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Peng R, Ba F, Li J, Cao J, Zhang R, Liu WQ, Ren J, Liu Y, Li J, Ling S. Embedding Living Cells with a Mechanically Reinforced and Functionally Programmable Hydrogel Fiber Platform. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2305583. [PMID: 37498452 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202305583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Living materials represent a new frontier in functional material design, integrating synthetic biology tools to endow materials with programmable, dynamic, and life-like characteristics. However, a major challenge in creating living materials is balancing the tradeoff between structural stability, mechanical performance, and functional programmability. To address this challenge, a sheath-core living hydrogel fiber platform that synergistically integrates living bacteria with hydrogel fibers to achieve both functional diversity and structural and mechanical robustness is proposed. In the design, microfluidic spinning is used to produce hydrogel fiber, which offers advantages in both structural and functional designability due to their hierarchical porous architectures that can be tailored and their mechanical performance that can be enhanced through a variety of post-processing approaches. By introducing living bacteria, the platform is endowed with programmable functionality and life-like capabilities. This work reconstructs the genetic circuits of living bacteria to express chromoproteins and fluorescent proteins as two prototypes that enable the coloration of living fibers and sensing water pollutants by monitoring the amount of fluorescent protein expressed. Altogether, this study establishes a structure-property-function optimized living hydrogel fiber platform, providing a new tool for accelerating the practical applications of the emerging living material systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoxuan Peng
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Fang Ba
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jie Li
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jiayi Cao
- College of Fashion and Design, Donghua University, 1882 West Yan'an Road, Shanghai, 200051, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Wan-Qiu Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jing Ren
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jian Li
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Shengjie Ling
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, 201210, China
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Wahid E, Ocheja OB, Marsili E, Guaragnella C, Guaragnella N. Biological and technical challenges for implementation of yeast-based biosensors. Microb Biotechnol 2022; 16:54-66. [PMID: 36416008 PMCID: PMC9803330 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Biosensors are low-cost and low-maintenance alternatives to conventional analytical techniques for biomedical, industrial and environmental applications. Biosensors based on whole microorganisms can be genetically engineered to attain high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of selected analytes. While bacteria-based biosensors have been extensively reported, there is a recent interest in yeast-based biosensors, combining the microbial with the eukaryotic advantages, including possession of specific receptors, stability and high robustness. Here, we describe recently reported yeast-based biosensors highlighting their biological and technical features together with their status of development, that is, laboratory or prototype. Notably, most yeast-based biosensors are still in the early developmental stage, with only a few prototypes tested for real applications. Open challenges, including systematic use of advanced molecular and biotechnological tools, bioprospecting, and implementation of yeast-based biosensors in electrochemical setup, are discussed to find possible solutions for overcoming bottlenecks and promote real-world application of yeast-based biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehtisham Wahid
- DEI – Department of Electrical and Information Engineering – Politecnico di BariBariItaly
| | - Ohiemi Benjamin Ocheja
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment – University of Bari “A. Moro”BariItaly
| | - Enrico Marsili
- Nottingham Ningbo China Beacons of Excellence Research and Innovation InstituteNingboChina
| | - Cataldo Guaragnella
- DEI – Department of Electrical and Information Engineering – Politecnico di BariBariItaly
| | - Nicoletta Guaragnella
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment – University of Bari “A. Moro”BariItaly
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Hua Z, Man J, Liu G, Li J, Zhou C, Xia H, Li J. Complex Suspended Janus Droplets Constructed through Solvent Evaporation-Induced Phase Separation at the Air-Liquid Interface. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:10994-11002. [PMID: 36048165 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Phase separation technology has attracted extensive scientific interest because of its intriguing structure changes during the phase separation process. Phase separation inside emulsion droplets in continuous surroundings has been well studied in recent years. Many investigations have also been conducted to study the droplet phase separation phenomena in noncontinuous surroundings. However, studies on the phase separation phenomena and the spreading behavior of suspended droplets at the air-liquid interface were rarely reported. In this study, PEGDA-glycerol suspended Janus droplets with a patchy structure were produced by utilizing solvent evaporation-induced droplet phase separation at the air-liquid interface. By altering the glycerol/PEGDA volume ratio, the initial proportion of ethanol, and the concentration of surfactants, suspended droplets with different morphologies can be achieved, which include filbert-shaped droplets (FSDs), half lotus seedpod single-phase Janus droplets (HLSDs), lotus seedpod single-phase Janus droplets (LSDs), lotus seedpod-shaped droplets (LSSDs), multiple-bulge droplets (MBDs), and half gourd-shaped droplets (HGSDs). A patchy structure was generated at the air-droplet interface, which was attributed to the Marangoni stresses induced by nonuniform evaporation. Furthermore, a modified spreading coefficient theory was constructed and verified to illustrate the phase separation at the air-droplet interface, which was the first research to predict the phase separation phenomena at the air-liquid interface via spreading coefficients theory. Moreover, we studied the factors that led to the droplets being able to float by designing the combined parameters, including three interfacial tensions and the equilibrium contact angles. Therefore, a simple and versatile strategy for creating suspended Janus droplets has been developed for the first time, which holds significant potential in a variety of applications for material synthesis, such as the electrospinning solution behavior when sprayed from the nozzle into the air.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Chenchen Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
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Xiong C, Zhang B, Zhang R, Liu Y. An Experimental and Numerical Study of Polyelectrolyte Hydrogel Ionic Diodes: Towards Electrical Detection of Charged Biomolecules. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21248279. [PMID: 34960374 PMCID: PMC8707621 DOI: 10.3390/s21248279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Polyelectrolyte hydrogel ionic diodes (PHIDs) have recently emerged as a unique set of iontronic devices. Such diodes are built on microfluidic chips that feature polyelectrolyte hydrogel junctions and rectify ionic currents owing to the heterogeneous distribution and transport of ions across the junctions. In this paper, we provide the first account of a study on the ion transport behavior of PHIDs through an experimental investigation and numerical simulation. The effects of bulk ionic strength and hydrogel pore confinement are experimentally investigated. The ionic current rectification (ICR) exhibits saturation in a micromolar regime and responds to hydrogel pore size, which is subsequently verified in a simulation. Furthermore, we experimentally show that the rectification is sensitive to the dose of immobilized DNA with an exhibited sensitivity of 1 ng/μL. We anticipate our findings would be beneficial to the design of PHID-based biosensors for electrical detection of charged biomolecules.
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Moraskie M, Roshid MHO, O'Connor G, Dikici E, Zingg JM, Deo S, Daunert S. Microbial whole-cell biosensors: Current applications, challenges, and future perspectives. Biosens Bioelectron 2021; 191:113359. [PMID: 34098470 PMCID: PMC8376793 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Microbial Whole-Cell Biosensors (MWCBs) have seen rapid development with the arrival of 21st century biological and technological capabilities. They consist of microbial species which produce, or limit the production of, a reporter protein in the presence of a target analyte. The quantifiable signal from the reporter protein can be used to determine the bioavailable levels of the target analyte in a variety of sample types at a significantly lower cost than most widely used and well-established analytical instrumentation. Furthermore, the versatile and robust nature of MWCBs shows great potential for their use in otherwise unavailable settings and environments. While MWCBs have been developed for use in biomedical, environmental, and agricultural monitoring, they still face various challenges before they can transition from the laboratory into industrialized settings like their enzyme-based counterparts. In this comprehensive and critical review, we describe the underlying working principles of MWCBs, highlight developments for their use in a variety of fields, detail challenges and current efforts to address them, and discuss exciting implementations of MWCBs helping redefine what is thought to be possible with this expeditiously evolving technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Moraskie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute - BioNIUM, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Md Harun Or Roshid
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute - BioNIUM, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Gregory O'Connor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute - BioNIUM, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Emre Dikici
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute - BioNIUM, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Jean-Marc Zingg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute - BioNIUM, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Sapna Deo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute - BioNIUM, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Sylvia Daunert
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute - BioNIUM, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33146, USA; The Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33146, USA; Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33146, USA.
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Xia H, Li A, Man J, Li J, Li J. Fabrication of Multi-Layered Microspheres Based on Phase Separation for Drug Delivery. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:723. [PMID: 34205458 PMCID: PMC8235090 DOI: 10.3390/mi12060723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we used a co-flow microfluidic device with an injection and a collection tube to generate droplets with different layers due to phase separation. The phase separation system consisted of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate 700 (PEGDA 700), PEGDA 250, and sodium alginate aqueous solution. When the mixture droplets formed in the outer phase, PEGDA 700 in the droplets would transfer into the outer aqueous solution, while PEGDA 250 still stayed in the initial droplet, breaking the miscibility equilibrium of the mixture and triggering the phase separation. As the phase separation proceeded, new cores emerged in the droplets, gradually forming the second and third layers. Emulsion droplets with different layers were polymerized under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation at different stages of phase separation to obtain microspheres. Microspheres with different layers showed various release behaviors in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). The release rate decreased with the increase in the number of layers, which showed a potential application in sustained drug release.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Xia
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of MOE, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China; (H.X.); (J.L.); (J.L.)
- Key National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Ang Li
- School of Intelligent Engineering, Shandong Management University, Changqing, Jinan 250357, China;
| | - Jia Man
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of MOE, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China; (H.X.); (J.L.); (J.L.)
- Key National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Jianyong Li
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of MOE, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China; (H.X.); (J.L.); (J.L.)
- Key National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Jianfeng Li
- Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of MOE, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China; (H.X.); (J.L.); (J.L.)
- Key National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
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Gordillo Sierra AR, Alper HS. Progress in the metabolic engineering of bio-based lactams and their ω-amino acids precursors. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 43:107587. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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