1
|
Roychoudhury A, Dear JW, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M, Bachmann TT. Amplification-free electrochemical biosensor detection of circulating microRNA to identify drug-induced liver injury. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 231:115298. [PMID: 37054598 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a major challenge in clinical medicine and drug development. There is a need for rapid diagnostic tests, ideally at point-of-care. MicroRNA 122 (miR-122) is an early biomarker for DILI which is reported to increase in the blood before standard-of-care markers such as alanine aminotransferase activity. We developed an electrochemical biosensor for diagnosis of DILI by detecting miR-122 from clinical samples. We used electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for direct, amplification free detection of miR-122 with screen-printed electrodes functionalised with sequence specific peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes. We studied the probe functionalisation using atomic force microscopy and performed elemental and electrochemical characterisations. To enhance the assay performance and minimise sample volume requirements, we designed and characterised a closed-loop microfluidic system. We presented the EIS assay's specificity for wild-type miR-122 over non-complementary and single nucleotide mismatch targets. We successfully demonstrated a detection limit of 50 pM for miR-122. Assay performance could be extended to real samples; it displayed high selectivity for liver (miR-122 high) comparing to kidney (miR-122 low) derived samples extracted from murine tissue. Finally, we successfully performed an evaluation with 26 clinical samples. Using EIS, DILI patients were distinguished from healthy controls with a ROC-AUC of 0.77, a comparable performance to qPCR detection of miR-122 (ROC-AUC: 0.83). In conclusion, direct, amplification free detection of miR-122 using EIS was achievable at clinically relevant concentrations and in clinical samples. Future work will focus on realising a full sample-to-answer system which can be deployed for point-of-care testing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Appan Roychoudhury
- Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
| | - James W Dear
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK; Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Till T Bachmann
- Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Conde AJ, Keraite I, Leslie NR, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M. Microfluidic Acoustic Method for High Yield Extraction of Cell-Free DNA in Low-Volume Plasma Samples. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2679:163-180. [PMID: 37300615 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3271-0_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Cell-free DNA has many applications in clinical medicine, in particular in cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment monitoring. Microfluidic-based solutions could provide solutions for rapid, cheaper, decentralized detection of cell-free tumoral DNA from a simple blood draw, or liquid biopsies, replacing invasive procedures or expensive scans. In this method, we present a simple microfluidic system for the extraction of cell-free DNA from low volume of plasma samples (≤500 μL). The technique is suitable for either static or continuous flow systems and can be used as a stand-alone module or integrated within a lab-on-chip system. The system relies on a simple yet highly versatile bubble-based micromixer module whose custom components can be fabricated with a combination of low-cost rapid prototyping techniques or ordered via widely available 3D-printing services. This system is capable of performing cell-free DNA extractions from small volumes of blood plasma with up to a tenfold increase in capture efficiency when compared to control methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro J Conde
- Micronit B.V., Enschede, Netherlands
- Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ieva Keraite
- Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
- University of Edinburgh, Infection Medicine, Edinburgh, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Haque ME, Conde AJ, MacPherson WN, Knight SR, Carter RM, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M. A microfluidic finger-actuated blood lysate preparation device enabled by rapid acoustofluidic mixing. Lab Chip 2022; 23:62-71. [PMID: 36477089 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00968d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
For many blood-based diagnostic tests, including prophylactic drug analysis and malaria assays, red blood cells must be lysed effectively prior to their use in an analytical workflow. We report on a finger-actuated blood lysate preparation device, which utilises a previously reported acoustofluidic micromixer module. The integrated device includes a range of innovations from a sample interface, to the integration of blisters on a laser engraved surface and a large volume (130 μL) one-stroke manual pump which could be useful in other low-cost microfluidic-based point-of-care devices. The adaptability of the acoustic mixer is demonstrated on highly viscous fluids, including whole blood, with up to 65% percent volume fraction of red blood cells. Used in conjunction with a lysis buffer, the micromixer unit is also shown to lyse a finger-prick (approximately 20 μL) blood sample in 30 seconds and benchmarked across ten donor samples. Finally, we demonstrate the ease of use of the fully integrated device. Cheap, modular, but reliable, finger-actuated microfluidic functions could open up opportunities for the development of diagnostics with minimal resources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Md Ehtashamul Haque
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
| | | | - William N MacPherson
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Stephen R Knight
- Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK
- Renal Transplant Unit, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 4TF, UK
| | - Richard M Carter
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lopresti F, Patella B, Divita V, Zanca C, Botta L, Radacsi N, O’Riordan A, Aiello G, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M, Inguanta R, La Carrubba V. Green and Integrated Wearable Electrochemical Sensor for Chloride Detection in Sweat. Sensors (Basel) 2022; 22:8223. [PMID: 36365929 PMCID: PMC9654961 DOI: 10.3390/s22218223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Wearable sensors for sweat biomarkers can provide facile analyte capability and monitoring for several diseases. In this work, a green wearable sensor for sweat absorption and chloride sensing is presented. In order to produce a sustainable device, polylactic acid (PLA) was used for both the substrate and the sweat absorption pad fabrication. The sensor material for chloride detection consisted of silver-based reference, working, and counter electrodes obtained from upcycled compact discs. The PLA substrates were prepared by thermal bonding of PLA sheets obtained via a flat die extruder, prototyped in single functional layers via CO2 laser cutting, and bonded via hot-press. The effect of cold plasma treatment on the transparency and bonding strength of PLA sheets was investigated. The PLA membrane, to act as a sweat absorption pad, was directly deposited onto the membrane holder layer by means of an electrolyte-assisted electrospinning technique. The membrane adhesion capacity was investigated by indentation tests in both dry and wet modes. The integrated device made of PLA and silver-based electrodes was used to quantify chloride ions. The calibration tests revealed that the proposed sensor platform could quantify chloride ions in a sensitive and reproducible way. The chloride ions were also quantified in a real sweat sample collected from a healthy volunteer. Therefore, we demonstrated the feasibility of a green and integrated sweat sensor that can be applied directly on human skin to quantify chloride ions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Lopresti
- Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, RU INSTM of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Bernardo Patella
- Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, RU INSTM of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Vito Divita
- Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, RU INSTM of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Claudio Zanca
- Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, RU INSTM of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Luigi Botta
- Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, RU INSTM of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Norbert Radacsi
- School of Engineering, Institute for Materials and Processes, The University of Edinburgh, King’s Buildings, Robert Stevenson Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FB, UK
| | - Alan O’Riordan
- Nanotechnology Group, Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, T12R5CP Cork, Ireland
| | - Giuseppe Aiello
- Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, RU INSTM of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Rosalinda Inguanta
- Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, RU INSTM of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo La Carrubba
- Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, RU INSTM of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ongaro AE, Ndlovu Z, Sollier E, Otieno C, Ondoa P, Street A, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M. Engineering a sustainable future for point-of-care diagnostics and single-use microfluidic devices. Lab Chip 2022; 22:3122-3137. [PMID: 35899603 PMCID: PMC9397368 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00380e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Single-use, disposable, point-of-care diagnostic devices carry great promise for global health, including meeting urgent needs for testing and diagnosis in places with limited laboratory facilities. Unfortunately, the production and disposal of single-use devices, whether in lateral flow assay, cartridges, cassettes, or lab-on-chip microfluidic format, also poses significant challenges for environmental and human health. Point-of-care devices are commonly manufactured from unsustainable polymeric materials derived from fossil sources. Their disposal often necessitates incineration to reduce infection risk, thereby creating additional release of CO2. Many devices also contain toxic chemicals, such as cyanide derivatives, that are damaging to environmental and human health if not disposed of safely. Yet, in the absence of government regulatory frameworks, safe and sustainable waste management for these novel medical devices is often left unaddressed. There is an urgent need to find novel solutions to avert environmental and human harm from these devices, especially in low- and middle-income countries where waste management infrastructure is often weak and where the use of point-of-care tests is projected to rise in coming years. We review here common materials used in the manufacture of single-use point-of-care diagnostic tests, examine the risks they pose to environmental and human health, and investigate replacement materials that can potentially reduce the impact of microfluidic devices on the production of harmful waste. We propose solutions available to point-of-care test developers to start embedding sustainability at an early stage in their design, and to reduce their non-renewable plastic consumption in research and product development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Zibusiso Ndlovu
- Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Southern Africa Medical Unit (SAMU), Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Collins Otieno
- African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Pascale Ondoa
- African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Alice Street
- School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
- Infection Medicine, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Haque ME, Marriott L, Naeem N, Henry T, Conde AJ, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M. A low-cost, open-source centrifuge adaptor for separating large volume clinical blood samples. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266769. [PMID: 35802693 PMCID: PMC9269434 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood plasma separation is a prerequisite in numerous biomedical assays involving low abundance plasma-borne biomarkers and thus is the fundamental step before many bioanalytical steps. High-capacity refrigerated centrifuges, which have the advantage of handling large volumes of blood samples, are widely utilized, but they are bulky, non-transportable, and prohibitively expensive for low-resource settings, with prices starting at $1,500. On the other hand, there are low-cost commercial and open-source micro-centrifuges available, but they are incapable of handling typical clinical amounts of blood samples (2-10mL). There is currently no low-cost CE marked centrifuge that can process large volumes of clinical blood samples on the market. As a solution, we customised the rotor of a commercially available low-cost micro-centrifuge (~$125) using 3D printing to enable centrifugation of large clinical blood samples in resource poor-settings. Our custom adaptor ($15) can hold two 9 mL S-Monovette tubes and achieve the same separation performance (yield, cell count, hemolysis, albumin levels) as the control benchtop refrigerated centrifuge, and even outperformed the control in platelet separation by at least four times. This low-cost open-source centrifugation system capable of processing clinical blood tubes could be valuable to low-resource settings where centrifugation is required immediately after blood withdrawal for further testing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Md Ehtashamul Haque
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Linda Marriott
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Noman Naeem
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Taygan Henry
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Alvaro J. Conde
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Micronit B.V., Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Infection Medicine, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kersaudy-Kerhoas M, Liga A, Roychoudhury A, Stamouli M, Grant R, Carrera DS, Schulze H, Mielczarek W, Oosthuyzen W, Quintana JF, Dickinson P, Buck AH, Leslie NR, Haas J, Bachmann TT, Dear JW. Microfluidic system for near-patient extraction and detection of miR-122 microRNA biomarker for drug-induced liver injury diagnostics. Biomicrofluidics 2022; 16:024108. [PMID: 35464137 PMCID: PMC9018095 DOI: 10.1063/5.0085078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) results in over 100 000 hospital attendances per year in the UK alone and is a leading cause for the post-marketing withdrawal of new drugs, leading to significant financial losses. MicroRNA-122 (miR-122) has been proposed as a sensitive DILI marker although no commercial applications are available yet. Extracellular blood microRNAs (miRNAs) are promising clinical biomarkers but their measurement at point of care remains time-consuming, technically challenging, and expensive. For circulating miRNA to have an impact on healthcare, a key challenge to overcome is the development of rapid and reliable low-cost sample preparation. There is an acknowledged issue with miRNA stability in the presence of hemolysis and platelet activation, and no solution has been demonstrated for fast and robust extraction at the site of blood draw. Here, we report a novel microfluidic platform for the extraction of circulating miR-122 from blood enabled by a vertical approach and gravity-based bubble mixing. The performance of this disposable cartridge was verified by standard quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis on extracted miR-122. The cartridge performed equivalently or better than standard bench extraction kits. The extraction cartridge was combined with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to detect miR-122 as an initial proof-of-concept toward an application in point-of-care detection. This platform enables the standardization of sample preparation and the detection of miRNAs at the point of blood draw and in resource limited settings and could aid the introduction of miRNA-based assays into routine clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Appan Roychoudhury
- Infection Medicine, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Marilena Stamouli
- Infection Medicine, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Rhiannon Grant
- Infection Medicine, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Damaso Sanchez Carrera
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Holger Schulze
- Infection Medicine, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | | | - Wilna Oosthuyzen
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen Mary Research Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Juan F. Quintana
- School of Biological Sciences, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Paul Dickinson
- School of Biological Sciences, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Amy H. Buck
- School of Biological Sciences, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Nicholas R. Leslie
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Jurgen Haas
- Infection Medicine, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Till T. Bachmann
- Infection Medicine, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - James W. Dear
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen Mary Research Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Naeem N, Drese KS, Paterson L, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M. Current and Emerging Microfluidic-Based Integrated Solutions for Free Hemoglobin and Hemolysis Detection and Measurement. Anal Chem 2021; 94:75-85. [PMID: 34860012 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c04567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noman Naeem
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, U.K
| | - Klaus-Stefan Drese
- The Institute of Sensor and Actuator Technology (ISAT), 96450 Coburg, Germany
| | - Lynn Paterson
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, U.K
| | - Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, U.K.,Infection Medicine, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, U.K
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Conde AJ, Keraite I, Ongaro AE, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M. Correction: Versatile hybrid acoustic micromixer with demonstration of circulating cell-free DNA extraction from sub-ml plasma samples. Lab Chip 2021; 21:2825. [PMID: 34165485 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc90069b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Correction for 'Versatile hybrid acoustic micromixer with demonstration of circulating cell-free DNA extraction from sub-ml plasma samples' by Alvaro J. Conde et al., Lab Chip, 2020, 20, 741-748, DOI: 10.1039/C9LC01130G.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro J Conde
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK. and Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ieva Keraite
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK. and Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alfredo E Ongaro
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK. and Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK and Department of Civil, Environmental, Aerospace and Materials Engineering (DICAM), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK. and Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Keraite I, Alvarez-Garcia V, Garcia-Murillas I, Beaney M, Turner NC, Bartos C, Oikonomidou O, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M, Leslie NR. PIK3CA mutation enrichment and quantitation from blood and tissue. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17082. [PMID: 33051521 PMCID: PMC7555501 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74086-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PIK3CA is one of the two most frequently mutated genes in breast cancers, occurring in 30–40% of cases. Four frequent ‘hotspot’ PIK3CA mutations (E542K, E545K, H1047R and H1047L) account for 80–90% of all PIK3CA mutations in human malignancies and represent predictive biomarkers. Here we describe a PIK3CA mutation specific nuclease-based enrichment assay, which combined with a low-cost real-time qPCR detection method, enhances assay detection sensitivity from 5% for E542K and 10% for E545K to 0.6%, and from 5% for H1047R to 0.3%. Moreover, we present a novel flexible prediction method to calculate initial mutant allele frequency in tissue biopsy and blood samples with low mutant fraction. These advancements demonstrated a quick, accurate and simple detection and quantitation of PIK3CA mutations in two breast cancer cohorts (first cohort n = 22, second cohort n = 25). Hence this simple, versatile and informative workflow could be applicable for routine diagnostic testing where quantitative results are essential, e.g. disease monitoring subject to validation in a substantial future study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ieva Keraite
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK.,Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH164SB, UK
| | - Virginia Alvarez-Garcia
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK.,Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Isaac Garcia-Murillas
- The Breast Cancer Now Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Matthew Beaney
- The Breast Cancer Now Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Nicholas C Turner
- The Breast Cancer Now Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK.,Breast Unit, Royal Marsden Hospital, Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Clare Bartos
- Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 2XR, UK.,Edinburgh Cancer Centre, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Olga Oikonomidou
- Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 2XR, UK.,Edinburgh Cancer Centre, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK.,Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH164SB, UK
| | - Nicholas R Leslie
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK. .,Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Ongaro AE, Di Giuseppe D, Kermanizadeh A, Miguelez Crespo A, Mencattini A, Ghibelli L, Mancini V, Wlodarczyk KL, Hand DP, Martinelli E, Stone V, Howarth N, La Carrubba V, Pensabene V, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M. Polylactic is a Sustainable, Low Absorption, Low Autofluorescence Alternative to Other Plastics for Microfluidic and Organ-on-Chip Applications. Anal Chem 2020; 92:6693-6701. [PMID: 32233401 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c00651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Organ-on-chip (OOC) devices are miniaturized devices replacing animal models in drug discovery and toxicology studies. The majority of OOC devices are made from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), an elastomer widely used in microfluidic prototyping, but posing a number of challenges to experimentalists, including leaching of uncured oligomers and uncontrolled absorption of small compounds. Here we assess the suitability of polylactic acid (PLA) as a replacement material to PDMS for microfluidic cell culture and OOC applications. We changed the wettability of PLA substrates and demonstrated the functionalization method to be stable over a time period of at least 9 months. We successfully cultured human cells on PLA substrates and devices, without coating. We demonstrated that PLA does not absorb small molecules, is transparent (92% transparency), and has low autofluorescence. As a proof of concept of its manufacturability, biocompatibility, and transparency, we performed a cell tracking experiment of prostate cancer cells in a PLA device for advanced cell culture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo E Ongaro
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.,Division of Infection and Pathway Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH164SB, United Kingdom.,Department of Engineering, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze building 5, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Davide Di Giuseppe
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Ali Kermanizadeh
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Bangor, LL57 2AS Bangor, United Kingdom
| | - Allende Miguelez Crespo
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Arianna Mencattini
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Lina Ghibelli
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Vanessa Mancini
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Pollard Institute, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Krystian L Wlodarczyk
- Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Duncan P Hand
- Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Eugenio Martinelli
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Vicki Stone
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola Howarth
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Vincenzo La Carrubba
- Department of Engineering, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze building 5, 90128 Palermo, Italy.,INSTM, Palermo Research Unit, Viale delle Scienze building 6, 90128 Palermo, Italy.,ATeN Center, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze building 18, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Virginia Pensabene
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Pollard Institute, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.,School of Medicine, Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.,Division of Infection and Pathway Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH164SB, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Conde AJ, Keraite I, Ongaro AE, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M. Versatile hybrid acoustic micromixer with demonstration of circulating cell-free DNA extraction from sub-ml plasma samples. Lab Chip 2020; 20:741-748. [PMID: 31960868 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc01130g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Acoustic micromixers have attracted considerable attention in the last years since they can deliver high mixing efficiencies without the need for movable components. However, their adoption in the academic and industrial microfluidics community has been limited, possibly due to the reduced flexibility and accessibility of previous designs since most of them are application-specific and fabricated with techniques that are expensive, not widely available and difficult to integrate with other manufacturing technologies. In this work, we describe a simple, yet highly versatile, bubble-based micromixer module fabricated with a combination of low-cost rapid prototyping techniques. The hybrid approach enables the integration of the module into practically any substrate and the individual control of multiple micromixers embedded within the same monolithic chip. The module can operate under static and continuous flow conditions showing enhanced mixing capabilities compared to similar devices. We show that the system is capable of performing cell-free DNA extractions from small volumes of blood plasma (≤500 μl) with up to a ten-fold increase in capture efficiency when compared to control methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro J Conde
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK. and Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ieva Keraite
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK. and Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alfredo E Ongaro
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK. and Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK and Department of Civil, Environmental, Aerospace and Materials Engineering (DICAM), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK. and Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Mielczarek WS, Obaje EA, Bachmann TT, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M. Microfluidic blood plasma separation for medical diagnostics: is it worth it? Lab Chip 2016; 16:3441-8. [PMID: 27502438 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc00833j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Circulating biomarkers are on the verge of becoming powerful diagnostic tools for various human diseases. However, the complex sample composition makes it difficult to detect biomarkers directly from blood at the bench or at the point-of-care. Blood cells are often a source of variability of the biomarker signal. While the interference of hemoglobin is a long known source of variability, the release of nucleic acids and other cellular components from hemocytes is a new concern for measurement and detection of circulating extracellular markers. Research into miniaturised blood plasma separation has been thriving in the last 10 years (2006-2016). Most point-of-care systems need microscale blood plasma separation, but developed solutions differ in complexity and sample volume range. But could blood plasma separation be avoided completely? This focused review weights the advantages and limits of miniaturised blood plasma separation and highlights the most interesting advances in direct capture as well as smart blood plasma separation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W S Mielczarek
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Busin V, Wells B, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M, Shu W, Burgess STG. Opportunities and challenges for the application of microfluidic technologies in point-of-care veterinary diagnostics. Mol Cell Probes 2016; 30:331-341. [PMID: 27430150 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Revised: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
There is a growing need for low-cost, rapid and reliable diagnostic results in veterinary medicine. Point-of-care (POC) tests have tremendous advantages over existing laboratory-based tests, due to their intrinsic low-cost and rapidity. A considerable number of POC tests are presently available, mostly in dipstick or lateral flow formats, allowing cost-effective and decentralised diagnosis of a wide range of infectious diseases and public health related threats. Although, extremely useful, these tests come with some limitations. Recent advances in the field of microfluidics have brought about new and exciting opportunities for human health diagnostics, and there is now great potential for these new technologies to be applied in the field of veterinary diagnostics. This review appraises currently available POC tests in veterinary medicine, taking into consideration their usefulness and limitations, whilst exploring possible applications for new and emerging technologies, in order to widen and improve the range of POC tests available.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Busin
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom; School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
| | - Beth Wells
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom.
| | - Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
| | - Wenmaio Shu
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NW, United Kingdom.
| | - Stewart T G Burgess
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Abstract
Exosomes, first isolated 30 years ago, are nanoscale vesicles shed by most types of cells. The nucleic acid rich content of these nanoparticles, floating in virtually all bodily fluids, has great potential for non-invasive molecular diagnostics and may represent a novel therapeutic delivery system. However, current isolation techniques such as ultracentrifugation are not convenient and do not result in high purity isolation. This represents an interesting challenge for microfluidic technologies, from a cost-effective perspective as well as for enhanced purity capabilities, and point-of-care acquisition and diagnosis. In this frontier review, we present the current challenges, comment the first microfluidic advances in this new field and propose a roadmap for future developments. This review enables biologists and clinicians familiar with exosome enrichment to assess the performance of novel microfluidic devices and, equally, enables microfluidic engineers to educate themselves about this new class of promising biomarker-rich particles and the challenges arising from their clinical use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Liga
- Heriot-Watt University, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Gandi SK, Watson D, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M, Desmulliez MPY, Bachmann T, Bridle H. Impact of microfluidic processing on bacterial ribonucleic acid expression. Biomicrofluidics 2015; 9:031102. [PMID: 26045727 PMCID: PMC4449352 DOI: 10.1063/1.4921819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial transcriptomics is widely used to investigate gene regulation, bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics, host-pathogen interactions, and pathogenesis. Transcriptomics is crucially dependent on suitable methods to isolate and detect bacterial RNA. Microfluidics offer ways of creating integrated point-of-care systems, analysing a sample from preparation, and RNA isolation to detection. A critical requirement for on-chip diagnostics to deliver on their promise is that mRNA expression is not altered via microfluidic sample processing. This article investigates the impact of the use of microfluidics upon RNA expression of bacteria isolated from blood, a key step towards proving the suitability of such systems for further development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Senthil Kumar Gandi
- Division of Infection and Pathway Medicine, University of Edinburgh , Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, United Kingdom
| | | | - Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University , Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Marc P Y Desmulliez
- Institute of Sensors, Signals and Systems, Heriot-Watt University , Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| | - Till Bachmann
- Division of Infection and Pathway Medicine, University of Edinburgh , Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Bridle
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University , Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Kersaudy-Kerhoas M, Amalou F, Che A, Kelly J, Liu Y, Desmulliez M, Shu W. Validation of a fully integrated platform and disposable microfluidic chips enabling parallel purification of genome segments for assembly. Biotechnol Bioeng 2014; 111:1627-37. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.25225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- Institute of Biological Chemistry; Biochemistry and Bioengineering; Heriot-Watt University; Edinburgh United Kingdom
| | - F. Amalou
- Institute of Biological Chemistry; Biochemistry and Bioengineering; Heriot-Watt University; Edinburgh United Kingdom
| | - A. Che
- Ginkgo Bioworks Inc.; 27 Drydock Ave Boston Massachusetts 02210
| | - J. Kelly
- Ginkgo Bioworks Inc.; 27 Drydock Ave Boston Massachusetts 02210
| | - Y. Liu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry; Biochemistry and Bioengineering; Heriot-Watt University; Edinburgh United Kingdom
| | - M.P.Y. Desmulliez
- Institute of Sensors; Signals and Systems; Heriot-Watt University; Edinburgh United Kingdom
| | - W. Shu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry; Biochemistry and Bioengineering; Heriot-Watt University; Edinburgh United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Abstract
Plasma is a rich mine of various biomarkers including proteins, metabolites and circulating nucleic acids. The diagnostic and therapeutic potential of these analytes has been quite recently uncovered, and the number of plasma biomarkers will still be growing in the coming years. A significant part of the blood plasma preparation is still handled manually, off-chip, via centrifugation or filtration. These batch methods have variable waiting times, and are often performed under non-reproducible conditions that may impair the collection of analytes of interest, with variable degradation. The development of miniaturised modules capable of automated and reproducible blood plasma separation would aid in the translation of lab-on-a-chip devices to the clinical market. Here we propose a systematic review of major plasma analytes and target applications, alongside existing solutions for micro-scale blood plasma extraction, focusing on the approaches that have been biologically validated for specific applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Campus, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
| | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Bridle H, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M, Miller B, Gavriilidou D, Katzer F, Innes EA, Desmulliez MPY. Detection of Cryptosporidium in miniaturised fluidic devices. Water Res 2012; 46:1641-1661. [PMID: 22305660 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2012.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2011] [Revised: 01/11/2012] [Accepted: 01/12/2012] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Contamination of drinking water with the protozoan pathogen, Cryptosporidium, represents a serious risk to human health due to the low infectious dose and the resistance of this parasite to chlorine disinfection. Therefore, several countries have legislated for the frequent monitoring of drinking water for Cryptosporidium presence. Existing approved monitoring protocols are however time-consuming and do not provide essential information on the species, virulence or viability of detected oocysts. Rapid, more information-rich and automatable systems for Cryptosporidium detection are highly sought-after, and numerous miniaturised devices have been developed to address this need. This review article aims to summarise the state-of-the-art and compare the performance of these systems in terms of detection limit, ability to determine species, viability and performance in the presence of interferents. Finally, conclusions are drawn with regard to the most promising methods and directions of future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helen Bridle
- University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Xue X, Patel MK, Kersaudy-Kerhoas M, Bailey C, Desmulliez MPY. Modelling and simulation of the behaviour of a biofluid in a microchannel biochip separator. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2011; 14:549-60. [PMID: 21331958 DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2010.485570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
This paper reports an investigation into the flow behaviour of a biofluid in a microchannel systems through conceptual analysis and modelling. The application is the design of a microfluidic chip developed for the separation of plasma from blood. The effect of key design features of the microchannels on the flow behaviour of the biofluid is explored. These include geometric features such as the constriction, bending channel, bifurcation and the channel length ratio between the main and side channels. The performance of each design is discussed in terms of separation efficiency of the red blood cells with respect to the rest of the medium. Particular phenomena such as the Fahraeus and Fahraeus-Lindqvist effects, the Zweifach-Fung bifurcation law and the cell-free layer are discussed. In this paper, the fluid is modelled as a single-phase flow assuming either Newtonian or Non-Newtonian behaviour to investigate the effect of the fluid viscosity on both flow and separation efficiency. For a flow rate-controlled Newtonian flow system, it is found that viscosity and outlet pressure have little effect on the velocity distribution through each of the microchannels. For a diluted fluid where the flow in the whole channel system is modelled with a uniform viscosity, less plasma is separated from blood than observed in the non-Newtonian case. This results in an increase in the flow rate ratio between the main and side channels. A comparison of Newtonian and non-Newtonian flows shows that both flows tend to behave identically with an increase in the shear strain rate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangdong Xue
- School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, UK.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Kersaudy-Kerhoas M, Kavanagh DM, Dhariwal RS, Campbell CJ, Desmulliez MPY. Validation of a blood plasma separation system by biomarker detection. Lab Chip 2010; 10:1587-95. [PMID: 20358050 DOI: 10.1039/b926834k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
A microfluidic system was developed for blood plasma separation at high flow rate. This system uses only hydrodynamic forces to separate plasma from whole blood. The microfluidic network features a series of constrictions and bifurcations to enhance the product yield and purity. A maximum purity efficiency of 100% is obtained on blood with entrance hematocrit level up to 30% with a flow rate of 2 mL h(-1). Flow cytometry was performed on the extracted plasma to evaluate the separation efficiency and to assess cell damage. A core target of this study was the detection of cell-free DNA from the on-chip extracted plasma. To this effect, PCR was successfully carried out off-chip on the cell-free DNA present in the plasma extracted on-chip. A house-keeping gene sequence (GAPDH) was amplified without the need for a purification after the separation, thereby showing the high quality of the plasma sample. The resulting data suggests that the system can be used as a preliminary module of a total analysis system for cell-free DNA detection in human plasma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- MIcroSystems Engineering Centre (MISEC), School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Earl Mountbatten Building, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Affiliation(s)
- M Kersaudy-Kerhoas
- Heriot-Watt University, MIcroSystems Engineering Centre, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Edinburgh, UK.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|