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Ahmadi F, Tran H, Letourneau N, Little SR, Fortin A, Moraitis AN, Shih SCC. An Automated Single-Cell Droplet-Digital Microfluidic Platform for Monoclonal Antibody Discovery. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2308950. [PMID: 38441226 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202308950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibody (mAb) discovery plays a prominent role in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Droplet microfluidics has become a standard technology for high-throughput screening of antibody-producing cells due to high droplet single-cell confinement frequency and rapid analysis and sorting of the cells of interest with their secreted mAbs. In this work, a new method is described for on-demand co-encapsulation of cells that eliminates the difficulties associated with washing in between consecutive steps inside the droplets and enables the washing and addition of fresh media. The new platform identifies hybridoma cells that are expressing antibodies of interest using antibody-characterization assays to find the best-performing or rare-cell antibody candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Ahmadi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Hao Tran
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Natasha Letourneau
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Samuel R Little
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Annie Fortin
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Anna N Moraitis
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Steve C C Shih
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
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2
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Wells TN, Schmidt H, Hawkins AR. Constrained Volume Micro- and Nanoparticle Collection Methods in Microfluidic Systems. MICROMACHINES 2024; 15:699. [PMID: 38930668 PMCID: PMC11206162 DOI: 10.3390/mi15060699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Particle trapping and enrichment into confined volumes can be useful in particle processing and analysis. This review is an evaluation of the methods used to trap and enrich particles into constrained volumes in microfluidic and nanofluidic systems. These methods include physical, optical, electrical, magnetic, acoustic, and some hybrid techniques, all capable of locally enhancing nano- and microparticle concentrations on a microscale. Some key qualitative and quantitative comparison points are also explored, illustrating the specific applicability and challenges of each method. A few applications of these types of particle trapping are also discussed, including enhancing biological and chemical sensors, particle washing techniques, and fluid medium exchange systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanner N. Wells
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Holger Schmidt
- School of Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Aaron R. Hawkins
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
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3
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Vachon P, Merugu S, Sharma J, Lal A, Ng EJ, Koh Y, Lee JEY, Lee C. Microfabricated acoustofluidic membrane acoustic waveguide actuator for highly localized in-droplet dynamic particle manipulation. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:1865-1878. [PMID: 36852544 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc01192a] [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
Precision manipulation techniques in microfluidics often rely on ultrasonic actuators to generate displacement and pressure fields in a liquid. However, strategies to enhance and confine the acoustofluidic forces often work against miniaturization and reproducibility in fabrication. This study presents microfabricated piezoelectric thin film membranes made via silicon diffusion for guided flexural wave generation as promising acoustofluidic actuators with low frequency, voltage, and power requirements. The guided wave propagation can be dynamically controlled to tune and confine the induced acoustofluidic radiation force and streaming. This provides for highly localized dynamic particle manipulation functionalities such as multidirectional transport, patterning, and trapping. The device combines the advantages of microfabrication and advanced acoustofluidic capabilities into a miniature "drop-and-actuate" chip that is mechanically robust and features a high degree of reproducibility for large-scale production. The membrane acoustic waveguide actuators offer a promising pathway for acoustofluidic applications such as biosensing, organoid production, and in situ analyte transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Vachon
- Institute of Microelectronics, A*STAR, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
| | | | | | - Amit Lal
- Institute of Microelectronics, A*STAR, Singapore
- SonicMEMS Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA
| | - Eldwin J Ng
- Institute of Microelectronics, A*STAR, Singapore
| | - Yul Koh
- Institute of Microelectronics, A*STAR, Singapore
| | | | - Chengkuo Lee
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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4
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Lee SH, Cha B, Ko J, Afzal M, Park J. Acoustofluidic separation of proteins from platelets in human blood plasma using aptamer-functionalized microparticles. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2023; 17:024105. [PMID: 37153865 PMCID: PMC10162022 DOI: 10.1063/5.0140096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic liquid biopsy has emerged as a promising clinical assay for early diagnosis. Herein, we propose acoustofluidic separation of biomarker proteins from platelets in plasma using aptamer-functionalized microparticles. As model proteins, C-reactive protein and thrombin were spiked in human platelet-rich plasma. The target proteins were selectively conjugated with their corresponding aptamer-functionalized microparticles of different sizes, and the particle complexes served as a mobile carrier for the conjugated proteins. The proposed acoustofluidic device was composed of an interdigital transducer (IDT) patterned on a piezoelectric substrate and a disposable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic chip. The PDMS chip was placed in a tilted arrangement with the IDT to utilize both vertical and horizontal components of surface acoustic wave-induced acoustic radiation force (ARF) for multiplexed assay at high-throughput. The two different-sized particles experienced the ARF at different magnitudes and were separated from platelets in plasma. The IDT on the piezoelectric substrate could be reusable, while the microfluidic chip can be replaceable for repeated assays. The sample processing throughput with the separation efficiency >95% has been improved such that the volumetric flow rate and flow velocity were 1.6 ml/h and 37 mm/s, respectively. For the prevention of platelet activation and protein adsorption to the microchannel, polyethylene oxide solution was introduced as sheath flows and coating on to the walls. We conducted scanning electron microscopy, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy , and sodium dodecyl sulfate- analysis before and after the separation to confirm the protein capture and separation. We expect that the proposed approach will provide new prospects for particle-based liquid biopsy using blood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Ha Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Beomseok Cha
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongu Ko
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Muhammad Afzal
- Center of Immunology Marseille-Luminy, Aix-Marseille University, 171 Av, De Luminy, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Jinsoo Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
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5
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Ali M, Park J. Ultrasonic surface acoustic wave-assisted separation of microscale droplets with varying acoustic impedance. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY 2023; 93:106305. [PMID: 36706667 PMCID: PMC9938309 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2023.106305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In droplet-based microfluidic platforms, precise separation of microscale droplets of different chemical composition is increasingly necessary for high-throughput combinatorial chemistry in drug discovery and screening assays. A variety of droplet sorting methods have been proposed, in which droplets of the same kind are translocated. However, there has been relatively less effort in developing techniques to separate the uniform-sized droplets of different chemical composition. Most of the previous droplet sorting or separation techniques either rely on the droplet size for the separation marker or adopt on-demand application of a force field for the droplet sorting or separation. The existing droplet microfluidic separation techniques based on the in-droplet chemical composition are still in infancy because of the technical difficulties. In this study, we propose an acoustofluidic method to simultaneously separate microscale droplets of the same volume and dissimilar acoustic impedance using ultrasonic surface acoustic wave (SAW)-induced acoustic radiation force (ARF). For extensive investigation on the SAW-induced ARF acting on both cylindrical and spherical droplets, we first performed a set of the droplet sorting experiments under varying conditions of acoustic impedance of the dispersed phase fluid, droplet velocity, and wave amplitude. Moreover, for elucidation of the underlying physics, a new dimensionless number ARD was introduced, which was defined as the ratio of the ARF to the drag force acting on the droplets. The experimental results were comparatively analyzed by using a ray acoustics approach and found to be in good agreement with the theoretical estimation. Based on the findings, we successfully demonstrated the simultaneous separation of uniform-sized droplets of the different acoustic impedance under continuous application of the acoustic field in a label-free and detection-free manner. Insomuch as on-chip, precise separation of multiple kinds of droplets is critical in many droplet microfluidic applications, the proposed acoustofluidic approach will provide new prospects for microscale droplet separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mushtaq Ali
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Yongbong-ro 77, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinsoo Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Yongbong-ro 77, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea.
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6
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Xiao B, Zhao R, Wang N, Zhang J, Sun X, Chen A. Recent advances in centrifugal microfluidic chip-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification. Trends Analyt Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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7
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Khan MS, Sahin MA, Destgeer G, Park J. Residue-free acoustofluidic manipulation of microparticles via removal of microchannel anechoic corner. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY 2022; 89:106161. [PMID: 36088893 PMCID: PMC9464887 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2022.106161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Surface acoustic wave (SAW)-based acoustofluidics has shown significant promise to manipulate micro/nanoscale objects for biomedical applications, e.g. cell separation, enrichment, and sorting. A majority of the acoustofluidic devices utilize microchannels with rectangular cross-section where the acoustic waves propagate in the direction perpendicular to the sample flow. A region with weak acoustic wave intensity, termed microchannel anechoic corner (MAC), is formed inside a rectangular microchannel of the acoustofluidic devices where the ultrasonic waves refract into the fluid at the Rayleigh angle with respect to the normal to the substrate. Due to the absence of a strong acoustic field within the MAC, the microparticles flowing adjacent to the microchannel wall remain unaffected by a direct SAW-induced acoustic radiation force (ARF). Moreover, an acoustic streaming flow (ASF) vortex produced within the MAC pulls the particles further into the corner and away from the direct ARF influence. Therefore, a residue of particles continues to flow past the SAWs without intended deflection, causing a decrease in microparticle manipulation efficiency. In this work, we introduce a cross-type acoustofluidic device composed of a half-circular microchannel, fabricated through a thermal reflow of a positive photoresist mold, to overcome the limitations associated with rectangular microchannels, prone to the MAC formation. We investigated the effects of different microchannel cross-sectional shapes with varying contact angles on the microparticle deflection in a continuous flow and found three distinct regimes of particle deflection. By systematically removing the MAC out of the microchannel cross-section, we achieved residue-free acoustofluidic microparticle manipulation via SAW-induced ARF inside a half-circular microchannel. The proposed method was applied to efficient fluorescent coating of the microparticles in a size-selective manner without any residue particles left undeflected in the MAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Soban Khan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Mehmet Akif Sahin
- Control and Manipulation of Microscale Living Objects, Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Einsteinstraße 25, Munich 81675, Germany
| | - Ghulam Destgeer
- Control and Manipulation of Microscale Living Objects, Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Einsteinstraße 25, Munich 81675, Germany.
| | - Jinsoo Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea.
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8
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Kim S, Nam H, Cha B, Park J, Sung HJ, Jeon JS. Acoustofluidic Stimulation of Functional Immune Cells in a Microreactor. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:2105809. [PMID: 35686137 PMCID: PMC9165514 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202105809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The cytotoxic response of natural killer (NK) cells in a microreactor to surface acoustic waves (SAWs) is investigated, where the SAWs produce an acoustic streaming flow. The Rayleigh-type SAWs form by an interdigital transducer propagated along the surface of a piezoelectric substrate in order to allow the dynamic stimulation of functional immune cells in a noncontact and rotor-free manner. The developed acoustofluidic microreactor enables a dynamic cell culture to be set up in a miniaturized system while maintaining the performance of agitating media. The present SAW system creates acoustic streaming flow in the cylindrical microreactor and applies flow-induced shear stress to the cells. The suspended NK cells are found to not be damaged by the SAW operation of the adjusted experimental setup. Suspended NK cell aggregates subjected to an SAW treatment show increased intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. Simultaneously treating the NK cells with SAWs and protein kinase C activator enhances the lysosomal protein expressions of the cells and the cell-mediated cytotoxicity against target tumor cells. These have important implications by showing that acoustically actuated system allows dynamic cell culture without cell damages and further alters cytotoxicity-related cellular activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seunggyu Kim
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyDaejeon34141Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeono Nam
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyDaejeon34141Republic of Korea
| | - Beomseok Cha
- School of Mechanical EngineeringChonnam National UniversityGwangju61186Republic of Korea
| | - Jinsoo Park
- School of Mechanical EngineeringChonnam National UniversityGwangju61186Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Jin Sung
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyDaejeon34141Republic of Korea
| | - Jessie S. Jeon
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyDaejeon34141Republic of Korea
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9
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Acoustics-Actuated Microrobots. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13030481. [PMID: 35334771 PMCID: PMC8949854 DOI: 10.3390/mi13030481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Microrobots can operate in tiny areas that traditional bulk robots cannot reach. The combination of acoustic actuation with microrobots extensively expands the application areas of microrobots due to their desirable miniaturization, flexibility, and biocompatibility features. Herein, an overview of the research and development of acoustics-actuated microrobots is provided. We first introduce the currently established manufacturing methods (3D printing and photolithography). Then, according to their different working principles, we divide acoustics-actuated microrobots into three categories including bubble propulsion, sharp-edge propulsion, and in-situ microrotor. Next, we summarize their established applications from targeted drug delivery to microfluidics operation to microsurgery. Finally, we illustrate current challenges and future perspectives to guide research in this field. This work not only gives a comprehensive overview of the latest technology of acoustics-actuated microrobots, but also provides an in-depth understanding of acoustic actuation for inspiring the next generation of advanced robotic devices.
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10
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Siedlik MJ, Issadore D. Pico-washing: simultaneous liquid addition and removal for continuous-flow washing of microdroplets. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2022; 8:46. [PMID: 35498338 PMCID: PMC9050730 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-022-00381-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics is based on a toolbox of several established unit operations, including droplet generation, incubation, mixing, pico-injection, and sorting. In the last two decades, the development of droplet microfluidic systems, which incorporate these multiple unit operations into a workflow, has demonstrated unique capabilities in fields ranging from single-cell transcriptomic analyses to materials optimization. One unit operation that is sorely underdeveloped in droplet microfluidics is washing, exchange of the fluid in a droplet with a different fluid. Here, we demonstrate what we name the "pico-washer," a unit operation capable of simultaneously adding fluid to and removing fluid from droplets in flow while requiring only a small footprint on a microfluidic chip. We describe the fabrication strategy, device architecture, and process parameters required for stable operation of this technology, which is capable of operating with kHz droplet throughput. Furthermore, we provide an image processing workflow to characterize the washing process with microsecond and micrometer resolution. Finally, we demonstrate the potential for integrated droplet workflows by arranging two of these unit operations in series with a droplet generator, describe a design rule for stable operation of the pico-washer when integrated into a system, and validate this design rule experimentally. We anticipate that this technology will contribute to continued development of the droplet microfluidics toolbox and the realization of novel droplet-based, multistep biological and chemical assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Siedlik
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 United States
| | - David Issadore
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 United States
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 United States
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11
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Nam H, Sung HJ, Park J, Jeon JS. Manipulation of cancer cells in a sessile droplet via travelling surface acoustic waves. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 22:47-56. [PMID: 34821225 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00801c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The behaviours of microparticles inside a sessile droplet actuated by surface acoustic waves (SAWs) were investigated, where the SAWs produced an acoustic streaming flow and imparted an acoustic radiation force on the microparticles. The Rayleigh waves formed by a comb-like interdigital transducer were made to propagate along the surface of a LiNbO3 substrate in order to allow the manipulation of microparticles in a label-free and non-contact manner. Polystyrene microparticles were first employed to describe the behaviours inside a sessile droplet. The influence of the volume of the sessile droplet on the behaviours of the microparticles was examined by changing the contact angle of the droplet. Next, cancer cells were suspended in a sessile droplet, and the influence of contact angle on the behaviours of the cancer cells was investigated. A long gelation time was afforded by using a PEGylated fibrin gel. A primary tumour was mimicked by patterning the cancer cells to be concentrated in the middle of the sessile droplet. The non-contact manipulation property of acoustic waves was indicated to be biocompatible and enabled a structure-free platform configuration. Three-dimensional aggregated culture models were observed to make the cancer cells display an elevated expression of E-cadherin. The efficacy of the anticancer drug tirapazamine increased in the aggregated cancer cells, attributed to the low levels of oxygen in this formation of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeono Nam
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hyung Jin Sung
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jinsoo Park
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jessie S Jeon
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
- KAIST Institute for Health Science and Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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12
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Gerlt MS, Ruppen P, Leuthner M, Panke S, Dual J. Acoustofluidic medium exchange for preparation of electrocompetent bacteria using channel wall trapping. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:4487-4497. [PMID: 34668506 PMCID: PMC8577197 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00406a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Comprehensive integration of process steps into a miniaturised version of synthetic biology workflows remains a crucial task in automating the design of biosystems. However, each of these process steps has specific demands with respect to the environmental conditions, including in particular the composition of the surrounding fluid, which makes integration cumbersome. As a case in point, transformation, i.e. reprogramming of bacteria by delivering exogenous genetic material (such as DNA) into the cytoplasm, is a key process in molecular engineering and modern biotechnology in general. Transformation is often performed by electroporation, i.e. creating pores in the membrane using electric shocks in a low conductivity environment. However, cell preparation for electroporation can be cumbersome as it requires the exchange of growth medium (high-conductivity) for low-conductivity medium, typically performed via multiple time-intensive centrifugation steps. To simplify and miniaturise this step, we developed an acoustofluidic device capable of trapping the bacterium Escherichia coli non-invasively for subsequent exchange of medium, which is challenging in acoustofluidic devices due to detrimental acoustic streaming effects. With an improved etching process, we were able to produce a thin wall between two microfluidic channels, which, upon excitation, can generate streaming fields that complement the acoustic radiation force and therefore can be utilised for trapping of bacteria. Our novel design robustly traps Escherichia coli at a flow rate of 10 μL min-1 and has a cell recovery performance of 47 ± 3% after washing the trapped cells. To verify that the performance of the medium exchange device is sufficient, we tested the electrocompetence of the recovered cells in a standard transformation procedure and found a transformation efficiency of 8 × 105 CFU per μg of plasmid DNA. Our device is a low-volume alternative to centrifugation-based methods and opens the door for miniaturisation of a plethora of microbiological and molecular engineering protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Gerlt
- Mechanics and Experimental Dynamics, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Tannenstrasse 3, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - P Ruppen
- Bioprocess Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland.
- NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering, BPR 1095, Mattenstrasse 24a, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - M Leuthner
- Mechanics and Experimental Dynamics, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Tannenstrasse 3, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - S Panke
- Bioprocess Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland.
- NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering, BPR 1095, Mattenstrasse 24a, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - J Dual
- Mechanics and Experimental Dynamics, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Tannenstrasse 3, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
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13
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Peng T, Fan C, Zhou M, Jiang F, Drummer D, Jiang B. Rapid Enrichment of Submicron Particles within a Spinning Droplet Driven by a Unidirectional Acoustic Transducer. Anal Chem 2021; 93:13293-13301. [PMID: 34554739 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Efficient and rapid particle enrichment at the submicron scale is essential for research in biomedicine and biochemistry. Here, we demonstrate an acoustofluidic method for submicron particle enrichment within a spinning droplet driven by a unidirectional transducer. The unidirectional transducer generates intense sound energy with relatively low attenuation. Droplets placed offset in the wave propagation path on a polydimethylsiloxane film undergo strong pressure gradients, deforming into an ellipsoid shape and spinning at high speed. Benefitting from the drag force induced by the droplet spin and acoustic streaming and the radial force induced by the droplet compression and expansion, the submicron particles in the liquid droplet quickly enrich toward the central area following a spiral trajectory. Through numerical calculations and experimental processes, we have demonstrated the possible mechanism responsible for particle enrichment. The application of biological sample processing has also been exploited. This study anticipates that the strategy based on the spinning droplet and particle enrichment method will be highly desirable for many applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Peng
- State Key Laboratory of High Performance Complex Manufacturing, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Cui Fan
- State Key Laboratory of High Performance Complex Manufacturing, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Mingyong Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of High Performance Complex Manufacturing, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Fengze Jiang
- Institute of Polymer Technology (LKT), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nurnberg, Am Weichselgarten 9, Erlangen-Tennenlohe 91058, Germany
| | - Dietmar Drummer
- Institute of Polymer Technology (LKT), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nurnberg, Am Weichselgarten 9, Erlangen-Tennenlohe 91058, Germany
| | - Bingyan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of High Performance Complex Manufacturing, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
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14
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Qin X, Wei X, Li L, Wang H, Jiang Z, Sun D. Acoustic valves in microfluidic channels for droplet manipulation. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:3165-3173. [PMID: 34190278 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00261a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A novel concept of using acoustic valves in microfluidic channels is reported in this work for the first time. An acoustic valve is a controllable virtual barrier constructed with focused acoustic fields, which can control droplets into different branch channels or block and then release them to specific target channels. Compared with other droplet sorting devices using a surface acoustic wave, acoustic valves do not use an acoustic field to drive droplets but only block branch channels. Compared with other sorting methods, such as using dielectric and magnetic forces, acoustic valves do not need a high voltage or target sample modification. As a non-contact and low-damage manipulation method with minimal requirements for target samples, the use of acoustic valve is suitable for microfluidic applications like sorting and manipulation in biochemical experiments, especially those involving optical observation, fluorescence testing, and chemical reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianming Qin
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
| | - Xueyong Wei
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
| | - Lei Li
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
| | - Hairong Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
| | - Zhuangde Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
| | - Dong Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China. and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Centre for Robotics and Automation, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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15
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Taatizadeh E, Dalili A, Rellstab-Sánchez PI, Tahmooressi H, Ravishankara A, Tasnim N, Najjaran H, Li ITS, Hoorfar M. Micron-sized particle separation with standing surface acoustic wave-Experimental and numerical approaches. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY 2021; 76:105651. [PMID: 34242866 PMCID: PMC8267599 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2021.105651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Traditional cell/particle isolation methods are time-consuming and expensive and can lead to morphology disruptions due to high induced shear stress. To address these problems, novel lab-on-a-chip-based purification methods have been employed. Among various methods introduced for the separation and purification of cells and synthetics particles, acoustofluidics has been one of the most effective methods. Unlike traditional separation techniques carried out in clinical laboratories based on chemical properties, the acoustofluidic process relies on the physical properties of the sample. Using acoustofluidics, manipulating cells and particles can be achieved in a label-free, contact-free, and highly biocompatible manner. To optimize the functionality of the platform, the numerical study should be taken into account before conducting experimental tests to save time and reduce fabrication expenses. Most current numerical studies have only considered one-dimensional harmonic standing waves to simulate the acoustic pressure distribution. However, one-dimensional simulations cannot calculate the actual acoustic pressure distribution inside the microchannel due to its limitation in considering longitudinal waves. To address this limitation, a two-dimensional numerical simulation was conducted in this study. Our numerical simulation investigates the effects of the platform geometrical and operational conditions on the separation efficiency. Next, the optimal values are tested in an experimental setting to validate these optimal parameters and conditions. This work provides a guideline for future acoustofluidic chip designs with a high degree of reproducibility and efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erfan Taatizadeh
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada; Department of Chemistry, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada; School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculties of Applied Science and Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Arash Dalili
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Pamela Inés Rellstab-Sánchez
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Hamed Tahmooressi
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Adithya Ravishankara
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Nishat Tasnim
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Homayoun Najjaran
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Isaac T S Li
- Department of Chemistry, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Mina Hoorfar
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada.
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16
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Afzal M, Park J, Jeon JS, Akmal M, Yoon TS, Sung HJ. Acoustofluidic Separation of Proteins Using Aptamer-Functionalized Microparticles. Anal Chem 2021; 93:8309-8317. [PMID: 34075739 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c01198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
We propose an acoustofluidic method for the triseparation of proteins conjugated with aptamer-coated microparticles inside a microchannel. Traveling surface acoustic waves (TSAWs) produced from a slanted-finger interdigital transducer (SFIT) are used to separate the protein-loaded microparticles of different sizes via the TSAW-driven acoustic radiation force (ARF). The acoustofluidic device consists of an SFIT deposited onto a piezoelectric lithium niobate substrate and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channel on top of the substrate. The TSAWs propagating on the substrate penetrate into the sample fluid flow, where the human protein-conjugated microparticles are suspended, inside the PDMS microchannel. The microparticles are subjected to the TSAW-driven ARF with varying magnitude depending on their size and thus flow along different streamlines, leading to triseparation of the proteins. In this work, we used two different-sized streptavidin-functionalized polystyrene (PS) microparticles to capture two kinds of aptamers (apt15 and aptD17.4), which were labeled with a respective biotin molecule at one end. The biotin ends of the aptamers were attached to the microparticles through streptavidin-biotin linkage, whereas the free ends of the aptamers were used to capture their target proteins of thrombin (th) and immunoglobulin E (IgE). The resultant PS-apt15-th and PS-aptD17.4-IgE complexes, as well as mCardinal2, were used for experimental demonstration of acoustofluidic triseparation of the human proteins. We achieved simultaneous separation of proteins of three kinds (th, IgE, and mCardinal2) for the first time via the TSAW-driven ARF in the proposed acoustofluidic device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Afzal
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Jinsoo Park
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Korea
| | - Jessie S Jeon
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Muhammad Akmal
- Department of Materials Engineering, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Tae-Sung Yoon
- Department of Proteome Structural Biology, KRIBB, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Hyung Jin Sung
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
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17
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Sun H, Ren Y, Tao Y, Jiang T, Jiang H. Flexible online in-droplet cell/synthetic particle concentration utilizing alternating current electrothermal-flow field-effect transistor. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:1987-1997. [PMID: 34008589 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc01328e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Cell/particle concentration inside droplets holds great potential in extending lab-in-a-droplet applications, typically ranging from biological and chemical assays. Herein, we present a universal, massive and versatile technique, namely, alternating current electrothermal-flow field-effect transistor (ACET-FFET) to accomplish in-droplet cell/synthetic particle concentration on demand. Three parallel planar electrodes are utilized to generate an artificially reorderable electric field inside droplets by tuning the gate voltage through field-effect control, which results in a reshapable ACET-based microvortices pattern for in-droplet concentration. A downstream Y-shaped junction promotes the mother droplet splitting into two daughter droplets containing highly and poorly concentrated cells/particles, respectively. Fluorescent polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles are used to characterize the variations of ACET-microvortices flow pattern formation within droplets. Moreover, the concentration performance is demonstrated using PS microparticles and Neurospora crassa cells. We show that particles/cells can flexibly accumulate into any daughter droplet or be equally concentrated in both daughter droplets by conveniently regulating the gate voltage. The highly concentrated cells at the entrance of the concentrator show an instantaneous response performance to the external electric field. Further, online simultaneous particle synthesis and concentration inside droplets are proposed and implemented for the first time, demonstrated by efficient in-droplet micromixing and Prussian blue (PB) reaction. The accompanying synthetic PB particles are highly concentrated into either daughter droplet, thereby extending the versatility of the platform. The presented in-droplet concentration strategy, together with its unique features of simple geometric configuration, facile operation and broad applicability can broaden utility in droplet microfluidics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haizhen Sun
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang, PR China 150001.
| | - Yukun Ren
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang, PR China 150001. and State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang, PR China 150001
| | - Ye Tao
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang, PR China 150001.
| | - Tianyi Jiang
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang, PR China 150001.
| | - Hongyuan Jiang
- School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang, PR China 150001.
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18
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Liu Z, Fornell A, Tenje M. A droplet acoustofluidic platform for time-controlled microbead-based reactions. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2021; 15:034103. [PMID: 34025895 PMCID: PMC8131108 DOI: 10.1063/5.0050440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics is a powerful method used to characterize chemical reactions at high throughput. Often detection is performed via in-line optical readout, which puts high demands on the detection system or makes detection of low concentration substrates challenging. Here, we have developed a droplet acoustofluidic chip for time-controlled reactions that can be combined with off-line optical readout. The principle of the platform is demonstrated by the enzymatic conversion of fluorescein diphosphate to fluorescein by alkaline phosphatase. The novelty of this work is that the time of the enzymatic reaction is controlled by physically removing the enzymes from the droplets instead of using chemical inhibitors. This is advantageous as inhibitors could potentially interact with the readout. Droplets containing substrate were generated on the chip, and enzyme-coupled microbeads were added into the droplets via pico-injection. The reaction starts as soon as the enzyme/bead complexes are added, and the reaction is stopped when the microbeads are removed from the droplets at a channel bifurcation. The encapsulated microbeads were focused in the droplets by acoustophoresis during the split, leaving the product in the side daughter droplet to be collected for the analysis (without beads). The time of the reaction was controlled by using different outlets, positioned at different lengths from the pico-injector. The enzymatic conversion could be measured with fluorescence readout in a separate PDMS based assay chip. We show the ability to perform time-controlled enzymatic assays in droplet microfluidics coupled to an off-line optical readout, without the need of enzyme inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhua Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-752 37 Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Maria Tenje
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-752 37 Uppsala, Sweden
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
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19
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Qian J, Huang W, Yang R, Lam RHW, Lee JEY. Low-cost laser-cut patterned chips for acoustic concentration of micro- to nanoparticles and cells by operating over a wide frequency range. Analyst 2021; 146:3280-3288. [PMID: 33999056 DOI: 10.1039/d1an00197c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Acoustofluidic platforms for cell manipulation benefit from being contactless and label-free at potentially low cost. Particle concentration in a droplet relies on augmenting spatial asymmetry in the acoustic field, which is difficult to reproduce reliably. Etching periodic patterns into a chip to create acoustic band gaps is an attractive approach to spatially modify the acoustic field. However, the sensitivity of acoustic band structures to geometrical tolerances requires the use of costly microfabrication processes. In this work, we demonstrate particle concentration across a range of periodic structure patterns fabricated with a laser-cutting tool, suitable for low-cost and low-volume rapid prototyping. The relaxation on precision is underscored by experimental results of equally efficient particle concentration outside band gaps and even in their absence, allowing operation over a range of frequencies independent of acoustic band gaps. These results are significant by indicating the potential of extending the proposed method from the microscale (e.g. tumor cells) to the nanoscale (e.g. bacteria) by scaling up the frequency without being limited by fabrication capabilities. We demonstrate the device's high degree of biocompatibility to illustrate the method's applicability in the biomedical field for applications such as basic biochemical analysis and in vitro diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingui Qian
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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20
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Berlanda SF, Breitfeld M, Dietsche CL, Dittrich PS. Recent Advances in Microfluidic Technology for Bioanalysis and Diagnostics. Anal Chem 2020; 93:311-331. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c04366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon F. Berlanda
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maximilian Breitfeld
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Claudius L. Dietsche
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Petra S. Dittrich
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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21
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Gerlt MS, Haidas D, Ratschat A, Suter P, Dittrich PS, Dual J. Manipulation of single cells inside nanoliter water droplets using acoustic forces. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2020; 14:064112. [PMID: 33381252 PMCID: PMC7749759 DOI: 10.1063/5.0036407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics enables high-throughput screening of single cells and is particularly valuable for applications, where the secreted compounds are analyzed. Typically, optical methods are employed for analysis, which are limited in their applicability as labeling protocols are required. Alternative label-free methods such as mass spectrometry would broaden the range of assays but are harmful to the cells, which is detrimental for some applications such as directed evolution. In this context, separation of cells from supernatant is beneficial prior to the analysis to retain viable cells. In this work, we propose an in-droplet separation method based on contactless and label-free acoustic particle manipulation. In a microfluidic chip, nanoliter droplets containing particles are produced at a T-junction. The particles are trapped in the tip of the droplet by the interplay of acoustic forces in two dimensions and internal flow fields. The droplets are subsequently split at a second T-junction into two daughter droplets-one containing the supernatant and the other containing the corresponding particles. The separation efficiency is measured in detail for polystyrene (PS) beads as a function of droplet speed, size, split ratio, and particle concentration. Further, single-bead (PS) and single-cell (yeast) experiments were carried out. At a throughput of 114 droplets/min, a separation efficiency of 100% ± 0% was achieved for more than 150 droplets. Finally, mammalian cells and bacteria were introduced into the system to test its versatility. This work demonstrates a robust, non-invasive strategy to perform single yeast cell-supernatant sampling in nanoliter volumes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S. Gerlt
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Institute for Mechanical Systems (IMES), Tannenstrasse 3, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dominik Haidas
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Bioanalytics Group, Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Ratschat
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Institute for Mechanical Systems (IMES), Tannenstrasse 3, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Suter
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Institute for Mechanical Systems (IMES), Tannenstrasse 3, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Petra S. Dittrich
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Bioanalytics Group, Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jürg Dual
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Institute for Mechanical Systems (IMES), Tannenstrasse 3, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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22
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Han SI, Huang C, Han A. In-droplet cell separation based on bipolar dielectrophoretic response to facilitate cellular droplet assays. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:3832-3841. [PMID: 32926042 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00710b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Precise manipulation of cells within water-in-oil emulsion droplets has the potential to vastly expand the type of cellular assays that can be conducted in droplet-based microfluidics systems. However, achieving such manipulation remains challenging. Here, we present an in-droplet label-free cell separation technology by utilizing different dielectrophoretic responses of two different cell types. Two pairs of angled planar electrodes were utilized to generate positive or negative dielectrophoretic force acting on each cell type, which results in selective in-droplet movement of only one specific cell type at a time. A downstream asymmetric Y-shaped microfluidic junction splits the mother droplet into two daughter droplets, each of which contains only one cell type. The capability of this platform was successfully demonstrated by conducting in-droplet separation from a mixture of Salmonella cells and macrophages, two cell types commonly used as a bacterial pathogenicity analysis model. This technology enable the precise manipulation of cells within droplets, which can be exploited as a critical function in implementing broader ranges of droplet-based microfluidics cellular assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song-I Han
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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23
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Tian Z, Wang Z, Zhang P, Naquin TD, Mai J, Wu Y, Yang S, Gu Y, Bachman H, Liang Y, Yu Z, Huang TJ. Generating multifunctional acoustic tweezers in Petri dishes for contactless, precise manipulation of bioparticles. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabb0494. [PMID: 32917678 PMCID: PMC11206475 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb0494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Acoustic tweezers are a promising technology for the biocompatible, precise manipulation of delicate bioparticles ranging from nanometer-sized exosomes to millimeter-sized zebrafish larva. However, their widespread usage is hindered by their low compatibility with the workflows in biological laboratories. Here, we present multifunctional acoustic tweezers that can manipulate bioparticles in a disposable Petri dish. Various functionalities including cell patterning, tissue engineering, concentrating particles, translating cells, stimulating cells, and cell lysis are demonstrated. Moreover, leaky surface acoustic wave-based holography is achieved by encoding required phases in electrode profiles of interdigitated transducers. This overcomes the frequency and resolution limits of previous holographic techniques to control three-dimensional acoustic beams in microscale. This study presents a favorable technique for noncontact and label-free manipulation of bioparticles in commonly used Petri dishes. It can be readily adopted by the biological and medical communities for cell studies, tissue generation, and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhua Tian
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Zeyu Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Peiran Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Ty Downing Naquin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - John Mai
- Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Yuqi Wu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Shujie Yang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Yuyang Gu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Hunter Bachman
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Yaosi Liang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Zhiming Yu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Tony Jun Huang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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24
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Zhou J, Habibi R, Akbaridoust F, Neild A, Nosrati R. Paper-Based Acoustofluidics for Separating Particles and Cells. Anal Chem 2020; 92:8569-8578. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c01496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jason Zhou
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Ruhollah Habibi
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Farzan Akbaridoust
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Adrian Neild
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Reza Nosrati
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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25
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Qin X, Wang H, Wei X. Intra-droplet particle enrichment in a focused acoustic field. RSC Adv 2020; 10:11565-11572. [PMID: 35496581 PMCID: PMC9050619 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra01512a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Particle enrichment is an important preparation or collection process in biomedical and biochemical experiments, but the enrichment process in droplets is harder to realize than in continuous fluid. Here we demonstrate an on-chip, label-free and controllable intra-droplet particle enrichment realized in a focused acoustic field. In this process, droplets containing microparticles are trapped, merged together and split off in the focused acoustic region, resulting in droplets with particles of high concentration. By changing the experimental conditions, the degree of enrichment of this method can be tuned up to 26 times, which enables it to meet requirements for sample preparation in various applications. Particle enrichment is an important preparation/collection process in biomedical and biochemical experiments, but enrichment in droplets is harder to realize than in continuous fluid. We demonstrate an intra-droplet particle enrichment in a focused acoustic field.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianming Qin
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
- Xi'an
- China
| | - Hairong Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
- Xi'an
- China
| | - Xueyong Wei
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering
- Xi'an Jiaotong University
- Xi'an
- China
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26
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Liu Z, Fornell A, Barbe L, Hjort K, Tenje M. On-chip background dilution in droplets with high particle recovery using acoustophoresis. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2019; 13:064123. [PMID: 31832121 PMCID: PMC6897560 DOI: 10.1063/1.5129256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics has shown great potential for on-chip biological and chemical assays. However, fluid exchange in droplet microfluidics with high particle recovery is still a major bottleneck. Here, using acoustophoresis, we present for the first time a label-free method to achieve continuous background dilution in droplets containing cells with high sample recovery. The system comprises droplet generation, acoustic focusing, droplet splitting, picoinjection, and serpentine mixing on the same chip. The capacities of the picoinjection and the droplet split to dilute the background fluorescent signal in the droplets have been characterized. The sample recovery at different droplet split ratios has also been characterized. The results show a maximum of 4.3-fold background dilution with 87.7% particle recovery. We also demonstrated that the system can be used to dilute background fluorescent signal in droplets containing either polystyrene particles or endothelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Klas Hjort
- Department of Engineering Sciences, Uppsala University, 75271 Uppsala, Sweden
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27
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Afzal M, Park J, Destgeer G, Ahmed H, Iqrar SA, Kim S, Kang S, Alazzam A, Yoon TS, Sung HJ. Acoustomicrofluidic separation of tardigrades from raw cultures for sample preparation. Zool J Linn Soc 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Tardigrades are microscopic animals widely known for their ability to survive in extreme conditions. They are the focus of current research in the fields of taxonomy, biogeography, genomics, proteomics, development, space biology, evolution and ecology. Tardigrades, such as Hypsibius exemplaris, are being advocated as a next-generation model organism for genomic and developmental studies. The raw culture of H. exemplaris usually contains tardigrades themselves, their eggs, faeces and algal food. Experimentation with tardigrades often requires the demanding and laborious separation of tardigrades from raw samples to prepare pure and contamination-free tardigrade samples. In this paper, we propose a two-step acoustomicrofluidic separation method to isolate tardigrades from raw samples. In the first step, a passive microfluidic filter composed of an array of traps is used to remove large algal clusters in the raw sample. In the second step, a surface acoustic wave-based active microfluidic separation device is used to deflect tardigrades continuously from their original streamlines inside the microchannel and thus isolate them selectively from algae and eggs. The experimental results demonstrated the efficient separation of tardigrades, with a recovery rate of 96% and an impurity of 4% algae on average in a continuous, contactless, automated, rapid and biocompatible manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Afzal
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Jinsoo Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Ghulam Destgeer
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Husnain Ahmed
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Syed Atif Iqrar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Sanghee Kim
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, KOPRI, Incheon 21990, Korea
| | - Sunghyun Kang
- Department of Proteome Structural Biology, KRIBB, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Anas Alazzam
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
| | - Tae-Sung Yoon
- Department of Proteome Structural Biology, KRIBB, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Hyung Jin Sung
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea
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Sesen M, Fakhfouri A, Neild A. Coalescence of Surfactant-Stabilized Adjacent Droplets Using Surface Acoustic Waves. Anal Chem 2019; 91:7538-7545. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b05456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Muhsincan Sesen
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Armaghan Fakhfouri
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Adrian Neild
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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Doonan SR, Lin M, Bailey RC. Droplet CAR-Wash: continuous picoliter-scale immunocapture and washing. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:1589-1598. [PMID: 30963149 PMCID: PMC6478530 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00125e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
To address current limitations in adapting solid phase sample capture and washing techniques to continuously flowing droplet microfluidics, we have developed the "Coalesce-Attract-Resegment Wash" (CAR-Wash) approach. This module provides efficient, high-throughput magnetic washing by electrocoalescing magnetic bead-laden input droplets with a washing buffer flow and magnetophoretically transporting beads through the buffer into a secondary droplet formation streamline. In this work, we first characterized the technology in terms of throughput, sample retention, and flow-based exclusion of waste volume, demonstrating >500 Hz droplet processing with >98% bead retention and >100-fold dilution in final droplets. Next, we showed that the technique can be adapted to alternative commercially available magnetic beads with lower magnetite content per particle. Then, we demonstrated the CAR-Wash module's effectiveness in washing away a small molecule competitive inhibitor to restore the activity of magnetic bead-immobilized β-galactosidase. Finally, we applied the system to immunomagnetically enrich a green fluorescent protein-histone H2B fusion protein from cell lysate while washing away mCherry and other lysate components. We believe this approach will bridge the gap between powerful biochemical and bioanalytical techniques and current droplet microfluidic capabilities, and we envision future application in droplet-based immunoassays, solid phase extraction, and other complex, multi-step operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R Doonan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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