Micro-Organism-on-Chip: Emerging Direct-Write CMOS-Based Platform for Biological Applications

A Multidisciplinary Approach Toward High Throughput Label-Free Cytotoxicity Monitoring of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Abstract: This paper focuses on cytotoxicity examination of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) using different methods, including impedance spectroscopy. Recent advances of SPIONs for clinical and research applications have triggered the need to understand their effects in cells. Despite the great advances in adapting various biological and chemical methods to assess in-vitro toxicity of SPIONs, less attention has been paid on the development of a high throughput label-free screening platform to study the interaction between the cells and nanoparticles including SPIONs. In this paper, we have taken the first step toward this goal by proposing a label-free impedimetric method for monitoring living cells treated with SPIONs. We demonstrate the effect of SPIONs on the adhesion, growth, proliferation, and viability of neuroblastoma 2A (N2a) cells using impedance spectroscopy as a label-free method, along with other standard microscopic and cell viability testing methods as control methods. Our results have shown a decreased viability of the cells as the concentration of SPIONs increases with percentages of 59%, 47%, and 40% for 100 µg/mL (C4), 200 µg/mL (C5), 300 µg/mL (C6), respectively. Although all SPIONs concentrations have allowed the growth of cells within 72 hours, C4, C5, and C6 showed slower growth compared to the control (C1). The growth and proliferation of N2a cells are faster in the absence or low concentration of SPIONS. The percent coefficient of variation (% CV) was used to compare cell concentrations obtained by TBDE assay and a Scepter cell counter. Results also showed that the lower the SPIONs concentration, the lower the impedance is expected to be in the sensing electrodes without the cells. Meanwhile, the variation of surface area (∆S) was affected by the concentration of SPIONs. It was observed that the double layer capacitance was almost constant because of the higher attachment of cells, the lower surface area coated by SPIONs. In conclusion, impedance changes of electrodes exposed to the mixture of cells and SPIONs offer a wide dynamic range (>1 MΩ using Electric Cell-substrate Impedance electrodes) suitable for cytotoxicity studies. Based on impedance based, viability testing and microscopic methods' results, SPIONs concentrations higher than 100 ug/mL and 300 ug/mL cause minor and major effects, respectively. We propose that a high throughput impedance-based label-free platform provides great advantages for studying SPIONs in a cell-based context, opening a window of opportunity to design and test the next generation of SPIONs with reduced toxicity for biomedical or medical applications.

3D Hybrid Small Scale Devices

Interfacing nano/microscale elements with biological components in 3D contexts opens new possibilities for mimicry, bionics, and augmentation of organismically and anatomically inspired materials. Abiotic nanoscale elements such as plasmonic nanostructures, piezoelectric ribbons, and thin film semiconductor devices interact with electromagnetic fields to facilitate advanced capabilities such as communication at a distance, digital feedback loops, logic, and memory. Biological components such as proteins, polynucleotides, cells, and organs feature complex chemical synthetic networks that can regulate growth, change shape, adapt, and regenerate. Abiotic and biotic components can be integrated in all three dimensions in a well-ordered and programmed manner with high tunability, versatility, and resolution to produce radically new materials and hybrid devices such as sensor fabrics, anatomically mimetic microfluidic modules, artificial tissues, smart prostheses, and bionic devices. In this critical Review, applications of small scale devices in 3D hybrid integration, biomicrofluidics, advanced prostheses, and bionic organs are discussed.

Differential Ring Oscillator Based Capacitance Sensor for Microfluidic Applications

A simple high frequency capacitance sensor with 180 aF sensitivity is designed for a wide range of microfluidic applications. The sensor is implemented utilizing differential ring oscillators operating at [Formula: see text] MHz with a differential signal at [Formula: see text] MHz. The sensor occupies [Formula: see text] cm × 2 cm on a printed circuit board. The sensor is tuned using two precision variable capacitors and has a full scale range of [Formula: see text] pF. The sensor was able to detect less than 1% Isopropyl Alcohol in DI water and to detect 15 μm polystyrene spheres flowing over 25 μm lines and spaces coplanar electrodes in a microfluidic channel. The compact differential ring oscillator based architecture of the design makes it suitable to be integrated into microprocessor based systems for detection in Lab on Chip or Lab on Board applications.

Bacteria Growth Monitoring Through a Differential CMOS Capacitive Sensor

In this paper, we present a bacteria growth monitoring technique using a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor capacitive sensor. The proposed platform features a differential capacitive readout architecture with two interdigitized reference and sensing electrodes. These electrodes are exposed to pure Luria-Bertani (LB) medium and Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) bacteria suspended in the LB medium, respectively. In order to direct the solutions toward the electrodes, two microfluidic channels are implemented atop the electrodes through a direct-write assembly technique. We thereafter demonstrate and discuss the experimental results by using two different bacteria concentrations in the order of 10(6) and 10(7) per 1 mL in the LB medium.