengineering. Especially for droplets with multiple components, programmable manipulation of such droplets is crucial for practical applications. However, precise control of the dynamics can be challenging, owing to the complex boundaries and the interfacial and fluidic properties. AC electric fields, with their fast response and high flexibility, have attracted our interest. We design and fabricate an improved flow-focusing microchannel configuration together with a non-contact type of electrode featuring asymmetric geometries, based on which we conduct systematic investigations of the AC-electric-field-controlled coalescence of multi-component droplets at the microscale. Parameters such as flow rates, component ratio, surface tension, electric permittivity and conductivity were given our attention. The results show that droplet coalescence in different flow parameters can be achieved in milliseconds by adjusting the electrical conditions, which shows high controllability. Specifically, both the coalescence region and reaction time can be adjusted by a combination of applied voltage and frequency, and unique merging phenomena have appeared. One is contact coalescence with the approach of paired droplets, while the other is squeezing coalescence, which occurs in the start position and promotes the merging process. The fluid properties, such as the electric permittivity, conductivity and surface tension, present a significant influence on merging behavior. The increasing relative dielectric constant leads to a dramatic reduction of the start merging voltage from the original 250 V to 30 V. The range of effective voltage for coalescence decreases with the addition of surfactant, offering a stricter and yet higher selectivity on electrical conditions, about 1500 V. The conductivity presents a negative correlation with the start merging voltage due to the reduction of the dielectric stress, from 400 V to 1500 V. Finally, we achieve the precise fabrication process of the Janus droplet via implementation of the proposed method, where the components of the droplets and the coalescence conditions are well controlled. Our results can serve as a potent methodology to decipher the physics of multi-component droplet electro-coalescence and contribute to applications in chemical synthesis, bioassay and material synthesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weidong Fang
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero-Engine Aero-Thermodynamics, Research Institute of Aero-Engine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Zhi Tao
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero-Engine Aero-Thermodynamics, Research Institute of Aero-Engine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Haiwang Li
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero-Engine Aero-Thermodynamics, Research Institute of Aero-Engine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Shuai Yin
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Tiantong Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero-Engine Aero-Thermodynamics, Research Institute of Aero-Engine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Yi Huang
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero-Engine Aero-Thermodynamics, Research Institute of Aero-Engine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Teckneng Wong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Chen F, Hu Q, Li H, Xie Y, Xiu L, Zhang Y, Guo X, Yin K. Multiplex Detection of Infectious Diseases on Microfluidic Platforms. BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:bios13030410. [PMID: 36979622 PMCID: PMC10046538 DOI: 10.3390/bios13030410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Infectious diseases contribute significantly to the global disease burden. Sensitive and accurate screening methods are some of the most effective means of identifying sources of infection and controlling infectivity. Conventional detecting strategies such as quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), DNA sequencing, and mass spectrometry typically require bulky equipment and well-trained personnel. Therefore, mass screening of a large population using conventional strategies during pandemic periods often requires additional manpower, resources, and time, which cannot be guaranteed in resource-limited settings. Recently, emerging microfluidic technologies have shown the potential to replace conventional methods in performing point-of-care detection because they are automated, miniaturized, and integrated. By exploiting the spatial separation of detection sites, microfluidic platforms can enable the multiplex detection of infectious diseases to reduce the possibility of misdiagnosis and incomplete diagnosis of infectious diseases with similar symptoms. This review presents the recent advances in microfluidic platforms used for multiplex detection of infectious diseases, including microfluidic immunosensors and microfluidic nucleic acid sensors. As representative microfluidic platforms, lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) platforms, polymer-based chips, paper-based devices, and droplet-based devices will be discussed in detail. In addition, the current challenges, commercialization, and prospects are proposed to promote the application of microfluidic platforms in infectious disease detection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fumin Chen
- School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 227 Chongqing South Road, Shanghai 200025, China
- One Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University—The University of Edinburgh, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Qinqin Hu
- School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 227 Chongqing South Road, Shanghai 200025, China
- One Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University—The University of Edinburgh, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Huimin Li
- School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 227 Chongqing South Road, Shanghai 200025, China
- One Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University—The University of Edinburgh, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yi Xie
- School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 227 Chongqing South Road, Shanghai 200025, China
- One Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University—The University of Edinburgh, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Leshan Xiu
- School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 227 Chongqing South Road, Shanghai 200025, China
- One Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University—The University of Edinburgh, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yuqian Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgery Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Microbiome Program, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Xiaokui Guo
- School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 227 Chongqing South Road, Shanghai 200025, China
- One Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University—The University of Edinburgh, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Kun Yin
- School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 227 Chongqing South Road, Shanghai 200025, China
- One Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University—The University of Edinburgh, Shanghai 200025, China
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Nampoothiri KN, Nath A, Satpathi NS, Sen AK. Deicing of Sessile Droplets Using Surface Acoustic Waves. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:3934-3941. [PMID: 36883239 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c03208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Deicing has significant relevance in various applications such as transportation, energy production, and telecommunication. The use of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) is an attractive option for deicing as it offers several advantages such as localized heating, in situ control, low power, and system integration for highly efficient deicing. Here, we report an understanding of the dynamics of deicing of microlitre volume water droplets (1 to 30 μL) exposed to low power (0.3 W) SAW actuation using an interdigitated electrode on a piezoelectric (LiNbO3) substrate. We study the time variation of the volume of liquid water from the onset of SAW actuation to complete deicing, which takes 2.5 to 35 s depending on the droplet volume. The deicing phenomenon is attributed to acoustothermal heating which is found to be greatly influenced by the loss of ice adhesion with the substrate and the acoustic streaming within the liquid water. Acoustothermal heating inside the droplet is characterized by the temperature distribution inside the droplet using infrared thermography, and acoustic streaming is observed using dye-based optical microscopy. A rapid enhancement in deicing is observed upon the detachment of ice from the substrate and the onset of acoustic streaming, marked by a sudden increase in the liquid water volume, droplet temperature, and heat transfer coefficient. The deicing time is found to increase linearly with droplet volume as observed from experiments and further verified using a theoretical model. Our study provides an improved understanding of the recently introduced SAW-based deicing technique that may open up the avenue for a suitable alternative to standard deicing protocols.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K N Nampoothiri
- Fluid Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamilnadu 600036, India
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Chennai, Tamilnadu 601103, India
| | - A Nath
- Fluid Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamilnadu 600036, India
| | - N S Satpathi
- Fluid Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamilnadu 600036, India
| | - A K Sen
- Fluid Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamilnadu 600036, India
- Micro Nano Bio-Fluidics Group, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamilnadu 600036, India
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Jian X, Guo X, Cai Z, Wei L, Wang L, Xing XH, Zhang C. Single-cell microliter-droplet screening system (MISS Cell): An integrated platform for automated high-throughput microbial monoclonal cultivation and picking. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:778-792. [PMID: 36477904 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Solid plates have been used for microbial monoclonal isolation, cultivation, and colony picking since 1881. However, the process is labor- and resource-intensive for high-throughput requirements. Currently, several instruments have been integrated for automated and high-throughput picking, but complicated and expensive. To address these issues, we report a novel integrated platform, the single-cell microliter-droplet screening system (MISS Cell), for automated, high-throughput microbial monoclonal colony cultivation and picking. We verified the monoclonality of droplet cultures in the MISS Cell and characterized culture performance. Compared with solid plates, the MISS Cell generated a larger number of monoclonal colonies with higher initial growth rates using fewer resources. Finally, we established a workflow for automated high-throughput screening of Corynebacterium glutamicum using the MISS Cell and identified high glutamate-producing strains. The MISS Cell can serve as a universal platform to efficiently produce monoclonal colonies in high-throughput applications, overcoming the limitations of solid plates to promote rapid development in biotechnology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xingjin Jian
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojie Guo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengshuo Cai
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Longfeng Wei
- College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Liyan Wang
- Luoyang TMAXTREE Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Luoyang, China
| | - Xin-Hui Xing
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Center for Synthetic & Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Chong Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Center for Synthetic & Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Jeong Y, Irudayaraj J. Hierarchical encapsulation of bacteria in functional hydrogel beads for inter- and intra- species communication. Acta Biomater 2023; 158:203-215. [PMID: 36632875 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
To sequester prokaryotic cells in a biofilm-like niche, the creation of a pertinent and reliable microenvironment that reflects the heterogeneous nature of biological systems is vital for sustenance. Design of a microenvironment that is conducive for growth and survival of organisms, should account for factors such as mass transport, porosity, stability, elasticity, size, functionality, and biochemical characteristics of the organisms in the confined architecture. In this work we present an artificial long-term confinement model fabricated by natural alginate hydrogels that are structurally stable and can host organisms for over 10 days in physiologically relevant conditions. A unique feature of the confinement platform is the development of stratified habitats wherein bacterial cells can be entrapped in the core as well as in the shell layers, wherein the thickness and the number of shell layers are tunable at fabrication. We show that the hydrogel microenvironment in the beads can host complex subpopulations of organisms similar to that in a biofilm. Dynamic interaction of bacterial colonies encapsulated in different beads or within the core and stratified layers of single beads was demonstrated to show intra- species communication. Inter- species communication between probiotic bacteria and human colorectal carcinoma cells was also demonstrated to highlight a possible bidirectional communication between the organisms in the beads and the environment. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Bacteria confinement in a natural soft hydrogel structure has always been a challenge due to the collapse of hydrogel architectures. Alternative methods have been attempted to encapsulate microorganisms by employing various processes to avoid/minimize rupturing of hydrogel structures. However, most of the past approaches have been unfavorable in balancing cell proliferation and functionality upon confinement. Our study addresses the fundamental gap in knowledge necessary to create favorable and complex 3D biofilm mimics utilizing natural hydrogel for microbial colonization for long-term studies. Our approach represents a cornerstone in the development of 3D functional architectures not only to advance studies in microbial communication, host-microbe interaction but also to address basic and fundamental questions in biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoon Jeong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Biomedical Research Center, Mills Breast Cancer Institute, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Joseph Irudayaraj
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Carle R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Beckman Institute, Holonyak Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Urbana, IL, USA; Biomedical Research Center, Mills Breast Cancer Institute, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Huang C, Guo F, Wang H, Olivares J, Dalton Iii J, Belyanina O, Wattam AR, Cucinell CA, Dickerman AW, Qin QM, Han A, de Figueiredo P. An automated system for interrogating the evolution of microbial endosymbiosis. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:671-683. [PMID: 36227118 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00602b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Inter-kingdom endosymbiotic interactions between bacteria and eukaryotic cells are critical to human health and disease. However, the molecular mechanisms that drive the emergence of endosymbiosis remain obscure. Here, we describe the development of a microfluidic system, named SEER (S̲ystem for the E̲volution of E̲ndosymbiotic R̲elationships), that automates the evolutionary selection of bacteria with enhanced intracellular survival and persistence within host cells, hallmarks of endosymbiosis. Using this system, we show that a laboratory strain of Escherichia coli that initially possessed limited abilities to survive within host cells, when subjected to SEER selection, rapidly evolved to display a 55-fold enhancement in intracellular survival. Notably, molecular dissection of the evolved strains revealed that a single-point mutation in a flexible loop of CpxR, a gene regulator that controls bacterial stress responses, substantially contributed to this intracellular survival. Taken together, these results establish SEER as the first microfluidic system for investigating the evolution of endosymbiosis, show the importance of CpxR in endosymbiosis, and set the stage for evolving bespoke inter-kingdom endosymbiotic systems with novel or emergent properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Can Huang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Fengguang Guo
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77843, USA.
| | - Han Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Jasmine Olivares
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77843, USA.
| | - James Dalton Iii
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77843, USA.
| | - Olga Belyanina
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77843, USA.
| | - Alice R Wattam
- Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Clark A Cucinell
- Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Allan W Dickerman
- Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Qing-Ming Qin
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77843, USA.
| | - Arum Han
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Paul de Figueiredo
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77843, USA.
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Akuoko Y, Nagliati HF, Millward CJ, Woolley AT. Improving droplet microfluidic systems for studying single bacteria growth. Anal Bioanal Chem 2023; 415:695-701. [PMID: 36469054 PMCID: PMC10501485 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-04459-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance remains a global threat with ~ 5 million deaths in 2019 alone and 10 million deaths projected every year by 2050. Current tools employed in the analysis of bacteria can be time inefficient, leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment. In this work, we develop a microfluidic setup capable of bacteria incubation and detection of growth in ~ 2 h. We fabricated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchips via soft lithography, enclosed microchannels by plasma bonding to glass, and utilized PDMS blocks for simplified connection of devices to a flow system. We generated uniform droplets enclosing zero, one or two bacteria within our devices, and incubated droplet-encapsulated bacteria with 100 × lower concentrations of a fluorescence probe of bacterial growth compared to prior work. We assessed bacterial growth via laser induced fluorescence after room temperature incubation for 2 h and obtained a range of signals corresponding to droplets with or without bacteria. Our devices allow for online droplet incubation, monitoring, detection, and tracking. Developing microfluidic chips for single bacteria studies will improve the analysis and treatment of antimicrobial resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yesman Akuoko
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Heitor F Nagliati
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Calton J Millward
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Adam T Woolley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Tang W, He M, Chen B, Ruan G, Xia Y, Xu P, Song G, Bi Y, Hu B. Investigation of toxic effect of mercury on Microcystis aeruginosa: Correlation between intracellular mercury content at single cells level and algae physiological responses. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159894. [PMID: 36336050 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell studies can help to understand individual differences and obtain atypical cellular characteristics in view of cellular heterogeneity. Herein, the accumulation of mercury (Hg) in single algae cells was studied by droplet chip-time resolved inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analytical system, and the relation of Hg accumulation to the physiological responses of algae cell was explored. When low concentrations of Hg2+ (5-20 μg/L) were used in the exposure experiment, the content of Hg in single cells increased in first 2 h, then decreased with further increase of exposure time to 96 h, probably due to the growth dilution effect of the algae. When exposed to 30 μg/L Hg2+, the uptake of Hg by individual cells increased over time, which was associated with increased cell membrane permeability. The exposure to Hg2+ (5-30 μg/L) inhibited the growth of algae in a concentration-dependent manner and serious growth inhibition occurred under the exposure concentration of 30 μg/L. While the exposure concentration was lower than 20 μg/L, algal cells exhibited a recover tendency due to the self-protection mechanism of algal cells. Bivariate results showed that intracellular Hg accumulation was significantly negatively correlated with cells growth in terms of OD680, photosynthetic pigments, Fv/Fm and PIabs. On the contrast, reactive oxygen species content, superoxide dismutase activity, and cell membrane permeability were significantly positively correlated with the accumulation of intracellular Hg. These results are helpful to further understand the toxic effect of Hg on algae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiao Tang
- Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Man He
- Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Beibei Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Gang Ruan
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yixue Xia
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Pingping Xu
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Gaofei Song
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yonghong Bi
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Bin Hu
- Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Chen L, Zhang C, Yadav V, Wong A, Senapati S, Chang HC. A home-made pipette droplet microfluidics rapid prototyping and training kit for digital PCR, microorganism/cell encapsulation and controlled microgel synthesis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:184. [PMID: 36604528 PMCID: PMC9813469 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27470-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics offers a platform from which new digital molecular assay, disease screening, wound healing and material synthesis technologies have been proposed. However, the current commercial droplet generation, assembly and imaging technologies are too expensive and rigid to permit rapid and broad-range tuning of droplet features/cargoes. This rapid prototyping bottleneck has limited further expansion of its application. Herein, an inexpensive home-made pipette droplet microfluidics kit is introduced. This kit includes elliptical pipette tips that can be fabricated with a simple DIY (Do-It-Yourself) tool, a unique tape-based or 3D printed shallow-center imaging chip that allows rapid monolayer droplet assembly/immobilization and imaging with a smart-phone camera or miniature microscope. The droplets are generated by manual or automatic pipetting without expensive and lab-bound microfluidic pumps. The droplet size and fluid viscosity/surface tension can be varied significantly because of our particular droplet generation, assembly and imaging designs. The versatility of this rapid prototyping kit is demonstrated with three representative applications that can benefit from a droplet microfluidic platform: (1) Droplets as microreactors for PCR reaction with reverse transcription to detect and quantify target RNAs. (2) Droplets as microcompartments for spirulina culturing and the optical color/turbidity changes in droplets with spirulina confirm successful photosynthetic culturing. (3) Droplets as templates/molds for controlled synthesis of gold-capped polyacrylamide/gold composite Janus microgels. The easily fabricated and user-friendly portable kit is hence ideally suited for design, training and educational labs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liao Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Chenguang Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Vivek Yadav
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Angela Wong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Satyajyoti Senapati
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Hsueh-Chia Chang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Ruszczak A, Jankowski P, Vasantham SK, Scheler O, Garstecki P. Physicochemical Properties Predict Retention of Antibiotics in Water-in-Oil Droplets. Anal Chem 2023; 95:1574-1581. [PMID: 36598882 PMCID: PMC9850403 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04644] [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] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Water-in-oil droplet microfluidics promises capacity for high-throughput single-cell antimicrobial susceptibility assays and investigation of drug resistance mechanisms. Every droplet must serve as an isolated environment with a controlled antibiotic concentration in such assays. While technologies for generation, incubation, screening, and sorting droplets mature, predictable retention of active molecules inside droplets remains a major outstanding challenge. Here, we analyzed 36 descriptors of the antibiotic molecules against experimental results on the cross-talk of antibiotics in droplets. We show that partition coefficient and fractional polar surface area are the key physicochemical properties that predict antibiotic retention. We verified the prediction by monitoring growth inhibition by antibiotic-loaded neighboring droplets. Our experiments also demonstrate that transfer of antibiotics between droplets is concentration- and distance-dependent. Our findings immediately apply to designing droplet antibiotic assays and give deeper insight into the retention of small molecules in water-in-oil emulsions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Artur Ruszczak
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paweł Jankowski
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Shreyas K. Vasantham
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ott Scheler
- Department
of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn
University of Technology (TalTech), Akadeemia tee 15, Tallinn 12618, Estonia,
| | - Piotr Garstecki
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland,
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
A novel high-throughput approach for transforming filamentous fungi employing a droplet-based microfluidic platform. N Biotechnol 2022; 72:149-158. [PMID: 36442794 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2022.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Droplet-based microfluidic technology is a powerful tool for single-cell cultivation and rapid isolation of bacteria, yeasts and algae. However, it has been of limited use for studies of filamentous fungi due to the fast growth of their branched hyphae. The long regeneration time for fungal protoplasts and low-throughput screening methods are inherent problems for current genetic transformation techniques. Therefore, we have developed a novel droplet-based method for the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a marker. This approach presented several outstanding advantages over the traditional transformation method, including a 7-fold reduction in time for T. reesei protoplast regeneration, an 8-fold increase in regeneration frequency, and a screening speed of up to 8,000 droplets min-1. In this study, we encapsulated and incubated the gfp-transformed T. reesei protoplasts in droplets for 24 h, screened the droplets in a high-throughput assay, and eventually collected a transformant library with over 96 % of the candidates transformed with the marker gene. This versatile approach should make fungi more amenable to genetic manipulation and encourage strain improvements for industrial applications.
Collapse
|
32
|
Shi W, Bell S, Iyer H, Brenden CK, Zhang Y, Kim S, Park I, Bashir R, Sweedler J, Vlasov Y. Integrated silicon microfluidic chip for picoliter-scale analyte segmentation and microscale printing for mass spectrometry imaging. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 23:72-80. [PMID: 36477760 PMCID: PMC9764807 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00688j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
A silicon single-chip microfluidics system that integrates microscale fluidic channels, an analyte segmentation device, and a nozzle for electrohydrodynamic-assisted printing is designed for hyphenation with MALDI mass spectrometry (MS) imaging. A miniaturized T-junction segments analytes into monodisperse picoliter oil-isolated compartments. The printing nozzle deposits generated droplets one-by-one into an array on a conductive substrate without splitting or coalescing. Virtually single-shot MS analysis is enabled due to the ultrasmall droplet volumes and highly localized printing. The signal-to-noise ratio indicates that detection limits at the attomole level are achieved for γ-aminobutyric acid.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Shi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Sara Bell
- Department of Chemistry and the Beckman Institute, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Hrishikesh Iyer
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, IL 61801, USA.
| | | | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Sungho Kim
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Insu Park
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Rashid Bashir
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jonathan Sweedler
- Department of Chemistry and the Beckman Institute, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Yurii Vlasov
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, IL 61801, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Spoto M, Riera Puma JP, Fleming E, Guan C, Ondouah Nzutchi Y, Kim D, Oh J. Large-Scale CRISPRi and Transcriptomics of Staphylococcus epidermidis Identify Genetic Factors Implicated in Lifestyle Versatility. mBio 2022; 13:e0263222. [PMID: 36409086 PMCID: PMC9765180 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02632-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus epidermidis is a ubiquitous human commensal skin bacterium that is also one of the most prevalent nosocomial pathogens. The genetic factors underlying this remarkable lifestyle plasticity are incompletely understood, mainly due to the difficulties of genetic manipulation, precluding high-throughput functional profiling of this species. To probe the versatility of S. epidermidis to survive across a diversity of environmental conditions, we developed a large-scale CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) screen complemented by transcriptional profiling (RNA sequencing) across 24 diverse conditions and piloted a droplet-based CRISPRi approach to enhance throughput and sensitivity. We identified putative essential genes, importantly revealing amino acid metabolism as crucial to survival across diverse environments, and demonstrated the importance of trace metal uptake for survival under multiple stress conditions. We identified pathways significantly enriched and repressed across our range of stress and nutrient-limited conditions, demonstrating the considerable plasticity of S. epidermidis in responding to environmental stressors. Additionally, we postulate a mechanism by which nitrogen metabolism is linked to lifestyle versatility in response to hyperosmotic challenges, such as those encountered on human skin. Finally, we examined the survival of S. epidermidis under acid stress and hypothesize a role for cell wall modification as a vital component of the survival response under acidic conditions. Taken together, this study integrates large-scale CRISPRi and transcriptomics data across multiple environments to provide insights into a keystone member of the human skin microbiome. Our results additionally provide a valuable benchmarking analysis for CRISPRi screens and are a rich resource for other staphylococcal researchers. IMPORTANCE Staphylococcus epidermidis is a bacteria that broadly inhabits healthy human skin, yet it is also a common cause of skin infections and bloodstream infections associated with implanted medical devices. Because human skin has many different types of S. epidermidis, each containing different genes, our goal is to determine how these different genes allow S. epidermidis to switch from healthy growth in the skin to being an infectious pathogen. Understanding this switch is critical to developing new strategies to prevent and treat S. epidermidis infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Spoto
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
- The University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Fleming
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Changhui Guan
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Dean Kim
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Julia Oh
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Duran C, Zhang S, Yang C, Falco ML, Cravo-Laureau C, Suzuki-Minakuchi C, Nojiri H, Duran R, Sassa F. Low-cost gel-filled microwell array device for screening marine microbial consortium. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1031439. [PMID: 36590440 PMCID: PMC9800614 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1031439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to exploit the microbes present in the environment for their beneficial resources, effective selection and isolation of microbes from environmental samples is essential. In this study, we fabricated a gel-filled microwell array device using resin for microbial culture. The device has an integrated sealing mechanism that enables high-density isolation based on the culture of microorganisms; the device is easily manageable, facilitating observation using bright-field microscopy. This low-cost device made from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has 900 microwells (600 μm × 600 μm × 700 μm) filled with a microbial culture gel medium in glass slide-sized plates. It also has grooves for maintaining the moisture content in the micro-gel. The partition wall between the wells has a highly hydrophobic coating to inhibit microbial migration to neighboring wells and to prevent exchange of liquid substances. After being hermetically sealed, the device can maintain moisture in the agarose gels for 7 days. In the bacterial culture experiment using this device, environmental bacteria were isolated and cultured in individual wells after 3 days. Moreover, the isolated bacteria were then picked up from wells and re-cultured. This device is effective for the first screening of microorganisms from marine environmental samples.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clelia Duran
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Pau, France
| | - Shiyi Zhang
- Graduate School of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Chongyang Yang
- Agro-Biotechnology Research Center, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Maria Lorena Falco
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Pau, France
| | | | - Chiho Suzuki-Minakuchi
- Agro-Biotechnology Research Center, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan,Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideaki Nojiri
- Agro-Biotechnology Research Center, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan,Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Robert Duran
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Pau, France,*Correspondence: Robert Duran, ; Fumihiro Sassa,
| | - Fumihiro Sassa
- Graduate School of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan,*Correspondence: Robert Duran, ; Fumihiro Sassa,
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Gharib G, Bütün İ, Muganlı Z, Kozalak G, Namlı İ, Sarraf SS, Ahmadi VE, Toyran E, van Wijnen AJ, Koşar A. Biomedical Applications of Microfluidic Devices: A Review. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:bios12111023. [PMID: 36421141 PMCID: PMC9688231 DOI: 10.3390/bios12111023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Both passive and active microfluidic chips are used in many biomedical and chemical applications to support fluid mixing, particle manipulations, and signal detection. Passive microfluidic devices are geometry-dependent, and their uses are rather limited. Active microfluidic devices include sensors or detectors that transduce chemical, biological, and physical changes into electrical or optical signals. Also, they are transduction devices that detect biological and chemical changes in biomedical applications, and they are highly versatile microfluidic tools for disease diagnosis and organ modeling. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the significant advances that have been made in the development of microfluidics devices. We will discuss the function of microfluidic devices as micromixers or as sorters of cells and substances (e.g., microfiltration, flow or displacement, and trapping). Microfluidic devices are fabricated using a range of techniques, including molding, etching, three-dimensional printing, and nanofabrication. Their broad utility lies in the detection of diagnostic biomarkers and organ-on-chip approaches that permit disease modeling in cancer, as well as uses in neurological, cardiovascular, hepatic, and pulmonary diseases. Biosensor applications allow for point-of-care testing, using assays based on enzymes, nanozymes, antibodies, or nucleic acids (DNA or RNA). An anticipated development in the field includes the optimization of techniques for the fabrication of microfluidic devices using biocompatible materials. These developments will increase biomedical versatility, reduce diagnostic costs, and accelerate diagnosis time of microfluidics technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ghazaleh Gharib
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Science, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
- Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Centre (SUNUM), Istanbul 34956, Turkey
- Center of Excellence for Functional Surfaces and Interfaces for Nano Diagnostics (EFSUN), Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| | - İsmail Bütün
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Science, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| | - Zülâl Muganlı
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Science, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| | - Gül Kozalak
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Science, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
- Center of Excellence for Functional Surfaces and Interfaces for Nano Diagnostics (EFSUN), Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| | - İlayda Namlı
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Science, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| | | | | | - Erçil Toyran
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Science, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| | - Andre J. van Wijnen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont, 89 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Ali Koşar
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Science, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
- Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Centre (SUNUM), Istanbul 34956, Turkey
- Center of Excellence for Functional Surfaces and Interfaces for Nano Diagnostics (EFSUN), Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
- Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA), Çankaya, Ankara 06700, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Pacocha N, Zapotoczna M, Makuch K, Bogusławski J, Garstecki P. You will know by its tail: a method for quantification of heterogeneity of bacterial populations using single-cell MIC profiling. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:4317-4326. [PMID: 36222371 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00234e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Severe non-healing infections are often caused by multiple pathogens or by genetic variants of the same pathogen exhibiting different levels of antibiotic resistance. For example, polymicrobial diabetic foot infections double the risk of amputation compared to monomicrobial infections. Although these infections lead to increased morbidity and mortality, standard antimicrobial susceptibility methods are designed for homogenous samples and are impaired in quantifying heteroresistance. Here, we propose a droplet-based label-free method for quantifying the antibiotic response of the entire population at the single-cell level. We used Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus samples to confirm that the shape of the profile informs about the coexistence of diverse bacterial subpopulations, their sizes, and antibiotic heteroresistance. These profiles could therefore indicate the outcome of antibiotic treatment in terms of the size of remaining subpopulations. Moreover, we studied phenotypic variants of a S. aureus strain to confirm that the profile can be used to identify tolerant subpopulations, such as small colony variants, associated with increased risks for the development of persisting infections. Therefore, the profile is a versatile instrument for quantifying the size of each bacterial subpopulation within a specimen as well as their individual and joined heteroresistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Pacocha
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Marta Zapotoczna
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karol Makuch
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Jakub Bogusławski
- International Centre for Translational Eye Research, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Physical Chemistry of Biological Systems, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
- Laser & Fiber Electronics Group, Faculty of Electronics, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Garstecki
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Cheng Y, Treado JD, Lonial BF, Habdas P, Weeks ER, Shattuck MD, O'Hern CS. Hopper flows of deformable particles. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:8071-8086. [PMID: 36218162 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01079h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Numerous experimental and computational studies show that continuous hopper flows of granular materials obey the Beverloo equation that relates the volume flow rate Q and the orifice width w: Q ∼ (w/σavg - k)β, where σavg is the average particle diameter, kσavg is an offset where Q ∼ 0, the power-law scaling exponent β = d - 1/2, and d is the spatial dimension. Recent studies of hopper flows of deformable particles in different background fluids suggest that the particle stiffness and dissipation mechanism can also strongly affect the power-law scaling exponent β. We carry out computational studies of hopper flows of deformable particles with both kinetic friction and background fluid dissipation in two and three dimensions. We show that the exponent β varies continuously with the ratio of the viscous drag to the kinetic friction coefficient, λ = ζ/μ. β = d - 1/2 in the λ → 0 limit and d - 3/2 in the λ → ∞ limit, with a midpoint λc that depends on the hopper opening angle θw. We also characterize the spatial structure of the flows and associate changes in spatial structure of the hopper flows to changes in the exponent β. The offset k increases with particle stiffness until k ∼ kmax in the hard-particle limit, where kmax ∼ 3.5 is larger for λ → ∞ compared to that for λ → 0. Finally, we show that the simulations of hopper flows of deformable particles in the λ → ∞ limit recapitulate the experimental results for quasi-2D hopper flows of oil droplets in water.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxuan Cheng
- Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA.
| | - John D Treado
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
| | | | - Piotr Habdas
- Department of Physics, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Eric R Weeks
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Mark D Shattuck
- Benjamin Levich Institute and Physics Department, The City College of New York, New York, New York 10031, USA
| | - Corey S O'Hern
- Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
- Department of Applied Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Zare Harofte S, Soltani M, Siavashy S, Raahemifar K. Recent Advances of Utilizing Artificial Intelligence in Lab on a Chip for Diagnosis and Treatment. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2203169. [PMID: 36026569 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202203169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, artificial intelligence (AI) creates numerous promising opportunities in the life sciences. AI methods can be significantly advantageous for analyzing the massive datasets provided by biotechnology systems for biological and biomedical applications. Microfluidics, with the developments in controlled reaction chambers, high-throughput arrays, and positioning systems, generate big data that is not necessarily analyzed successfully. Integrating AI and microfluidics can pave the way for both experimental and analytical throughputs in biotechnology research. Microfluidics enhances the experimental methods and reduces the cost and scale, while AI methods significantly improve the analysis of huge datasets obtained from high-throughput and multiplexed microfluidics. This review briefly presents a survey of the role of AI and microfluidics in biotechnology. Also, the incorporation of AI with microfluidics is comprehensively investigated. Specifically, recent studies that perform flow cytometry cell classification, cell isolation, and a combination of them by gaining from both AI methods and microfluidic techniques are covered. Despite all current challenges, various fields of biotechnology can be remarkably affected by the combination of AI and microfluidic technologies. Some of these fields include point-of-care systems, precision, personalized medicine, regenerative medicine, prognostics, diagnostics, and treatment of oncology and non-oncology-related diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samaneh Zare Harofte
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, 19967-15433, Iran
| | - Madjid Soltani
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, 19967-15433, Iran
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CBB), University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
- Advanced Bioengineering Initiative Center, Multidisciplinary International Complex, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, 14176-14411, Iran
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Cancer Institute of Iran, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 14197-33141, Iran
| | - Saeed Siavashy
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, 19967-15433, Iran
| | - Kaamran Raahemifar
- Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Program, College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), Penn State University, State College, PA, 16801, USA
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Postek W, Pacocha N, Garstecki P. Microfluidics for antibiotic susceptibility testing. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:3637-3662. [PMID: 36069631 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00394e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The rise of antibiotic resistance is a threat to global health. Rapid and comprehensive analysis of infectious strains is critical to reducing the global use of antibiotics, as informed antibiotic use could slow down the emergence of resistant strains worldwide. Multiple platforms for antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) have been developed with the use of microfluidic solutions. Here we describe microfluidic systems that have been proposed to aid AST. We identify the key contributions in overcoming outstanding challenges associated with the required degree of multiplexing, reduction of detection time, scalability, ease of use, and capacity for commercialization. We introduce the reader to microfluidics in general, and we analyze the challenges and opportunities related to the field of microfluidic AST.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Witold Postek
- Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warszawa, Poland.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Merkin Building, 415 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Natalia Pacocha
- Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warszawa, Poland.
| | - Piotr Garstecki
- Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warszawa, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Yiannacou K, Sharma V, Sariola V. Programmable Droplet Microfluidics Based on Machine Learning and Acoustic Manipulation. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:11557-11564. [PMID: 36099548 PMCID: PMC9520974 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Typical microfluidic devices are application-specific and have to be carefully designed to implement the necessary functionalities for the targeted application. Programmable microfluidic chips try to overcome this by offering reconfigurable functionalities, allowing the same chip to be used in multiple different applications. In this work, we demonstrate a programmable microfluidic chip for the two-dimensional manipulation of droplets, based on ultrasonic bulk acoustic waves and a closed-loop machine-learning-based control algorithm. The algorithm has no prior knowledge of the acoustic fields but learns to control the droplets on the fly. The manipulation is based on switching the frequency of a single ultrasonic transducer. Using this method, we demonstrate 2D transportation and merging of water droplets in oil and oil droplets in water, and we performed the chemistry that underlies the basis of a colorimetric glucose assay. We show that we can manipulate drops with volumes ranging from ∼200 pL up to ∼30 nL with our setup. We also demonstrate that our method is robust, by changing the system parameters and showing that the machine learning algorithm can still complete the manipulation tasks. In short, our method uses ultrasonics to flexibly manipulate droplets, enabling programmable droplet microfluidic devices.
Collapse
|
41
|
Cao J, Russo DA, Xie T, Groß GA, Zedler JAZ. A droplet-based microfluidic platform enables high-throughput combinatorial optimization of cyanobacterial cultivation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15536. [PMID: 36109626 PMCID: PMC9477827 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19773-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are fast-growing, genetically accessible, photoautotrophs. Therefore, they have attracted interest as sustainable production platforms. However, the lack of techniques to systematically optimize cultivation parameters in a high-throughput manner is holding back progress towards industrialization. To overcome this bottleneck, here we introduce a droplet-based microfluidic platform capable of one- (1D) and two-dimension (2D) screening of key parameters in cyanobacterial cultivation. We successfully grew three different unicellular, biotechnologically relevant, cyanobacteria: Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973 and Synechococcus sp. UTEX 3154. This was followed by a highly-resolved 1D screening of nitrate, phosphate, carbonate, and salt concentrations. The 1D screening results suggested that nitrate and/or phosphate may be limiting nutrients in standard cultivation media. Finally, we use 2D screening to determine the optimal N:P ratio of BG-11. Application of the improved medium composition in a high-density cultivation setup led to an increase in biomass yield of up to 15.7%. This study demonstrates that droplet-based microfluidics can decrease the volume required for cyanobacterial cultivation and screening up to a thousand times while significantly increasing the multiplexing capacity. Going forward, microfluidics have the potential to play a significant role in the industrial exploitation of cyanobacteria.
Collapse
|
42
|
Meng Y, Li S, Zhang C, Zheng H. Strain-level profiling with picodroplet microfluidic cultivation reveals host-specific adaption of honeybee gut symbionts. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:140. [PMID: 36045431 PMCID: PMC9429759 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01333-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Symbiotic gut microbes have a rich genomic and metabolic pool and are closely related to hosts' health. Traditional sequencing profiling masks the genomic and phenotypic diversity among strains from the same species. Innovative droplet-based microfluidic cultivation may help to elucidate the inter-strain interactions. A limited number of bacterial phylotypes colonize the honeybee gut, while individual strains possess unique genomic potential and critical capabilities, which provides a particularly good model for strain-level analyses. RESULTS Here, we construct a droplet-based microfluidic platform and generated ~ 6 × 108 droplets encapsulated with individual bacterial cells from the honeybee gut and cultivate in different media. Shotgun metagenomic analysis reveals significant changes in community structure after droplet-based cultivation, with certain species showing higher strain-level diversity than in gut samples. We obtain metagenome-assembled genomes, and comparative analysis reveal a potential novel cluster from Bifidobacterium in the honeybee. Interestingly, Lactobacillus panisapium strains obtained via droplet cultivation from Apis mellifera contain a unique set of genes encoding L-arabinofuranosidase, which is likely important for the survival of bacteria in competitive environments. CONCLUSIONS By encapsulating single bacteria cells inside microfluidic droplets, we exclude potential interspecific competition for the enrichment of rare strains by shotgun sequencing at high resolution. The comparative genomic analysis reveals underlying mechanisms for host-specific adaptations, providing intriguing insights into microbe-microbe interactions. The current approach may facilitate the hunting for elusive bacteria and paves the way for large-scale studies of more complex animal microbial communities. Video Abstract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Meng
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Shuang Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Chong Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Hao Zheng
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Yin J, Chen X, Li X, Kang G, Wang P, Song Y, Ijaz UZ, Yin H, Huang H. A droplet-based microfluidic approach to isolating functional bacteria from gut microbiota. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:920986. [PMID: 36061857 PMCID: PMC9433703 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.920986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic interactions within gut microbiota play a vital role in human health and disease. Targeting metabolically interacting bacteria could provide effective treatments; however, obtaining functional bacteria remains a significant challenge due to the complexity of gut microbiota. Here, we developed a facile droplet-based approach to isolate and enrich functional gut bacteria that could utilize metabolites from an engineered butyrate-producing bacteria (EBPB) of anti-obesity potential. This involves the high throughput formation of single-bacteria droplets, followed by culturing “droplets” on agar plates to form discrete single-cell colonies. This approach eliminates the need for sophisticated s instruments to sort droplets and thus allows the operation hosted in a traditional anaerobic chamber. In comparison to the traditional culture, the droplet-based approach obtained a community of substantially higher diversity and evenness. Using the conditioned plates containing metabolites from the EBPB supernatant, we obtained gut bacteria closely associated or interacting with the EBPB. These include anaerobic Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which are often used as probiotics. The study illustrates the potential of our approach in the search for the associated bacteria within the gut microbiota and retrieving those yet-to-be cultured.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianan Yin
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiuzhao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaobo Li
- New Technology R & D Department, Tianjin Modern Innovative TCM Technology Co. Ltd., Tianjin, China
| | - Guangbo Kang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Shaoxing, Tianjin University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ping Wang
- New Technology R & D Department, Tianjin Modern Innovative TCM Technology Co. Ltd., Tianjin, China
| | - Yanqing Song
- James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Umer Zeeshan Ijaz
- James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Huabing Yin
- James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Huabing Yin, ; He Huang,
| | - He Huang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Huabing Yin, ; He Huang,
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Yu Y, Wen H, Li S, Cao H, Li X, Ma Z, She X, Zhou L, Huang S. Emerging microfluidic technologies for microbiome research. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:906979. [PMID: 36051769 PMCID: PMC9424851 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.906979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of the microbiome is increasingly prominent. For example, the human microbiome has been proven to be strongly associated with health conditions, while the environmental microbiome is recognized to have a profound influence on agriculture and even the global climate. Furthermore, the microbiome can serve as a fascinating reservoir of genes that encode tremendously valuable compounds for industrial and medical applications. In the past decades, various technologies have been developed to better understand and exploit the microbiome. In particular, microfluidics has demonstrated its strength and prominence in the microbiome research. By taking advantage of microfluidic technologies, inherited shortcomings of traditional methods such as low throughput, labor-consuming, and high-cost are being compensated or bypassed. In this review, we will summarize a broad spectrum of microfluidic technologies that have addressed various needs in the field of microbiome research, as well as the achievements that were enabled by the microfluidics (or technological advances). Finally, how microfluidics overcomes the limitations of conventional methods by technology integration will also be discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hui Wen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Sihong Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haojie Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuefei Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhixin Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaoyi She
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lei Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuqiang Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Shuqiang Huang,
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Recent Progress in the Development of Droplet-based Microfluidic Technologies for Phenotypic Screening using Cell-cell Interactions. BIOTECHNOL BIOPROC E 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12257-022-0081-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
|
46
|
Dönmez Sİ, Needs SH, Osborn HMI, Reis NM, Edwards AD. Label-free 1D microfluidic dipstick counting of microbial colonies and bacteriophage plaques. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:2820-2831. [PMID: 35792607 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00280a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Counting viable bacterial cells and functional bacteriophage is fundamental to microbiology underpinning research, surveillance, biopharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Colony forming unit (CFU) and plaque forming unit (PFU) counting still requires slow and laborious solid culture on agar in Petri dishes or plates. Here, we show that dip-stick microfluidic strips can be used without growth indicator dye for rapid and simple CFU ml-1 and PFU ml-1 measurement. We demonstrate for the first time that fluoropolymer microcapillaries combined with digital imaging allow bacteriophage plaques to be counted rapidly in a dip-and-test format. The microfluidic length scales offer a linear 1-dimensional alternative to a 2D solid agar medium surface, with colonies or plaques clearly visible as "dashes" or "gaps". An inexpensive open source darkfield biosensor system using Raspberry Pi imaging permits label-free detection and counting of colonies or plaques within 4-8 hours in a linear, liquid matrix within ∼200 μm inner diameter microcapillaries. We obtained full quantitative agreement between 1D microfluidic colony counting in dipsticks versus conventional 2D solid agar Petri dish plates for S. aureus and E. coli, and for T2 phage and phage K, but up to 6 times faster. Time-lapse darkfield imaging permitted detailed kinetic analysis of colony growth in the microcapillaries, providing new insight into microfluidic microbiology and colony growth, not possible with Petri dishes. Surprisingly, whilst E. coli colonies appeared earlier, subsequent colony expansion was faster along the microcapillaries for S. aureus. This may be explained by the microenvironment offered for 1D colony growth within microcapillaries, linked to a mass balance between nutrient (glucose) diffusion and bacterial growth kinetics. Counting individual colonies in liquid medium was not possible for motile strains that spread rapidly along the capillary, however inclusion of soft agar inhibited spreading, making this new simple dip-and-test counting method applicable to both motile and non-motile bacteria. Label-free dipstick colony and plaque counting has potential for many analytical microbial tasks, and the innovation of 1D colony counting has relevance to other microfluidic microbiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah H Needs
- Reading School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, Whiteknights, RG6 6AD, UK.
| | - Helen M I Osborn
- Reading School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, Whiteknights, RG6 6AD, UK.
| | - Nuno M Reis
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Centre for Biosensors, Biodevices and Bioelectronics (C3Bio), University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
- Capillary Film Technology Ltd, Daux Road, Billingshurst, West Sussex RH14 9SJ, UK
| | - Alexander D Edwards
- Reading School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, Whiteknights, RG6 6AD, UK.
- Capillary Film Technology Ltd, Daux Road, Billingshurst, West Sussex RH14 9SJ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Cai L, Marthelot J, Brun PT. Instability mediated self-templating of drop crystals. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq0828. [PMID: 35857477 PMCID: PMC9258808 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq0828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The breakup of liquid threads into droplets is prevalent in engineering and natural settings. While drop formation in these systems has a long-standing history, existing studies typically consider axisymmetric systems. Conversely, the physics at play when multiple threads are involved and the interaction of a thread with a symmetry breaking boundary remain unexplored. Here, we show that the breakup of closely spaced liquid threads sequentially printed in an immiscible bath locks into crystal-like lattices of droplets. We rationalize the hydrodynamics at the origin of this previously unknown phenomenon. We leverage this knowledge to tune the lattice pattern via the control of injection flow rate and nozzle translation speed, thereby overcoming the limitations in structural versatility typically seen in existing fluid manipulations paradigms. We further demonstrate that these drop crystals have the ability to self-correct and propose a simple mechanism to describe the convergence toward a uniform pattern of drops.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhi Cai
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Joel Marthelot
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IUSTI, 13013 Marseille, France
| | - P.-T. Brun
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Ngashangva L, Hemdan BA, El-Liethy MA, Bachu V, Minteer SD, Goswami P. Emerging Bioanalytical Devices and Platforms for Rapid Detection of Pathogens in Environmental Samples. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13071083. [PMID: 35888900 PMCID: PMC9321031 DOI: 10.3390/mi13071083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The development of robust bioanalytical devices and biosensors for infectious pathogens is progressing well with the advent of new materials, concepts, and technology. The progress is also stepping towards developing high throughput screening technologies that can quickly identify, differentiate, and determine the concentration of harmful pathogens, facilitating the decision-making process for their elimination and therapeutic interventions in large-scale operations. Recently, much effort has been focused on upgrading these analytical devices to an intelligent technological platform by integrating them with modern communication systems, such as the internet of things (IoT) and machine learning (ML), to expand their application horizon. This review outlines the recent development and applications of bioanalytical devices and biosensors to detect pathogenic microbes in environmental samples. First, the nature of the recent outbreaks of pathogenic microbes such as foodborne, waterborne, and airborne pathogens and microbial toxins are discussed to understand the severity of the problems. Next, the discussion focuses on the detection systems chronologically, starting with the conventional methods, advanced techniques, and emerging technologies, such as biosensors and other portable devices and detection platforms for pathogens. Finally, the progress on multiplex assays, wearable devices, and integration of smartphone technologies to facilitate pathogen detection systems for wider applications are highlighted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lightson Ngashangva
- Transdisciplinary Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvanthapuram, Kerala 695014, India;
| | - Bahaa A. Hemdan
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India; (B.A.H.); (V.B.)
- Water Pollution Research Department, Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute, National Research Centre, 33 El Buhouth Street, Cairo P.O. Box 12622, Egypt;
| | - Mohamed Azab El-Liethy
- Water Pollution Research Department, Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute, National Research Centre, 33 El Buhouth Street, Cairo P.O. Box 12622, Egypt;
| | - Vinay Bachu
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India; (B.A.H.); (V.B.)
| | - Shelley D. Minteer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, RM 2020, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Correspondence: (S.D.M.); (P.G.)
| | - Pranab Goswami
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India; (B.A.H.); (V.B.)
- Correspondence: (S.D.M.); (P.G.)
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Schianti JN, Abe IY, Alayo MI, Carvalho DO. Real Time Water-In-Oil Emulsion Size Measurement in Optofluidic Channels. SENSORS 2022; 22:s22134999. [PMID: 35808495 PMCID: PMC9269678 DOI: 10.3390/s22134999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we investigated a platform for real-time emulsion droplet detection and size measurement in optofluidic platforms. An 8.2 µm core diameter input optical fiber and a multi-mode Gradient Refractive Index (GRIN) output fiber were integrated into an acrylic microfluidic channel platform consisting of three layers. Water-in-oil emulsions were investigated, since relevant applications have emerged in the recent past for these types of emulsions, such as drug encapsulation as well as droplet-based Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification of DNA, among others. The main contribution of this work is in understanding the main physical phenomena (i.e., total internal reflection, refraction, and interference) behind the complex transmittance pattern obtained for these droplets. For this purpose, a frequency domain electromagnetic wave propagation modelling of the structure using the Finite Element Method (FEM) was used along with experimental measurements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliana N. Schianti
- Electrical Engineering Department (ENE), University of Brasilia, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil;
| | - Igor Y. Abe
- Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil; (I.Y.A.); (M.I.A.)
| | - Marco I. Alayo
- Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil; (I.Y.A.); (M.I.A.)
| | - Daniel O. Carvalho
- Electrical Engineering Department (ENE), University of Brasilia, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil;
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Rackus DG, Jusková P, Yokoyama F, Dittrich PS. Parallel study of transient dosing of antibiotics in a microfluidic device. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2022; 16:044105. [PMID: 35935120 PMCID: PMC9348895 DOI: 10.1063/5.0091704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic tools are well suited for studying bacteria as they enable the analysis of small colonies or single cells. However, current techniques for studying bacterial response to antibiotics are largely limited to static dosing. Here, we describe a microfluidic device and a method for entrapping and cultivating bacteria in hydrogel plugs. Ring-shaped isolation valves are used to define the shape of the plugs and also to control exposure of the plugs to the surrounding medium. We demonstrate bacterial cultivation, determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration of an antibiotic, and transient dosing of an antibiotic at sub-1-h doses. The transient dosing experiments reveal that at dose durations on the order of minutes, ampicillin's bactericidal effect has both a time and concentration dependency.
Collapse
|