Lab-on-a-Chip Platforms for Airborne Particulate Matter Applications: A Review of Current Perspectives

Microfluidics in environmental analysis: advancements, challenges, and future prospects for rapid and efficient monitoring

Microfluidic devices have emerged as advantageous tools for detecting environmental contaminants due to their portability, ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and rapid response capabilities. These devices have wide-ranging applications in environmental monitoring of air, water, and soil matrices, and have also been applied to agricultural monitoring. Although several previous reviews have explored microfluidic devices' utility, this paper presents an up-to-date account of the latest advancements in this field for environmental monitoring, looking back at the past five years. In this review, we discuss devices for prominent contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, nutrients, microorganisms, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), etc. We cover numerous detection methods (electrochemical, colorimetric, fluorescent, etc.) and critically assess the current state of microfluidic devices for environmental monitoring, highlighting both their successes and limitations. Moreover, we propose potential strategies to mitigate these limitations and offer valuable insights into future research and development directions.

Research advances in microfluidic collection and detection of virus, bacterial, and fungal bioaerosols

Bioaerosols are airborne suspensions of fine solid or liquid particles containing biological substances such as viruses, bacteria, cellular debris, fungal spores, mycelium, and byproducts of microbial metabolism. The global Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the previous emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and influenza have increased the need for reliable and effective monitoring tools for bioaerosols. Bioaerosol collection and detection have aroused considerable attention. Current bioaerosol sampling and detection techniques suffer from long response time, low sensitivity, and high costs, and these drawbacks have forced the development of novel monitoring strategies. Microfluidic technique is considered a breakthrough for high performance analysis of bioaerosols. In recent years, several emerging methods based on microfluidics have been developed and reported for collection and detection of bioaerosols. The unique advantages of microfluidic technique have enabled the integration of bioaerosol collection and detection, which has a higher efficiency over conventional methods. This review focused on the research progress of bioaerosol collection and detection methods based on microfluidic techniques, with special attention on virus aerosols and bacterial aerosols. Different from the existing reviews, this work took a unique perspective of the targets to be collected and detected in bioaerosols, which would provide a direct index of bioaerosol categories readers may be interested in. We also discussed integrated microfluidic monitoring system for bioaerosols. Additionally, the application of bioaerosol detection in biomedicine was presented. Finally, the current challenges in the field of bioaerosol monitoring are presented and an outlook given of future developments.

Bridging the gap: harnessing liquid nanomachine know-how for tackling harmful airborne particulates

The emergence of "nanomotors", "nanomachines", and "nanorobotics" has transformed dynamic nanoparticle research, driving a transition from passive to active and intelligent nanoscale systems. This review examines two critical fields: the investigation of airborne particles, significant contributors to air pollution, and the rapidly emerging domain of catalytic and field-controlled nano- and micromotors. We examine the basic concepts of nano- and micromachines in motion and envision their possible use in a gaseous medium to trap and neutralize hazardous particulates. While past studies described the application of nanotechnology and nanomotors in various scenarios, airborne nano/micromachine motion and their control have yet to be thoroughly explored. This review intends to promote multidisciplinary research on nanomachines' propulsion and task-oriented applications, highlighting their relevance in obtaining a cleaner atmospheric environment, a critical component to consider for human health.

Applications of Lab on a Chip in Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus: A Systematic Review

Background and Objectives: Staphylococcus aureus is a prevalent bacterium capable of inducing various infections, including skin and soft tissue infections, bloodstream infections, pneumonia, and surgical site infections. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance in S. aureus, particularly methicillin-resistant S. aureus, has raised substantial concerns within global healthcare settings. Prior to antibiotic prescription, the ideal approach is antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST); however, this is frequently perceived as excessively complex and time-intensive. Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technology holds promise in addressing these challenges and advancing fundamental microbiological research while also aiding in the development of therapeutic strategies. This systematic review aims to evaluate the potential utility of LOC for AST of S. aureus. Materials and Methods: This study adhered to the PRISMA guidelines. Various databases, including SCOPUS, PubMed/MEDLINE, SCIELO, and LILACS, in addition to gray literature sources, were employed in the review process. Results: Sixteen studies were included in this systematic review. All these studies detailed the effectiveness, rapidity, and predictability of LOC systems for assessing S. aureus susceptibility to various antibiotics. When comparing the LOC approach to traditional manual methods, it was evident that LOC requires a minimal quantity of reagents. Furthermore, most studies reported that the entire LOC procedure took 10 min to 7 h, with results being equally accurate as those obtained through traditional AST protocols. Conclusions: The potential application of LOC for AST of S. aureus is emphasized by its ability to provide rapid access to minimum inhibitory concentration data, which can substantially aid in selecting the most suitable antibiotics and dosages for treating challenging infections caused by this microorganism. Moreover, the rapid AST facilitated by LOC holds promise for enhancing the appropriateness and efficacy of therapy in clinical settings.

On-site bioaerosol sampling and detection in microfluidic platforms

As the recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and several severe illnesses such as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Influenza A virus (IAV) flu, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) have been found to be airborne, the importance of monitoring bioaerosols for the control and prevention of airborne epidemic diseases outbreaks is increasing. However, current aerosol collection and detection technologies may be limited to on-field use for real-time monitoring because of the relatively low concentrations of targeted bioaerosols in air samples. Microfluidic devices have been used as lab-on-a-chip platforms and exhibit outstanding capabilities in airborne particulate collection, sample processing, and target molecule analysis, thereby highlighting their potential for on-site bioaerosol monitoring. This review discusses the measurement of airborne microorganisms from air samples, including sources and transmission of bioaerosols, sampling strategies, and analytical methodologies. Recent advancements in microfluidic platforms have focused on bioaerosol sample preparation strategies, such as sorting, concentrating, and extracting, as well as rapid and field-deployable detection methods for analytes on microfluidic chips. Furthermore, we discuss an integrated platform for on-site bioaerosol analyses. We believe that our review significantly contributes to the literature as it assists in bridging the knowledge gaps in bioaerosol monitoring using microfluidic platforms.