Pillars and Pillar Arrays Integrated in Microfluidic Channels: Fabrication Methods and Applications in Molecular and Cell Biology

Author(s):  
Jian Shi ◽  
Yong Chen
2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (18) ◽  
pp. 3242-3249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yick Chuen Chan ◽  
Yitshak Zohar ◽  
Yi-Kuen Lee

2000 ◽  
Vol 657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cengiz S. Ozkan ◽  
Erhan Ata ◽  
Mihrimah Ozkan ◽  
Sadik C. Esener

ABSTRACTWe describe a technique for trapping and manipulation of inorganic and organic objects in microfluidic channels, based on photonic momentum transfer using an optical tweezers arrangement. Microfluidic devices have been fabricated by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer molding of patterns lithographically defined on a thick negative photoresist. Polystyrene microspheres dispersed in water were transferred into the fluidic channels using a syringe pump. Microspheres and live biological cells are trapped and redirected by optical manipulation within the fluidic channels. Optical trapping and patterning will have applications in creation of active cellular arrays for cell biology research, tissue engineering, cell sorting and drug discovery.


Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 4402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Cheng ◽  
Jianwei Shao ◽  
Yifei Ye ◽  
Yang Zhao ◽  
Chengjun Huang ◽  
...  

Carbonyl compounds in water sources are typical characteristic pollutants, which are important indicators in the health risk assessment of water quality. Commonly used analytical chemistry methods face issues such as complex operations, low sensitivity, and long analysis times. Here, we report a silicon microfluidic device based on click chemical surface modification that was engineered to achieve rapid, convenient and efficient capture of trace level carbonyl compounds in liquid solvent. The micro pillar arrays of the chip and microfluidic channels were designed under the basis of finite element (FEM) analysis and fabricated by the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technique. The surface of the micropillars was sputtered with precious metal silver and functionalized with the organic substance amino-oxy dodecane thiol (ADT) by self-assembly for capturing trace carbonyl compounds. The detection of ppb level fluorescent carbonyl compounds demonstrates that the strategy proposed in this work shows great potential for rapid water quality testing and for other samples with trace carbonyl compounds.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin L Hisey ◽  
AJ Tyler ◽  
Arvin Lim ◽  
Lawrence W Chamley ◽  
Cherie Blenkiron ◽  
...  

Microfluidic liquid biopsies using affinity-based capture of extracellular vesicles (EVs) have demonstrated great potential for providing rapid disease diagnosis and monitoring. However, little effort has been devoted to optimising the geometry of the microfluidic channels for maximum EV capture due to the inherent challenges of physically testing many geometric designs. To address this, we developed an automated parallel pattern search (PPS) optimiser by combining a Python optimiser, COMSOL Multiphysics, and high performance computing. This unique approach was applied to a triangular micropillar array geometry by parameterising repeating unit cells, making several assumptions, and optimising for maximum particle capture efficiency. We successfully optimised the triangular pillar arrays and surprisingly found that simply maximising the total number of pillars and effective surface area did not result in maximum EV capture, as devices with slightly larger pillars and more spacing between pillars allowed contact with slower moving EVs that followed the pillar contours more closely. We then experimentally validated this finding using bioreactor-produced EVs in the best and worst channel designs that were functionalised with an antibody against CD63. Captured EVs were quantified using a fluorescent plate reader, followed by an established elution method and nanoparticle tracking analysis. These results demonstrate the power of automated microfluidic geometry optimisations for EV liquid biopsies and will support further development of this rapidly growing field.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan J. Hunt

ABSTRACTClassically, the limit for optical machining is on the order of the wavelength of the incident light. However, by taking advantage of precise, nonlinear damage mechanisms that occur for femtosecond laser pulses, damage can be achieved on a scale an order of magnitude lower, allowing precise removal of very small amounts of material to produce holes mere tens of nanometers wide. Femtosecond laser nanomachining can be carried out in a variety of dielectrics, and in transparent substrates machining can be sub-surface, in contrast to other nanomachining techniques such as using an electron beam or focused ion beam. We focus on the use of glass, as it is in many ways an ideal material for use in biological applications due to its chemical, optical, electrical and mechanical properties. By precisely placing laser pulses in glass, three dimensional nano and microfluidic channels and devices can be formed including nozzles, mixers, and separation columns. Recent advances in this technique allow the formation of high aspect ratio nanochannels from single pulses, thus helping address the fabrication speed limitations presented by serial processing. These nanochannels have a range of applications including the fabrication of nanoscale pores and nanowells that may serve as vias between fluidic channels, or from channels to a surface. These nanochannels have applications as a standalone technique for fabrication of nanopores and nanowells, but can also complement other fabrication techniques by allowing precisely placed jumpers that can connect channels that are out of plane. We discuss applications for diagnostic microfluidic devices, and basic cell biology research.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amranul Haque ◽  
Pantea Gheibi ◽  
Yandong Gao ◽  
Elena Foster ◽  
Kyung Jin Son ◽  
...  

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2855
Author(s):  
Gaurav Pendharkar ◽  
Yen-Ta Lu ◽  
Chia-Ming Chang ◽  
Meng-Ping Lu ◽  
Chung-Huan Lu ◽  
...  

Cancer cell–immune cell hybrids and cancer immunotherapy have attracted much attention in recent years. The design of efficient cell pairing and fusion chips for hybridoma generation has been, subsequently, a subject of great interest. Here, we report a three-layered integrated Microfluidic Flip-Chip (MFC) consisting of a thin through-hole membrane sandwiched between a mirrored array of microfluidic channels and saw-tooth shaped titanium electrodes on the glass. We discuss the design and operation of MFC and show its applicability for cell fusion. The proposed device combines passive hydrodynamic phenomenon and gravitational sedimentation, which allows the transportation and trapping of homotypic and heterotypic cells in large numbers with pairing efficiencies of 75~78% and fusion efficiencies of 73%. Additionally, we also report properties of fused cells from cell biology perspectives, including combined fluorescence-labeled intracellular materials from THP1 and A549, mixed cell morphology, and cell viability. The MFC can be tuned for pairing and fusion of cells with a similar protocol for different cell types. The MFC can be easily disconnected from the test setup for further analysis.


Author(s):  
William H. Zucker

Planktonic foraminifera are widely-distributed and abundant zooplankters. They are significant as water mass indicators and provide evidence of paleotemperatures and events which occurred during Pleistocene glaciation. In spite of their ecological and paleological significance, little is known of their cell biology. There are few cytological studies of these organisms at the light microscope level and some recent reports of their ultrastructure.Specimens of Globigerinoides ruber, Globigerina bulloides, Globigerinoides conglobatus and Globigerinita glutinata were collected in Bermuda waters and fixed in a cold cacodylate-buffered 6% glutaraldehyde solution for two hours. They were then rinsed, post-fixed in Palade's fluid, rinsed again and stained with uranyl acetate. This was followed by graded ethanol dehydration, during which they were identified and picked clean of debris. The specimens were finally embedded in Epon 812 by placing each organism in a separate BEEM capsule. After sectioning with a diamond knife, stained sections were viewed in a Philips 200 electron microscope.


Author(s):  
W. Bernard

In comparison to many other fields of ultrastructural research in Cell Biology, the successful exploration of genes and gene activity with the electron microscope in higher organisms is a late conquest. Nucleic acid molecules of Prokaryotes could be successfully visualized already since the early sixties, thanks to the Kleinschmidt spreading technique - and much basic information was obtained concerning the shape, length, molecular weight of viral, mitochondrial and chloroplast nucleic acid. Later, additonal methods revealed denaturation profiles, distinction between single and double strandedness and the use of heteroduplexes-led to gene mapping of relatively simple systems carried out in close connection with other methods of molecular genetics.


Author(s):  
K. Jacobson ◽  
A. Ishihara ◽  
B. Holifield ◽  
F. Zhang

Our laboratory is concerned with understanding the dynamic structure of the plasma membrane with particular reference to the movement of membrane constituents during cell locomotion. In addition to the standard tools of molecular cell biology, we employ both fluorescence recovery after photo- bleaching (FRAP) and digitized fluorescence microscopy (DFM) to investigate individual cells. FRAP allows the measurement of translational mobility of membrane and cytoplasmic molecules in small regions of single, living cells. DFM is really a new form of light microscopy in that the distribution of individual classes of ions, molecules, and macromolecules can be followed in single, living cells. By employing fluorescent antibodies to defined antigens or fluorescent analogs of cellular constituents as well as ultrasensitive, electronic image detectors and video image averaging to improve signal to noise, fluorescent images of living cells can be acquired over an extended period without significant fading and loss of cell viability.


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