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Salipante PF. Microfluidic techniques for mechanical measurements of biological samples. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:011303. [PMID: 38505816 PMCID: PMC10903441 DOI: 10.1063/5.0130762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The use of microfluidics to make mechanical property measurements is increasingly common. Fabrication of microfluidic devices has enabled various types of flow control and sensor integration at micrometer length scales to interrogate biological materials. For rheological measurements of biofluids, the small length scales are well suited to reach high rates, and measurements can be made on droplet-sized samples. The control of flow fields, constrictions, and external fields can be used in microfluidics to make mechanical measurements of individual bioparticle properties, often at high sampling rates for high-throughput measurements. Microfluidics also enables the measurement of bio-surfaces, such as the elasticity and permeability properties of layers of cells cultured in microfluidic devices. Recent progress on these topics is reviewed, and future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul F. Salipante
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Polymers and Complex Fluids Group, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
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2
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Brunetti G, De Pastina A, Hegner M. Quantitative epitope analysis reveals drastic 63% reduced immuno-affinity and 60% enhanced transmissibility for SARS-CoV-2 variants. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2021; 3:6903-6911. [PMID: 36132357 PMCID: PMC9419875 DOI: 10.1039/d1na00554e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of a global pandemic that has led to more than 4 million deaths, continues to spread and holds the world in a tight grip. The virus has developed substantial mutations that undermine the efficacy of current vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies. Semi-quantitative immuno - and neutralization assays are unable to provide direct quantitative insights about the minute variations of emerging mutants. Here, we develop a quantitative assay that enables synchronous screening of emerging variant epitopes with single amino acid resolution. We report on specific label-free quantitative nanomechanical analysis of pseudovirus spike interaction with ACE2 receptors. Within minutes, we can characterize the B.1.1.7 variant transmissibility due to its 63% increased binding, and measure a 60% reduced efficacy of antibodies towards B.1.351 and P.1 variants. Our technology can assist vaccine development studies, with focus on comparing protection patterns and novel vaccine candidates and tracking of immunity over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Brunetti
- Center for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) D02 Dublin Ireland
| | - Annalisa De Pastina
- Center for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) D02 Dublin Ireland
| | - Martin Hegner
- Center for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) D02 Dublin Ireland
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De Pastina A, Padovani F, Brunetti G, Rotella C, Niosi F, Usov V, Hegner M. Multimodal real-time frequency tracking of cantilever arrays in liquid environment for biodetection: Comprehensive setup and performance analysis. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2021; 92:065001. [PMID: 34243575 DOI: 10.1063/5.0047631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We present a nanomechanical platform for real-time quantitative label-free detection of target biomolecules in a liquid environment with mass sensitivity down to few pg. Newly fabricated arrays of up to 18 cantilevers are integrated in a micromachined fluidic chamber, connected to software-controlled fluidic pumps for automated sample injections. We discuss two functionalization approaches to independently sensitize the interface of different cantilevers. A custom piezo-stack actuator and optical readout system enable the measurement of resonance frequencies up to 2 MHz. We implement a new measurement strategy based on a phase-locked loop (PLL), built via in-house developed software. The PLL allows us to track, within the same experiment, the evolution of resonance frequency over time of up to four modes for all the cantilevers in the array. With respect to the previous measurement technique, based on standard frequency sweep, the PLL enhances the estimated detection limit of the device by a factor of 7 (down to 2 pg in 5 min integration time) and the time resolution by more than threefold (below 15 s), being on par with commercial gold-standard techniques. The detection limit and noise of the new setup are investigated via Allan deviation and standard deviation analysis, considering different resonance modes and interface chemistries. As a proof-of-concept, we show the immobilization and label-free in situ detection of live bacterial cells (E. coli), demonstrating qualitative and quantitative agreement in the mechanical response of three different resonance modes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa De Pastina
- School of Physics, Center for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), D02 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Francesco Padovani
- Institute of Functional Epigenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München (HMGU), Neuherberg 85764, Germany
| | - Giulio Brunetti
- School of Physics, Center for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), D02 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Chiara Rotella
- School of Physics, Center for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), D02 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Fabio Niosi
- School of Physics, Center for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), D02 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Victor Usov
- School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin (TCD), D02 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Martin Hegner
- School of Physics, Center for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), D02 Dublin, Ireland
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Brunetti G, Padovani F, De Pastina A, Rotella C, Monahan A, Hoffman SL, Jongo SA, Abdulla S, Corradin G, Pluschke G, Daubenberger C, Hegner M. Nanotechnological immunoassay for rapid label-free analysis of candidate malaria vaccines. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:2338-2349. [PMID: 33438712 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr08083g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is a life-threatening epidemic disease with half of the world's population at risk. Although its incidence rate has fallen since 2010, this ratio dramatically stalled between 2014 and 2018. New fast and optimized tools in vaccine analysis and seroconversion testing are critically needed. We developed a clinical diagnostic device based on piezo-actuated nanoresonators that perform as quantitative in situ calibrated nano-bio sensors for specific detection of multiple target molecules in serum samples. The immunoassay successfully diagnoses humoral immune responses induced by malaria vaccine candidates and reveals the timeline and stage of the infection. We applied the newly developed strategy to a variety of different samples, from pure antibody/vaccine solutions, to blood samples from clinical trials on both naïve and pre-exposed malaria volunteers from sub-Saharan countries. Our nanomechanical assay provides a direct one-step label-free quantitative immunoassay that is on par with the gold-standard, multi-step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We achieve a limit of detection of few pg ml-1, or sub-pM concentrations. The 6 μl sample volume allows more than 50 experiments from one finger prick. Furthermore, we simultaneously detected multiple analytes by differential functionalization of multiple sensors in parallel. The inherent differential read-out with in situ controls reduces false positive results. Due to the faster turnaround time, the minimal volume required and the automatized handling system, this technique has great potential for miniaturization and routine diagnostics in pandemic emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Brunetti
- Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Francesco Padovani
- Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. and Institute of Functional Epigenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München (HMGU), Neuherberg 85764, Germany
| | - Annalisa De Pastina
- Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Chiara Rotella
- Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Amy Monahan
- Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | | | - Said A Jongo
- Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre, Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo, Tanzania
| | - Salim Abdulla
- Bagamoyo Research and Training Centre, Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo, Tanzania
| | | | - Gerd Pluschke
- Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology Department, Molecular Immunology Unit, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland and University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Daubenberger
- University of Basel, Switzerland and Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology Department, Clinical Immunology Unit, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Martin Hegner
- Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
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Podlipec R, Arsov Z, Koklič T, Štrancar J. Characterization of blood coagulation dynamics and oxygenation in ex-vivo retinal vessels by fluorescence hyperspectral imaging. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2020; 13:e202000021. [PMID: 32281304 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202000021] [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: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Blood coagulation mechanisms forming a blood clot and preventing hemorrhage have been extensively studied in the last decades. Knowing the mechanisms behind becomes very important particularly in the case of blood vessel diseases. Real-time and accurate diagnostics accompanied by the therapy are particularly needed, for example, in diseases related to retinal vasculature. In our study, we employ for the first time fluorescence hyperspectral imaging (fHSI) combined with the spectral analysis algorithm concept to assess physical as well as functional information of blood coagulation in real-time. By laser-induced local disruption of retinal vessels to mimic blood leaking and subsequent coagulation and a proper fitting algorithm, we were able to reveal and quantify the extent of local blood coagulation through direct identification of the change of oxyhemoglobin concentration within few minutes. We confirmed and illuminated the spatio-temporal evolution of the essential role of erythrocytes in the coagulation cascade as the suppliers of oxygenated hemoglobin. By additional optical tweezers force manipulation, we showed immediate aggregation of erythrocytes at the coagulation site. The presented fluorescence-based imaging concept could become a valuable tool in various blood coagulation diagnostics as well as theranostic systems if coupled with the laser therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rok Podlipec
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Condensed Matter Physics Department, Jamova cesta 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Ion Beam Center, Bautzner Landstrasse 400, Dresden, Germany
| | - Zoran Arsov
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Condensed Matter Physics Department, Jamova cesta 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tilen Koklič
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Condensed Matter Physics Department, Jamova cesta 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janez Štrancar
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Condensed Matter Physics Department, Jamova cesta 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Chen X, Wang M, Zhao G. Point-of-Care Assessment of Hemostasis with a Love-Mode Surface Acoustic Wave Sensor. ACS Sens 2020; 5:282-291. [PMID: 31903758 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.9b02382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Monitoring of the hemostasis status is essential for therapeutic anticoagulants, undergoing surgery, cardiovascular diseases, etc. Although the clinical values of conventional blood coagulation tests have been well demonstrated, these devices have limitations such as large and expensive equipment, excessive sample volumes, long turnaround times, and difficulty in miniaturization for point-of-care use. Here, we present a novel strategy to evaluate blood hemostasis using the single-port Love-mode surface acoustic wave (SLSAW) sensor. The SLSAW sensor was designed as a plug-and-play-type unit for disposable use and operated under the harmonic resonant mode to produce frequency response to the blood coagulation cascade. Compared with a quartz crystal microbalance, Lamb wave, and film bulk acoustic resonator, the frequency shift of SLSAW was significantly increased, ranging from approximately 8960 to 10 368 kHz, which indicated enhancement of the signal-to-noise ratio. To demonstrate the feasibility of the SLSAW, studies were carried out to examine the effects of temperature and clotting reagents on coagulation times and kinetics. Activated partial thromboplastin times of plasma were validated by comparing with SYSMEX CA-7000 with the correlation (R2) as 0.996. In terms of coagulation kinetics, reaction time, clot formation time, maximum frequency shift, and clot formation rate of whole blood correlated well with corresponding parameters of the standard thromboelastography (TEG) analyzer (R2 = 0.9942, 0.9868, 0.9712, and 0.9939, respectively). The SLSAW sensor, with the advantages of low cost, small size, little sample consumption (1 μL), disposable use, and simple operation, is a promising tool for point-of-care diagnosis of hemostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- Department of Electronic Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, Anhui, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Department of Electronic Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, Anhui, China
| | - Gang Zhao
- Department of Electronic Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, Anhui, China
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Mohammadi Aria M, Erten A, Yalcin O. Technology Advancements in Blood Coagulation Measurements for Point-of-Care Diagnostic Testing. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:395. [PMID: 31921804 PMCID: PMC6917661 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, blood coagulation monitoring has become crucial to diagnosing causes of hemorrhages, developing anticoagulant drugs, assessing bleeding risk in extensive surgery procedures and dialysis, and investigating the efficacy of hemostatic therapies. In this regard, advanced technologies such as microfluidics, fluorescent microscopy, electrochemical sensing, photoacoustic detection, and micro/nano electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) have been employed to develop highly accurate, robust, and cost-effective point of care (POC) devices. These devices measure electrochemical, optical, and mechanical parameters of clotting blood. Which can be correlated to light transmission/scattering, electrical impedance, and viscoelastic properties. In this regard, this paper discusses the working principles of blood coagulation monitoring, physical and sensing parameters in different technologies. In addition, we discussed the recent progress in developing nanomaterials for blood coagulation detection and treatments which opens up new area of controlling and monitoring of coagulation at the same time in the future. Moreover, commercial products, future trends/challenges in blood coagulation monitoring including novel anticoagulant therapies, multiplexed sensing platforms, and the application of artificial intelligence in diagnosis and monitoring have been included.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ahmet Erten
- Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozlem Yalcin
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Koc University, Sariyer, Turkey
- Department of Physiology, Koc University School of Medicine, Koc University, Sariyer, Turkey
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Al-Samkari H, Croteau SE. Shifting Landscape of Hemophilia Therapy: Implications for Current Clinical Laboratory Coagulation Assays. Am J Hematol 2018; 93:1082-1090. [PMID: 29884997 DOI: 10.1002/ajh.25153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Clinical coagulation assays are an integral part of diagnosing and managing patients with hemophilia; however, in this new era of bioengineered factor products and non-factor therapeutics, problems have arisen with use of traditional coagulation tests for the quantification of several of these new products. Discussion over the use of one-stage clotting assays versus chromogenic substrate assays for clinical decision making and potency labeling has been ongoing for many years. Emerging factor concentrates have heightened concern over assay selection and availability. Emicizumab interferes with all aPTT based assays, rendering them unreliable and potentially falsely reassuring to the unaware provider. This review explores considerations for coagulation assays in the clinical setting and highlights how awareness of institutional coagulation assays and potential limitations have never been more critical for providers caring for patients with bleeding disorders. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanny Al-Samkari
- Center for Hematology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Stacy E Croteau
- Boston Children's Hospital, Boston Hemophilia Center, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Interaction of Extracellular Vesicles with Si Surface Studied by Nanomechanical Microcantilever Sensors. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/app8030404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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