1
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Chen Y, Fu D, Wu X, Zhang Y, Chen Y, Zhou Y, Lu M, Liu Q, Huang J. Biomimetic biphasic microsphere preparation based on the thermodynamic incompatibility of glycosaminoglycan with gelatin methacrylate for hair regeneration. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 261:129934. [PMID: 38311145 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Hair follicle (HF) tissue engineering is promising for hair loss treatment especially for androgenetic alopecia. Physiologically, the initiation of HF morphogenesis relies on the interactions between hair germ mesenchymal and epithelial layers. To simulate this intricate process, in this study, a co-flowing microfluidic-assisted technology was developed to produce dual aqueous microdroplets capturing growth factors and double-layer cells for subsequent use in hair regeneration. Microspheres, called G/HAD, were generated using glycosaminoglycan-based photo-crosslinkable biological macromolecule (HAD) shells and gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) cores to enclose mesenchymal cells (MSCs) and mouse epidermal cells (EPCs). The findings indicated that the glycosaminoglycan-based HAD shells display thermodynamic incompatibility with GelMA cores, resulting in the aqueous phase separation of G/HAD cell spheres. These G/HAD microspheres exhibited favorable characteristics, including sustained growth factor release and wet adhesion properties. After transplantation into the dorsal skin of BALB/c nude mice, G/HAD cell microspheres efficiently induced the regeneration of HFs. This approach enables the mass production of approximately 250 dual-layer microspheres per minute. Thus, this dual-layer microsphere fabrication method holds great potential in improving current hair regeneration techniques and can also be combined with other tissue engineering techniques for various regenerative purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangpeng Chen
- Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Danlan Fu
- Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Xiaoqi Wu
- Department of Urology and Andrology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200001, China
| | - Yufan Zhang
- Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Yuxin Chen
- Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Yi Zhou
- Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Mujun Lu
- Department of Urology and Andrology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200001, China.
| | - Qifa Liu
- Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China.
| | - Junfei Huang
- Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China.
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2
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Nan L, Zhang H, Weitz DA, Shum HC. Development and future of droplet microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:1135-1153. [PMID: 38165829 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00729d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, advances in droplet-based microfluidics have facilitated new approaches to process and analyze samples with unprecedented levels of precision and throughput. A wide variety of applications has been inspired across multiple disciplines ranging from materials science to biology. Understanding the dynamics of droplets enables optimization of microfluidic operations and design of new techniques tailored to emerging demands. In this review, we discuss the underlying physics behind high-throughput generation and manipulation of droplets. We also summarize the applications in droplet-derived materials and droplet-based lab-on-a-chip biotechnology. In addition, we offer perspectives on future directions to realize wider use of droplet microfluidics in industrial production and biomedical analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lang Nan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Huidan Zhang
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - David A Weitz
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
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3
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Trinh TND, Do HDK, Nam NN, Dan TT, Trinh KTL, Lee NY. Droplet-Based Microfluidics: Applications in Pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:937. [PMID: 37513850 PMCID: PMC10385691 DOI: 10.3390/ph16070937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Droplet-based microfluidics offer great opportunities for applications in various fields, such as diagnostics, food sciences, and drug discovery. A droplet provides an isolated environment for performing a single reaction within a microscale-volume sample, allowing for a fast reaction with a high sensitivity, high throughput, and low risk of cross-contamination. Owing to several remarkable features, droplet-based microfluidic techniques have been intensively studied. In this review, we discuss the impact of droplet microfluidics, particularly focusing on drug screening and development. In addition, we surveyed various methods of device fabrication and droplet generation/manipulation. We further highlight some promising studies covering drug synthesis and delivery that were updated within the last 5 years. This review provides researchers with a quick guide that includes the most up-to-date and relevant information on the latest scientific findings on the development of droplet-based microfluidics in the pharmaceutical field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Ngoc Diep Trinh
- Department of Materials Science, School of Applied Chemistry, Tra Vinh University, Tra Vinh City 87000, Vietnam
| | - Hoang Dang Khoa Do
- NTT Hi-Tech Institute, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ward 13, District 04, Ho Chi Minh City 70000, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Nhat Nam
- Biotechnology Center, School of Agriculture and Aquaculture, Tra Vinh University, Tra Vinh City 87000, Vietnam
| | - Thach Thi Dan
- Department of Materials Science, School of Applied Chemistry, Tra Vinh University, Tra Vinh City 87000, Vietnam
| | - Kieu The Loan Trinh
- BioNano Applications Research Center, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Nae Yoon Lee
- Department of BioNano Technology, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea
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4
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Sun G, Qu L, Azi F, Liu Y, Li J, Lv X, Du G, Chen J, Chen CH, Liu L. Recent progress in high-throughput droplet screening and sorting for bioanalysis. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 225:115107. [PMID: 36731396 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Owing to its ability to isolate single cells and perform high-throughput sorting, droplet sorting has been widely applied in several research fields. Compared with flow cytometry, droplet allows the encapsulation of single cells for cell secretion or lysate analysis. With the rapid development of this technology in the past decade, various droplet sorting devices with high throughput and accuracy have been developed. A droplet sorter with the highest sorting throughput of 30,000 droplets per second was developed in 2015. Since then, increased attention has been paid to expanding the possibilities of droplet sorting technology and strengthening its advantages over flow cytometry. This review aimed to summarize the recent progress in droplet sorting technology from the perspectives of device design, detection signal, actuating force, and applications. Technical details for improving droplet sorting through various approaches are introduced and discussed. Finally, we discuss the current limitations of droplet sorting for single-cell studies along with the existing gap between the laboratory and industry and provide our insights for future development of droplet sorters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoyun Sun
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Lisha Qu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Fidelis Azi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology GTIIT, Shantou, Guangdong, 515063, China
| | - Yanfeng Liu
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Jianghua Li
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xueqin Lv
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Guocheng Du
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Chia-Hung Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Long Liu
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
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5
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Cao Y, Tian J, Lin H, Li Q, Xiao Y, Cui H, Shum HC. Partitioning-Induced Isolation of Analyte and Analysis via Multiscaled Aqueous Two-Phase System. Anal Chem 2023; 95:4644-4652. [PMID: 36855862 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Most fluorescence-based bioanalytical applications need labeling of analytes. Conventional labeling requires washing to remove the excess fluorescent labels and reduce the noise signals. These pretreatments are labor intensive and need specialized equipment, hindering portable applications in resource-limited areas. Herein, we use the aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) to realize the partitioning-induced isolation of labeled analytes from background signals without extra processing steps. ATPS is formed by mixing two polymers at sufficiently high concentrations. ATPS-based isolation is driven by intrinsic affinity differences between analytes and excess labels. To demonstrate the partitioning-induced isolation and analysis, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) is selected as the interfering fluorophore, and a monoclonal antibody (IgG) is used as the analyte. To optimize ATPS compositions, different molecular weights and mass fractions of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran and different phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) concentrations are investigated. Various operational scales of our approach are demonstrated, suggesting its compatibility with various bioanalytical applications. In centimeter-scale ATPS, the optimized distribution ratios of IgG and FITC are 91.682 and 0.998 using PEG 6000 Da and dextran 10,000 Da in 10 mM PBS. In millimeter-scale ATPS, the analyte is enriched to 6.067 fold using 15 wt % PEG 35,000 Da and 5 wt % dextran 500,000 Da in 10 mM PBS. In microscale ATPS, analyte dilutions are isolated into picoliter droplets, and the measured fluorescence intensities linearly correlated with the analyte concentrations (R2 = 0.982).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Cao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Jingxuan Tian
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Haisong Lin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China.,Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Qingchuan Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Research Center for Colloidal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China.,Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Yang Xiao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Huanqing Cui
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China.,Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
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6
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Nan L, Mao T, Shum HC. Self-synchronization of reinjected droplets for high-efficiency droplet pairing and merging. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2023; 9:24. [PMID: 36910256 PMCID: PMC9995457 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00502-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Droplet merging serves as a powerful tool to add reagents to moving droplets for biological and chemical reactions. However, unsynchronized droplet pairing impedes high-efficiency merging. Here, we develop a microfluidic design for the self-synchronization of reinjected droplets. A periodic increase in the hydrodynamic resistance caused by droplet blocking a T-junction enables automatic pairing of droplets. After inducing spacing, the paired droplets merge downstream under an electric field. The blockage-based design can achieve a 100% synchronization efficiency even when the mismatch rate of droplet frequencies reaches 10%. Over 98% of the droplets can still be synchronized at nonuniform droplet sizes and fluctuating reinjection flow rates. Moreover, the droplet pairing ratio can be adjusted flexibly for on-demand sample addition. Using this system, we merge two groups of droplets encapsulating enzyme/substrate, demonstrating its capacity to conduct multi-step reactions. We also combine droplet sorting and merging to coencapsulate single cells and single beads, providing a basis for high-efficiency single-cell sequencing. We expect that this system can be integrated with other droplet manipulation systems for a broad range of chemical and biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lang Nan
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong China
| | - Tianjiao Mao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong China
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
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7
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On Classification of Water-in-Oil and Oil-in-Water Droplet Generation Regimes in Flow-Focusing Microfluidic Devices. COLLOIDS AND INTERFACES 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/colloids7010017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this research work is to propose a phase diagram that can be used to find a proper operating condition for generating droplets of different types. It is found that the phase diagram of QR versus CaD can effectively classify the droplet generation into three vivid regimes: dripping, jetting and tubing. For the dripping regime, its operating condition is in the range of either CaD < 10−4 and QR < 50 or 10−3 < CaD < 10−4 and QR < 1. For the jetting regime, its operating condition is in the range of either CaD < 1.35 × 10−2 and QR > 100 or CaD > 1.35 × 10−2 and QR > 1. For the tubing regime, its operating condition is in the range of CaD > 1.35 × 10−2 and QR < 1.
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8
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Esquena J. Recent advances on water-in-water emulsions in segregative systems of two water-soluble polymers. Curr Opin Food Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cofs.2023.101010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
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9
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Yang L, Hung LY, Zhu Y, Ding S, Margolis KG, Leong KW. Material Engineering in Gut Microbiome and Human Health. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2022; 2022:9804014. [PMID: 35958108 PMCID: PMC9343081 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9804014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Tremendous progress has been made in the past decade regarding our understanding of the gut microbiome's role in human health. Currently, however, a comprehensive and focused review marrying the two distinct fields of gut microbiome and material research is lacking. To bridge the gap, the current paper discusses critical aspects of the rapidly emerging research topic of "material engineering in the gut microbiome and human health." By engaging scientists with diverse backgrounds in biomaterials, gut-microbiome axis, neuroscience, synthetic biology, tissue engineering, and biosensing in a dialogue, our goal is to accelerate the development of research tools for gut microbiome research and the development of therapeutics that target the gut microbiome. For this purpose, state-of-the-art knowledge is presented here on biomaterial technologies that facilitate the study, analysis, and manipulation of the gut microbiome, including intestinal organoids, gut-on-chip models, hydrogels for spatial mapping of gut microbiome compositions, microbiome biosensors, and oral bacteria delivery systems. In addition, a discussion is provided regarding the microbiome-gut-brain axis and the critical roles that biomaterials can play to investigate and regulate the axis. Lastly, perspectives are provided regarding future directions on how to develop and use novel biomaterials in gut microbiome research, as well as essential regulatory rules in clinical translation. In this way, we hope to inspire research into future biomaterial technologies to advance gut microbiome research and gut microbiome-based theragnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letao Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lin Y. Hung
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yuefei Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Suwan Ding
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kara G. Margolis
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kam W. Leong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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10
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Zhou C, Zhu P, Tian Y, Shi R, Wang L. Progress in all-aqueous droplets generation with microfluidics: Mechanisms of formation and stability improvements. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2022; 3:021301. [PMID: 38505416 PMCID: PMC10914135 DOI: 10.1063/5.0054201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
All-aqueous systems have attracted intensive attention as a promising platform for applications in cell separation, protein partitioning, and DNA extraction, due to their selective separation capability, rapid mass transfer, and good biocompatibility. Reliable generation of all-aqueous droplets with accurate control over their size and size distribution is vital to meet the increasingly growing demands in emulsion-based applications. However, the ultra-low interfacial tension and large effective interfacial thickness of the water-water interface pose challenges for the generation and stabilization of uniform all-aqueous droplets, respectively. Microfluidics technology has emerged as a versatile platform for the precision generation of all-aqueous droplets with improved stability. This review aims to systematize the controllable generation of all-aqueous droplets and summarize various strategies to improve their stability with microfluidics. We first provide a comprehensive review on the recent progress of all-aqueous droplets generation with microfluidics by detailing the properties of all-aqueous systems, mechanisms of droplet formation, active and passive methods for droplet generation, and the property of droplets. We then review the various strategies used to improve the stability of all-aqueous droplets and discuss the fabrication of biomaterials using all-aqueous droplets as liquid templates. We envision that this review will benefit the future development of all-aqueous droplet generation and its applications in developing biomaterials, which will be useful for researchers working in the field of all-aqueous systems and those who are new and interested in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pingan Zhu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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11
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Wei C, Yu C, Li S, Meng J, Li T, Cheng J, Pan F, Li J. Easy-to-Operate Co-flow Step Emulsification Device for Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction. Anal Chem 2022; 94:3939-3947. [PMID: 35200004 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c04983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) plays important roles in the detection and quantification of nucleic acid targets, while there still remain challenges including high cost, complex operation, and low integration of the instrumental system. Here, in this work, a novel microfluidic chip based on co-flow step emulsification is proposed for droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), which can achieve droplet generation, droplet array self-assembly, PCR amplification, and fluorescence detection on a single device. With the combination of single-layer lithography and punching operation, a step microstructure was constructed and it served as the key element to develop a Laplace pressure gradient at the Rayleigh-Plateau instability interface so as to achieve droplet generation. It is demonstrated that the fabrication of step microstructure is low cost, easy-to-operate, and reliable. In addition, the single droplet volume can be adjusted flexibly due to the co-flow design; thus, the ddPCR chip can get an ultrahigh upper limit of quantification to deal with DNA templates with high concentrations. Furthermore, the volume fraction of the resulting droplets in this ddPCR chip can be up to 72% and it results in closely spaced droplet arrays, makes the best of CCD camera for fluorescence detections, and is beneficial for the minimization of a ddPCR system. The quantitative capability of the ddPCR chip was evaluated by measuring template DNA at concentrations from 20 to 50 000 copies/μL. Owing to the characteristics of low cost, easy operation, excellent quantitative capability, and minimization, the proposed ddPCR chip meets the requirements of DNA molecule quantification and is expected to be applied in the point-of-care testing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyang Wei
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Robotic Sensing and Human-robot Interactions, School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300132, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, China
| | - Chengzhuang Yu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Robotic Sensing and Human-robot Interactions, School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300132, China
| | - Shanshan Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Robotic Sensing and Human-robot Interactions, School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300132, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, China
| | - Jiyu Meng
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Robotic Sensing and Human-robot Interactions, School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300132, China
| | - Tiejun Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Robotic Sensing and Human-robot Interactions, School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300132, China
| | - Jingmeng Cheng
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Robotic Sensing and Human-robot Interactions, School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300132, China
| | - Feng Pan
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Robotic Sensing and Human-robot Interactions, School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300132, China
| | - Junwei Li
- Institute of Biophysics, School of Health Science and Biomedical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China.,Department of Electronics and Information Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Langfang 065000, China
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12
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Zhong R, Yang S, Ugolini GS, Naquin T, Zhang J, Yang K, Xia J, Konry T, Huang TJ. Acoustofluidic Droplet Sorter Based on Single Phase Focused Transducers. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2103848. [PMID: 34658129 PMCID: PMC8686687 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202103848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics has revolutionized the biomedical and drug development fields by allowing for independent microenvironments to conduct drug screening at the single cell level. However, current microfluidic sorting devices suffer from drawbacks such as high voltage requirements (e.g., >200 Vpp), low biocompatibility, and/or low throughput. In this article, a single-phase focused transducer (SPFT)-based acoustofluidic chip is introduced, which outperforms many microfluidic droplet sorting devices through high energy transmission efficiency, high accuracy, and high biocompatibility. The SPFT-based sorter can be driven with an input power lower than 20 Vpp and maintain a postsorting cell viability of 93.5%. The SPFT sorter can achieve a throughput over 1000 events per second and a sorting purity up to 99.2%. The SPFT sorter is utilized here for the screening of doxorubicin cytotoxicity on cancer and noncancer cells, proving its drug screening capability. Overall, the SPFT droplet sorting device shows great potential for fast, precise, and biocompatible drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyu Zhong
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Shujie Yang
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Giovanni Stefano Ugolini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty, School of Pharmacy, Northeastern University, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA
| | - Ty Naquin
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Jinxin Zhang
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Kaichun Yang
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Jianping Xia
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Tania Konry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty, School of Pharmacy, Northeastern University, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA
| | - Tony Jun Huang
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
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13
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Kamnerdsook A, Juntasaro E, Khemthongcharoen N, Chanasakulniyom M, Sripumkhai W, Pattamang P, Promptmas C, Atthi N, Jeamsaksiri W. Formation of double emulsion micro-droplets in a microfluidic device using a partially hydrophilic-hydrophobic surface. RSC Adv 2021; 11:35653-35662. [PMID: 35493190 PMCID: PMC9043265 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra06887c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to propose a surface modification method for preparing PDMS microfluidic devices with partially hydrophilic–hydrophobic surfaces for generating double emulsion droplets. The device is designed to be easy to use without any complicated preparation process and also to achieve high droplet encapsulation efficiency compared to conventional devices. The key component of this preparation process is the permanent chemical coating for which the Pluronic surfactant is added into the bulk PDMS. The addition of Pluronic surfactant can modify the surface property of PDMS from a fully hydrophobic surface to a partially hydrophilic–hydrophobic surface whose property can be either hydrophilic or hydrophobic depending on the air- or water-treatment condition. In order to control the surface wettability, this microfluidic device with the partially hydrophilic–hydrophobic surface undergoes water treatment by injecting deionized water into the specific microchannels where their surface property changes to hydrophilic. This microfluidic device is tested by generating monodisperse water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) double emulsion micro-droplets for which the maximum droplet encapsulation efficiency of 92.4% is achieved with the average outer and inner diameters of 75.0 and 57.7 μm, respectively. (a) Droplet encapsulation efficiency & inner and outer diameters of water-in-oil-in-water droplets at various frequency ratios and flow rate ratios and (b) Images of water-in-oil-in-water droplets over a frequency-ratio range of fr = 0.73–1.30![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Ampol Kamnerdsook
- Mechanical Engineering Simulation and Design Group, The Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering (TGGS), King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok Bangkok 10800 Thailand
| | - Ekachai Juntasaro
- Mechanical Engineering Simulation and Design Group, The Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering (TGGS), King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok Bangkok 10800 Thailand
| | - Numfon Khemthongcharoen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University Nakhon Pathom 73170 Thailand
| | - Mayuree Chanasakulniyom
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University Nakhon Pathom 73170 Thailand
| | - Witsaroot Sripumkhai
- Thai Microelectronics Center (TMEC), National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency Chachoengsao 24000 Thailand
| | - Pattaraluck Pattamang
- Thai Microelectronics Center (TMEC), National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency Chachoengsao 24000 Thailand
| | - Chamras Promptmas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University Nakhon Pathom 73170 Thailand
| | - Nithi Atthi
- Thai Microelectronics Center (TMEC), National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency Chachoengsao 24000 Thailand
| | - Wutthinan Jeamsaksiri
- Thai Microelectronics Center (TMEC), National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency Chachoengsao 24000 Thailand
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14
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Bajgiran KR, Cordova AS, Elkhanoufi R, Dorman JA, Melvin AT. Simultaneous Droplet Generation with In-Series Droplet T-Junctions Induced by Gravity-Induced Flow. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12101211. [PMID: 34683262 PMCID: PMC8540845 DOI: 10.3390/mi12101211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics offers a wide range of applications, including high-throughput drug screening and single-cell DNA amplification. However, these platforms are often limited to single-input conditions that prevent them from analyzing multiple input parameters (e.g., combined cellular treatments) in a single experiment. Droplet multiplexing will result in higher overall throughput, lowering cost of fabrication, and cutting down the hands-on time in number of applications such as single-cell analysis. Additionally, while lab-on-a-chip fabrication costs have decreased in recent years, the syringe pumps required for generating droplets of uniform shape and size remain cost-prohibitive for researchers interested in utilizing droplet microfluidics. This work investigates the potential of simultaneously generating droplets from a series of three in-line T-junctions utilizing gravity-driven flow to produce consistent, well-defined droplets. Implementing reservoirs with equal heights produced inconsistent flow rates that increased as a function of the distance between the aqueous inlets and the oil inlet. Optimizing the three reservoir heights identified that taller reservoirs were needed for aqueous inlets closer to the oil inlet. Studying the relationship between the ratio of oil-to-water flow rates (Φ) found that increasing Φ resulted in smaller droplets and an enhanced droplet generation rate. An ANOVA was performed on droplet diameter to confirm no significant difference in droplet size from the three different aqueous inlets. The work described here offers an alternative approach to multiplexed droplet microfluidic devices allowing for the high-throughput interrogation of three sample conditions in a single device. It also has provided an alternative method to induce droplet formation that does not require multiple syringe pumps.
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Keller S, Dekkers R, Hu GX, Tollemeto M, Morosini M, Keskin A, Wilson DA. A simple microfluidic tool to design anisotropic microgels. REACT FUNCT POLYM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2021.105012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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16
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Ge X, Rubinstein BY, He Y, Bruce FNO, Li L, Leshansky AM, Li Z. Double emulsions with ultrathin shell by microfluidic step-emulsification. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:1613-1622. [PMID: 33683225 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc01044h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Double emulsions with ultrathin shells are important in some biomedical applications, such as controlled drug release. However, the existing production techniques require two or more manipulation steps, or more complicated channel geometry, to form thin-shell double emulsions. This work presents a novel microfluidic tri-phasic step-emulsification device, with an easily fabricated double-layer PDMS channel, for production of oil-in-oil-in-water and water-in-water-in-oil double emulsions in a single step. The shell thickness is controlled by the flow rates and can reach 1.4% of the μm-size droplet diameter. Four distinct emulsification regimes are observed depending on the experimental conditions. A theoretical model for the tri-phasic step-emulsification is proposed to predict the boundaries separating the four regimes of emulsification in plane of two dimensionless capillary numbers, Ca. The theory yields two coupled nonlinear differential equations that can be solved numerically to find the approximate shape of the free interfaces in the shallow (Hele-Shaw) microfluidic channel. This approximation is then used as the initial guess for the more accurate finite element method solution, showing very good agreement with the experimental findings. This study demonstrates the feasibility of co-flow step-emulsification as a promising method to production of double (and multiple) emulsions and micro-capsules with ultrathin shells of controllable thickness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinjin Ge
- School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, ZhongGuanCunNan Street #5, 100081, Beijing, China.
| | | | - Yifeng He
- School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, ZhongGuanCunNan Street #5, 100081, Beijing, China.
| | - Frederick N O Bruce
- School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, ZhongGuanCunNan Street #5, 100081, Beijing, China.
| | - Liaonan Li
- School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, ZhongGuanCunNan Street #5, 100081, Beijing, China.
| | - Alexander M Leshansky
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.
| | - Zhenzhen Li
- School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, ZhongGuanCunNan Street #5, 100081, Beijing, China.
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