Production of uniform-sized liquid droplets

An inexpensive "do-it-yourself" device for rapid generation of uniform tumor spheroids

Three-dimensional (3D) cancer cell culture models such as tumor spheroids better recapitulate in vivo tumors than conventional two-dimensional (2D) models. However, two major challenges limit the routine use of 3D tumor spheroids. Firstly, most existing methods of generating tumor spheroids are not high-throughput. Secondly, tumor spheroids generated using current methods are highly variable in dimension. Here, we describe a simple 'Do-It-Yourself (DIY)' device that can be assembled for less than $7 of parts and generate uniform tumor spheroids in a high-throughput manner. We used a simple phone coin vibrating motor to superimpose the vibration for breaking a laminar jet of cell-loaded alginate solution into equally sized spherical beads. We generated 3,970 tumor spheroids/min, which exhibited a hypoxic core recapitulating in vivo tumors and could be used to test the diffusion efficacy of anticancer drugs. Such low-cost, easy-to-fabricate, simple-to-operate systems with high-throughput outcomes are essential to democratize and standardize cancer research.

Single-Cell Microgels for Diagnostics and Therapeutics

Cell encapsulation within hydrogel droplets is transforming what is feasible in multiple fields of biomedical science such as tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, in vitro modeling, and cell-based therapies. Recent advances have allowed researchers to miniaturize material encapsulation complexes down to single-cell scales, where each complex, termed a single-cell microgel, contains only one cell surrounded by a hydrogel matrix while remaining <100 μm in size. With this achievement, studies requiring single-cell resolution are now possible, similar to those done using liquid droplet encapsulation. Of particular note, applications involving long-term in vitro cultures, modular bioinks, high-throughput screenings, and formation of 3D cellular microenvironments can be tuned independently to suit the needs of individual cells and experimental goals. In this progress report, an overview of established materials and techniques used to fabricate single-cell microgels, as well as insight into potential alternatives is provided. This focused review is concluded by discussing applications that have already benefited from single-cell microgel technologies, as well as prospective applications on the cusp of achieving important new capabilities.

Macrodrop-Impact-Mediated Fluid Microdispensing

High-resolution fluid dispensing techniques play a critical role in modern digital microfluidics, micro-biosensing, and advanced fabrication. Though most of existing dispensers can achieve precise and high-throughput fluid dispensing, they suffer from some inherent problems, such as specially fabricated dispensing micronozzles/microtips, large operating systems, low volume tunability, and poor performance for low surface tension liquids and liquids containing solid/liquid additives. Herein, the authors propose a facile, low-frequency micro dispensing technique based on the Rayleigh-Plateau instability of singular liquid jets, which are stimulated by the air cavity collapse arising in the impact of microliter drops on non-wetting surfaces. This novel dispensing strategy is capable to produce single microdrops of low-viscosity liquids with a tunable volume from picoliters to nanoliters, and the operational surface tension range covers most laboratory solvents. The dispensing function is implemented without using small-dimension nozzles/tips and enables handling diverse complex liquids. Moreover, the rather simple operating platform allows the integration of the whole dispensing function into a handy portable device with a low cost. Employing this microdispensing technique, the authors have controlled microchemical reactions, handled liquid samples in biological analysis, and fabricated smart materials and devices. The authors envision that this rational microdrop generator would find applications in various research areas.

Impact of electrostatic potential on microcapsule-formation and physicochemical analysis of surface structure: Implications for therapeutic cell-microencapsulation

Cell-encapsulation is used for preventing therapeutic cells from being rejected by the host. The technology to encapsulate cells in immunoprotective biomaterials, such as alginate, commonly involves application of an electrostatic droplet generator for reproducible manufacturing droplets of similar size and with similar surface properties. As many factors influencing droplet formation are still unknown, we investigated the impact of several parameters and fitted them to equations to make procedures more reproducible and allow optimal control of capsule size and properties. We demonstrate that droplet size is dependent on an interplay between the critical electric potential (U_c,), the needle size, and the distance between the needle and the gelation bath, and that it can be predicted with the equations proposed. The droplet formation was meticulously studied and followed by a high-speed camera. The X-ray photoelectron analysis demonstrated optimal gelation and substitution of sodium with calcium on alginate surfaces while the atomic force microscopy analysis demonstrated a low but considerable variation in surface roughness and low surface stiffness. Our study shows the importance of documenting critical parameters to guarantee reproducible manufacturing of beads with constant and adequate size and preventing batch-to-batch variations.

Cell Microencapsulation: Dripping Methods

Microencapsulation processes may be divided into three steps, namely: incorporation of the bioactive substance in the matrix, dispersion of the matrix in droplets, and conversion in microcapsules. This contribution is focused on the second step and more specifically using the dripping approach to form droplets by extrusion of liquid through a nozzle. Different technologies of dripping are described, using as an example the production of alginate beads.

Dynamics of high-speed micro-drop impact: numerical simulations and experiments at frame-to-frame times below 100 ns

Technologies including (3D-) (bio-)printing, diesel engines, laser-induced forward transfer, and spray cleaning require optimization and therefore understanding of micrometer-sized droplets impacting at velocities beyond 10 m s(-1). However, as yet, this regime has hardly been addressed. Here we present the first time-resolved experimental investigation of microdroplet impact at velocities up to V0 = 50 m s(-1), on hydrophilic and -phobic surfaces at frame rates exceeding 10(7) frames per second. A novel method to determine the 3D-droplet profile at sub-micron resolution at the same frame rates is presented, using the fringe pattern observed from a bottom view. A numerical model, which is validated by the side- and bottom-view measurements, is employed to study the viscous boundary layer inside the droplet and the development of the rim. The spreading dynamics, the maximal spreading diameter, the boundary layer thickness, the rim formation, and the air bubble entrainment are compared to theory and previous experiments. In general, the impact dynamics are equal to millimeter-sized droplet impact for equal Reynolds-, Weber- and Stokes numbers (Re, We, and St, respectively). Using our numerical model, effective scaling laws for the progression of the boundary layer thickness and the rim diameter are provided. The dimensionless boundary layer thickness develops in time (t) according to δBL ~ D0/√Re(t/τ)0.45, and the diameter of the rim develops as DRim ~ D0/√We(t/τ)0.68, with drop diameter D0 and inertial time scale τ = D0/V0. These scalings differ from previously assumed, but never validated, values. Finally, no splash is observed, at variance with many predictions but in agreement with models including the influence of the surrounding gas. This confirms that the ambient gas properties are key ingredients for splash threshold predictions.

Optimizing the setup of a flow cytometric cell sorter for efficient quantitative sorting of long filamentous cyanobacteria

Heterogeneity within natural phytoplankton communities makes it very difficult to analyze parameters at the single-cell level. Flow cytometric sorting is therefore a useful tool in aquatic sciences, as it provides material for post-sort analysis and culturing. Sorting subpopulations from natural communities, however, often requires handling morphologically diverse and complex particles with various abundances. Long particles, such as filament-forming cyanobacteria (>100-μm long), prove very difficult to handle. These potentially toxic organisms are widespread in eutrophic systems and have important ecological consequences. Being able to sort filamentous cyanobacteria efficiently and as viable cells is therefore highly desirable when studying factors associated with their toxicity and occurrence. This unconventional sorting requires extensive user experience and special instrument setup. We have investigated the effect of hydrodynamic and electromechanical components of a flow cytometer, and sorting protocol on the quantitative sorting efficiency of these long particles using two filamentous cyanobacterial strains with average lengths of ∼100 and ∼300 μm. Sorting efficiency ranged from 9.4 to 96.0% and was significantly affected by filament length, sorting envelope, drop delay (dd), and for the long species also by tip size, but not by cycle time. Filaments survived sorting and were not damaged. The optimal settings found for the modular MoFlo® cell-sorter to sort the filaments were a 100-μm flow tip at 30 psi (207 kPa) with a three-droplet envelope in Enrich mode while using an extended analysis time of 17.6 μs and an intermediate plate charge and deflection percentage combination of 3,000 V/60%, combined with a dd 0 for the cultures with 100-μm filaments and dd +1 for the culture with 300-μm filaments. To the best of our knowledge, the filaments up to 1063.5 μm sorted in this study are the longest ever sorted.

A novel pressure-driven piezodispenser for nanoliter volumes

A successful dispensing device has been built for use in biotechnology applications requiring nanoliter volume liquid transfer. Air pressure is used as the primary driving force and is controlled via a high speed miniature solenoid valve as opposed to many existing systems that use a valve in line with constantly pressurized fluid to start and stop the dispensing action. This automated pressure-driven system is used to improve a typical piezodriven microdispenser. The resulting system is much less prone to failures resulting from air entrainment and can dispense much higher viscosity fluids than the microdispenser alone.

Simultaneous measurement of diameter and position of spherical particles in a spray by an original imaging method

The size and the position of individual particles in a falling spray crossing a horizontal plane are measured simultaneously with a shadowgraph imaging setup. An original method for measurement of drop sizes based on a prescribed analytical form of the luminance distribution of the objects (i.e., the drops) is presented. The processing time is strongly reduced compared with that for the usual inversion techniques. The turbulent dispersion of drops in a grid-generated turbulence is studied. Evidence for the presence of coalescence in the spray is presented.

Factors governing the flow cytometric analysis and sorting of large biological particles

We have investigated the suitability of large flow cell tips for the flow cytometric analysis and sorting of large biological particles, including plant cells (pollen) and protoplasts. Using flow tips ranging in diameter from 79-204 micron, we have optimized conditions for the establishment of a stable hydrodynamic flow leading to accurate droplet production. We describe instrument modifications required for large particle sorting and demonstrate the use of these experimental conditions for the sorting to high purity of pollen and viable plant protoplasts possessing diameters as large as 95 micron. Our experiments have revealed a complex interaction among sorting efficiency, particle diameter, flow cell tip diameter and bimorphic crystal drive frequency. This interaction can be satisfactorily explained in terms of interference effects owing to phase differences between the particle-induced disturbance and the undulation driven by the bimorphic crystal.

Measured light-scattering properties of individual aerosol particles compared to mie scattering theory

Monodispersed spherical aerosols of 0.26-2-micro diameter with approximate range of indexes of refraction of atmospheric aerosols have been produced in the laboratory by atomization of liquids with a vibrating capillary. Integrated light scattered 8 through 38 degrees from the direction of forward scattering has been measured with a photoelectric particle counter and compared to Mie theory calculations for particles with complex indexes of refraction 1.4033-0i, 1.592-0i, 1.67-0.26i, and 1.65-0.069i. The agreement is good. The calculations take into account the particle counter white light illumination with color temperature 3300 K, the optical system geometry, and the phototube spectral sensitivity. It is shown that for aerosol particles of unknown index of refraction the particle counter size resolution is poor for particle size greater than 0.5micro, but good for particles in the 0.26-0.5-micro size range.