Localized microinjection of intact Drosophila melanogaster larva to investigate the effect of serotonin on heart rate

In this paper, we present a novel hybrid microfluidic device for localized microinjection and heart monitoring of intact Drosophila melanogaster larvae at different developmental stages. Drosophila heart at the larval stage has been used as a model for cardiac disorder studies. However, previous pharmacological and toxicological cardiac studies are limited to dissected (semi-intact) Drosophila larvae which cannot be used for post-treatment studies. Challenges associated with microinjection of intact larvae include delicate handling of individual larvae, proper orientation for microneedle penetration, localized microinjection with controlled amount of chemicals into the hemolymph and reversible immobilization for post-injection phenotypic studies, all addressed by our microfluidic device. Larva loading and orientation were achieved by glass capillaries integrated into the PDMS microfluidic device. Side suction channels were used for immobilization prior to heart activity recording. Localized microinjection was achieved with a one degree-of-freedom microneedle and a custom-made pressure driven reagent delivery system, without any adverse effect on heart rate and animal viability. Precision in localized injection into the body cavity close to the heart chamber or the fat body was demonstrated with our microfluidic device. A MATLAB-based heartbeat quantification technique was used to investigate the dose-dependent effect of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine), a neurotransmitter, on the heart rate of intact Drosophila larvae, for the first time. Injection of 40 nL serotonin with ≥0.01 mM concentration significantly increased the heart rate of 3^rd instar larvae by 21 ± 7% (SEM). Injection of 5 nL serotonin with a concentration of 0.01 mM significantly increased the heart rate of 2^nd instar larvae by 12 ± 3% (SEM). The proposed microfluidic injection and heartbeat monitoring technique can be used for dye angiography and hemolymph circulation studies as well as screening intravenous drugs in vivo using the whole-animal Drosophila melanogaster.

Fly-on-a-Chip: Microfluidics for Drosophila melanogaster Studies

The fruit fly or Drosophila melanogaster has been used as a promising model organism in genetics, developmental and behavioral studies as well as in the fields of neuroscience, pharmacology, and toxicology. Not only all the developmental stages of Drosophila, including embryonic, larval, and adulthood stages, have been used in experimental in vivo biology, but also the organs, tissues, and cells extracted from this model have found applications in in vitro assays. However, the manual manipulation, cellular investigation and behavioral phenotyping techniques utilized in conventional Drosophila-based in vivo and in vitro assays are mostly time-consuming, labor-intensive, and low in throughput. Moreover, stimulation of the organism with external biological, chemical, or physical signals requires precision in signal delivery, while quantification of neural and behavioral phenotypes necessitates optical and physical accessibility to Drosophila. Recently, microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip devices have emerged as powerful tools to overcome these challenges. This review paper demonstrates the role of microfluidic technology in Drosophila studies with a focus on both in vivo and in vitro investigations. The reviewed microfluidic devices are categorized based on their applications to various stages of Drosophila development. We have emphasized technologies that were utilized for tissue- and behavior-based investigations. Furthermore, the challenges and future directions in Drosophila-on-a-chip research, and its integration with other advanced technologies, will be discussed.

Recent Progress in Lab-On-a-Chip Systems for the Monitoring of Metabolites for Mammalian and Microbial Cell Research

Lab-on-a-chip sensing technologies have changed how cell biology research is conducted. This review summarises the progress in the lab-on-a-chip devices implemented for the detection of cellular metabolites. The review is divided into two subsections according to the methods used for the metabolite detection. Each section includes a table which summarises the relevant literature and also elaborates the advantages of, and the challenges faced with that particular method. The review continues with a section discussing the achievements attained due to using lab-on-a-chip devices within the specific context. Finally, a concluding section summarises what is to be resolved and discusses the future perspectives.