微流控技术在细胞转染中的应用

微流控技术是在微米级、纳米级结构中操控纳升至皮升体积流体的技术与科学,具有液体流动可控、消耗试样和试剂极少等优点。近年来,细胞转染技术有逐渐向微型化技术途径发展的趋势,这也给了研究者从微尺度角度审视细胞转染技术过程的新机会。以下介绍了基于微流控技术的细胞转染方法,包括微阵列方式的转染技术、缩微流动空间中的转染、微流控液滴技术应用于细胞转染、微流控注射技术以及微流控电穿孔技术,并阐述了影响转染效率的因素或改善途径。     

液滴微流控芯片系统中微液滴特性表征及氨基酸检测应用

基于液滴微流控芯片的检测和筛选系统,因其具有通量高、成本低等显著特点,近年来备受关注。该系统生成的微液滴(皮升体积)具有直径均一、大小可控、互不交融(单分散性)等特性,它作为微反应器可以进行微生物及其代谢物包埋实验和高通量检测。因此,研究微液滴的相关特性及其应用具有重要意义。文中在液滴微流控芯片系统搭建的基础上,对重要氨基酸(谷氨酸、苯丙氨酸、色氨酸和酪氨酸)分别进行了微液滴包埋实验,研究了包埋微液滴的重要特性参数(如稳定性、扩散性等),探索了包埋微液滴对氨基酸检测分选的应用。实验表明,文中搭建的液滴微流控芯片系统可以稳定、均一地生成微液滴,微液滴大小可根据需要控制在2 0-5 0μm之间,微液滴间无交叉污染,包埋氨基酸的微液滴的检测筛选速度大约为每分钟6 0 0个。这个研究为高通量分析和筛选产氨基酸的微生物奠定了基础。     

高通量自动化微生物微液滴进化培养与筛选技术及其装备化

液滴微流控由于可以快速生成大量微液滴,并实现单个液滴独立的控制,每个液滴都可以作为独立的单元进行微生物培养,因此在微生物的高通量培养方面具有独特的应用优势。然而现有研究多停留在实验室搭建和使用阶段,存在操作要求高、影响因素多、缺乏自动化集成技术等关键问题,制约了液滴微流控技术在微生物研究中的应用。文中以解决液滴微流控技术用于微生物培养的装备化问题为目标,系统研究了微流控各单元模块的结构与功能,通过对液滴的发生、培养、检测、分割、融合、分选等多种操作的开发与集成,成功研制出了小型一体化、全自动高通量的微生物微液滴培养(Microbial Microdroplet Culture system,MMC)装备系统,可用于微生物的生长曲线测定、适应性进化、单因素多水平分析及代谢物检测等,为面向微生物菌种高效选育的进化培养和筛选提供了高通量仪器平台。     

基于微流控芯片的细胞-细菌相互作用光电检测技术

细胞/细菌及其相互作用研究对于生命科学、药物研发、医学诊疗等领域的研究具有重要意义。微流控芯片分析技术因微环境可控、生物相容性好、检测并行性、微型化等特性，正发展成为细胞/细菌及其相互作用研究的高效手段。本文在简要介绍基于微流控芯片分析技术的细胞-细菌分析方法和技术基础之上，对微流控芯片上细胞-细菌相互作用模型的建立进行了讨论，重点针对细胞-细菌及其相互作用过程的芯片检测进行了综述，尤其对芯片集成的光电检测技术及其测试效果进行总结和比较。通过芯片集成微流体控制、多种光电传感监测模块，使微流控芯片分析技术成为细胞/细菌及其相互作用过程分析和检测的支撑平台和优势手段。最后，对微流控光电检测技术在细胞-细菌相互作用检测中面临的挑战及发展趋势进行了讨论和展望。     

微流控芯片在植物细胞研究中的应用进展

植物细胞的传统分析方法是将植物细胞在土壤或者琼脂平板上生长,然后在温室或植物生长室内观察植物的表型。这种方法耗时耗力,且结果分辨率比较低。微流控芯片具有微型化、体积小和高通量等特点,且可在微米水平精确控制植物细胞生长的微环境。因此,能够降低实验成本,缩短实验时间,并且可以达到单细胞水平的分析和鉴定。首先介绍了微流控芯片的加工材料和制备方法,总结了用于植物细胞研究的微流控芯片,重点阐述了近年来微流控芯片在植物根、花粉管、原生质体和细胞壁动力学等植物细胞研究中的应用进展,并展望了微流控芯片在植物细胞研究的应用前景。     

利用生物可降解海藻酸钙微球保护苏云金杆菌晶体与芽胞免受紫外线降解

采用基于注射挤压器的液滴形成技术制备包裹了苏云金杆菌晶体和芽胞的海藻酸钙凝胶微球.通过调节该装置的活塞重量和空气压力,获得了平均直径为20μm的微球.SDS-PAGE分析与平板菌落涂布实验表明,凝胶微球可有效减少紫外线对苏云金杆菌晶体和芽胞的损伤作用.利用小菜蛾进行的毒力生测发现,凝胶微球可有效防止紫外线引起的晶体和芽胞杀虫毒力的下降.本研究的液滴形成技术也可适用于其它微球包裹过程.     

一种基于微芯片快速生成双层乳化液滴的方法

体外区室化(In vitro compartmentalization,IVC)是通过制备微液滴反应小室包裹单个基因(包含表达体系)或细胞进行反应和培养,从而建立表现型与基因型的偶联,并借助流式细胞仪(Fluorescence-activatedcell sorting,FACS)对液滴进行超高通量检测和筛选,进而快速获得目标基因或细胞的一种方法。IVC-FACS筛选方法已被广泛应用于蛋白质工程、酶工程等定向进化研究。但早期利用机械分散法生成的微液滴大小均一性难以控制,严重影响液滴的定量检测,降低了筛选的效率和准确性。随着微流控芯片制备技术的快速发展,在芯片内快速生成微液滴的技术也愈加成熟。本研究首先利用W/O (Water-in-oil)单层液滴生成芯片高速制备单分散的W1/O液滴,再将W1/O液滴重注入W/O/W (Water-in-oil-in-water)双层乳化液滴生成芯片制备均一的W1/O/W2双层乳化液滴。通过对油、水相流速与比值的优化,可以生成直径在15.4–23.2μm的单乳化微液滴,液滴可在培养数天内保持稳定。将单乳化液滴重注入双层乳化液滴芯片,通过调整油相流速,可以获得生成速度在1 000个液滴/s、直径在30–100μm的双层乳化液滴。利用双层乳化液滴包埋的大肠杆菌细胞能正常进行培养和目标蛋白的诱导表达,为后续建立基于液滴和流式细胞仪的菌株高通量筛选方法奠定基础。     

微流控芯片在干细胞研究中的应用

干细胞以其多潜能性和自我更新能力成为人类早期胚胎研究、干细胞治疗和组织工程修复中的主要细胞来源和种子细胞。但传统细胞研究方法难以提供干细胞生长和分化所需的复杂多层次的微环境,使研究结果与体内真实情况相差甚远,尽可能模拟和精确调控干细胞培养微环境,进而控制干细胞自我更新或分化命运,成干细胞研究的难点。微流控芯片可以更真实地模拟干细胞小生境(niche);实时可控的对单个干细胞加载剪切力和生长因子;其透明的装置可对细胞行为进行跟踪观察等研究细胞微环境中占有优势,从而受到越来越多干细胞研究者的关注。结合对微流控技术研究经验,对干细胞微环境构建所需条件进行了综述,总结了微流控在干细胞研究中所取得的成果,并展望了微流控技术在干细胞研究中的应用前景。     

微流控芯片在昆虫研究中的应用

与昆虫学相关的研究是生命科学最早的研究领域之一,在害虫防治、资源昆虫利用和模式生物（例如黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster）等研究领域有重要意义。微流控芯片（Microfluidic chip）也称作“芯片实验室”（Lab-on-a-chip）,是21世纪一项重要的技术发明,目前被广泛应用于细胞生物学、发育生物学、体外诊断等领域。随着微流控芯片技术发展的不断深入,与昆虫研究相关的微流控芯片不断出现,促进了昆虫细胞、胚胎发育、昆虫行为和害虫防治等研究领域的发展。本文针对应用于昆虫学领域的微流控芯片研究进行综述。     

微流控法制备载卵母细胞水凝胶微球及其玻璃化保存

目的 通过微流控法制备载卵母细胞海藻酸钠微球,在低浓度保护剂下实现卵母细胞玻璃化保存。方法 采用流动聚焦型微流控芯片,通过调整芯片结构、海藻酸钠溶液浓度和流速比,制备大小均匀、空包率低、低温耐受的载卵母细胞海藻酸钠水凝胶微球。在低浓度低温保护剂下将微球玻璃化保存,复温后检测存活率,采用细胞松弛素B和氯化锶孤雌激活卵母细胞,与Cryotop玻璃化法对比卵母细胞存活率和卵裂率、囊胚率。结果 制备的海藻酸钠微球在冷冻复温前后的体积稳定且结构完整,在将卵母细胞包封在海藻酸钠水凝胶中后,空包率低,存活率、卵裂率和囊胚率与新鲜组相比无显著差异。在低浓度低温保护剂10% DMSO+10%乙二醇（EG）+0.5 mol/L海藻糖中玻璃化冻存后卵母细胞的存活率达到92.48%,卵裂率70.80%,囊胚率20.42%,与高浓度保护剂15% DMSO+15% EG+0.5 mol/L海藻糖中Cryotop玻璃化法相比无显著性差异。结论 本文设计制作了三通道内部交联芯片并用于卵母细胞玻璃化保存的微流控系统,可生成大小均匀、空包率低、低温耐受的载卵母细胞海藻酸钠水凝胶微球,在低浓度保护剂下实现玻璃化保存,为卵母细胞玻璃化保存方法提供新思路。     

Rapid duplex immunoassay for wound biomarkers at the point-of-care

In this study we describe a novel method of sampling and quantifying wound biomarkers for clinical settings. We believe the chosen format will allow rapid assessments of wound healing and provide biomarker evidence-based decision points for treatment of the wound at the time of presentation. The wound monitoring principle uses a proprietary sample collection tool (a thermally reversible hydrogel) to sample and isolate biomarkers within a wound environment without further sample extraction/preparation steps. We show how gel samples can be analysed in a lateral flow assay format utilising fluorescent microspheres with optically discrete emission characteristics and demonstrate quantitative detection of two analytes (duplexing) achieved in a single test line. As a model assay, the chronic wound biomarkers interleukin 6 (IL6) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) are used. Limits of detection of 48.5 pg/mL and 55.5 pg/mL respectively in hydrogel samples and 7.15 pg/mL and 10.7 pg/mL respectively in plasma are reported. We believe this is the first literature example of quantitative detection of multiple analytes within a single test line using spectral separation to distinguish the analytes.     

Combining submerged electrospray and UV photopolymerization for production of synthetic hydrogel microspheres for cell encapsulation

Microencapsulation within hydrogel microspheres holds much promise for drug and cell delivery applications. Synthetic hydrogels have many advantages over more commonly used natural materials such as alginate, however their use has been limited due to a lack of appropriate methods for manufacturing these microspheres under conditions compatible with sensitive proteins or cells. This study investigated the effect of flow rate and voltage on size and uniformity of the hydrogel microspheres produced via submerged electrospray combined with UV photopolymerization. In addition, the mechanical properties and cell survival within microspheres was studied. A poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) macromer solution was sprayed in sunflower oil under flow rates between 1-100 μL/min and voltages 0-10 kV. The modes of spraying observed were similar to those previously reported for electrospraying in air. Spheres produced were smaller for lower flow rates and higher voltages and mean size could be tailored from 50 to 1,500 μm. The microspheres exhibited a smooth, spherical morphology, did not aggregate and the compressive modulus of the spheres (350 kPa) was equivalent to bulk PVA (312 kPa). Finally, L929 fibroblasts were encapsulated within PVA microspheres and showed viability >90% after 24 h. This process shows great promise for the production of synthetic hydrogel microspheres, and specifically supports encapsulation of cells.     

Development of hydrogels for regenerative engineering

The aim of regenerative engineering is to restore complex tissues and biological systems through convergence in the fields of advanced biomaterials, stem cell science, and developmental biology. Hydrogels are one of the most attractive biomaterials for regenerative engineering, since they can be engineered into tissue mimetic 3D scaffolds to support cell growth due to their similarity to native extracellular matrix. Advanced nano‐ and micro‐technologies have dramatically increased the ability to control properties and functionalities of hydrogel materials by facilitating biomimetic fabrication of more sophisticated compositions and architectures, thus extending our understanding of cell‐matrix interactions at the nanoscale. With this perspective, this review discusses the most commonly used hydrogel materials and their fabrication strategies for regenerative engineering. We highlight the physical, chemical, and functional modulation of hydrogels to design and engineer biomimetic tissues based on recent achievements in nano‐ and micro‐technologies. In addition, current hydrogel‐based regenerative engineering strategies for treating multiple tissues, such as musculoskeletal, nervous and cardiac tissue, are also covered in this review. The interaction of multiple disciplines including materials science, cell biology, and chemistry, will further play an important role in the design of functional hydrogels for the regeneration of complex tissues.     

Devices and techniques used to obtain and analyze three-dimensional cell cultures

Cell cultures are indispensable for both basic and applied research. Advancements in cell culture and analysis increase their utility for basic research and translational applications. A marked development in this direction is advent of three-dimensional (3D) cultures. The extent of advancement in 3D cell culture methods over the past decade has warranted referring to a single cell type being cultured as an aggregate or spheroid using simple scaffolds as “traditional.” In recent years, the development of “next-generation” devices has enabled cultured cells to mimic their natural environments much better than the traditional 3D culture systems. Automated platforms like chip-based devices, magnetic- and acoustics-based assembly devices, di-electrophoresis (DEP), micro pocket cultures (MPoC), and 3D bio-printing provide a dynamic environment compared to the rather static conditions of the traditional simple scaffold-based 3D cultures. Chip-based technologies, which are centered on principles of microfluidics, are revolutionizing the ways in which cell culture and analysis can be compacted into table-top instruments. A parallel evolution in analytical devices enabled efficient assessment of various complex physiological and pathological endpoints. This is augmented by concurrent development of software enabling rapid large-scale automated data acquisition and analysis like image cytometry, elastography, optical coherence tomography, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), and biosensors. The techniques and devices utilized for the purpose of 3D cell culture and subsequent analysis depend primarily on the requirement of the study. We present here an in-depth account of the devices for obtaining and analyzing 3D cell cultures.     

Microfluidics for single cell analysis

Substantial evidence shows that the heterogeneity of individual cells within a genetically identical population can be critical to their chance of survival. Methods that use average responses from a population often mask the difference from individual cells. To fully understand cell-to-cell variability, a complete analysis of an individual cell, from its live state to cell lysates, is essential. Highly sensitive detection of multiple components and high throughput analysis of a large number of individual cells remain the key challenges to realise this aim. In this context, microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip technology have emerged as the most promising avenue to address these challenges. In this review, we will focus on the recent development in microfluidics that are aimed at total single cell analysis on chip, that is, from an individual live cell to its gene and proteins. We also discuss the opportunities that microfluidic based single cell analysis can bring into the drug discovery process.     

Dielectrophoretic platforms for bio-microfluidic systems

Dielectrophoresis, the induced motion of polarisable particles in a nonuniform electric field, has been proven as a versatile mechanism to transport, accumulate, separate and characterise micro/nano scale bioparticles in microfluidic systems. The integration of DEP systems into the microfluidics enables the inexpensive, fast, highly sensitive, highly selective and label-free detection and analysis of target bioparticles. This review provides an in-depth overview of state-of-the-art dielectrophoretic (DEP) platforms integrated into microfluidics aimed towards different biomedical applications. It classifies the current DEP systems in terms of different microelectrode configurations and operating strategies devised to generate and employ DEP forces in such processes, and compares the features of each approach. Finally, it suggests the future trends and potential applications of DEP systems in single cell analysis, stem cell research, establishing novel devices, and realising fully DEP-activated lab-on-a-chip systems.     

Collagens, stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha and basic fibroblast growth factor increase cancer cell invasiveness in a hyaluronan hydrogel

Abstract.   Objective : Beyond to control of cell migration, differentiation and proliferation, the extracellular matrix (ECM) also contributes to invasiveness of human cancers. As the roles of hyaluronan (HA) and collagens in this process are still controversial, we have investigated their involvement in cancer pathogenesis. Materials and methods : With this aim in view, we developed a three-dimensional matrix, as reticulate HA hydrogel alone or coated with different collagens, in which cells could invade and grow. Results : We show that cancer cells, which were non-invasive in a single HA hydrogel, acquired this capacity in the concomitant presence of type I or III collagens. Both types of ECM compound, HA and collagens, possess the capacity to stimulate production of metalloprotease-2, recognized otherwise as a factor for poor cancer prognosis. HA-provoked cellular invasiveness resulted from CD44-mediated increase in cytosolic [Ca²⁺] and its subsequent hydrolysis due to ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) proteolytic activity. Interestingly, this mechanism seemed to be absent in non-invasive cancer cell lines. Conclusion : Furthermore, using basic fibroblast growth factor and stromal cell-derived factor-1α, we also show that this three-dimensional reticulate matrix may be considered as a valuable model to study chemokinetic and chemotactic potentials of factors present in tumour stroma.     

Combined physical and chemical immobilization of glucose oxidase in alginate microspheres improves stability of encapsulation and activity

Chemical sensors utilizing immobilized enzymes and proteins are important for monitoring chemical processes and biological systems. In this study, calcium-cross-linked alginate hydrogel microspheres were fabricated as enzyme carriers by an emulsification technique. Glucose oxidase (GOx) was encapsulated in alginate microspheres using three different methods: physical entrapment (emulsion), chemical conjugation (conjugation), and a combination of physical entrapment and chemical conjugation (emulsion-conjugation). Nano-organized coatings were applied on alginate/GOx microspheres using the layer-by-layer self-assembly technique in order to stabilize the hydrogel/enzyme system under biological environment. The encapsulation of GOx and formation of nanofilm coating on alginate microspheres were verified with FTIR spectral analysis, zeta-potential analysis, and confocal laser scanning microscopy. To compare both the immobilization properties of enzyme encapsulation techniques and the influence of nanofilms with uncoated microspheres, the relationship between enzyme loading, release, and effective GOx activity (enzyme activity per unit protein loading) were studied over a period of four weeks. The results produced four key findings: (1) the emulsion-conjugation technique improved the stability of GOx in alginate microspheres compared to the emulsion technique, reducing the GOx leaching from microsphere from 50% to 17%; (2) the polyelectrolyte nanofilm coatings increased the GOx stability over time, but also reduced the effective GOx activity; (3) the effective GOx activity for the emulsion-conjugation technique (about 3.5 x 10(-)(5) AU microg(-)(1) s(-)(1)) was higher than that for other methods, and did not change significantly over four weeks; and (4) the GOx concentration, when compared after one week for microspheres with three bilayers of poly(allylamine hydrochloride)/sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) ({PAH/PSS}) coating, was highest for the emulsion-conjugation technique. As a result, the comparison of these three techniques showed the emulsion-conjugation technique to be a potentially effective and practical way to fabricate alginate/GOx microspheres for implantable glucose biosensor application.     

In vitro characterization and in vivo functionality of erythropoietin-secreting cells immobilized in alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate microcapsules

The in vitro and in vivo characterization of cell-loaded immobilization devices is an important challenge in cell encapsulation technology for the long-term efficacy of this approach. In the present paper, alginate-poly-l-lysine-alginate (APA) microcapsules containing erythropoietin (Epo)-secreting C2C12 myoblasts have been elaborated, characterized, and tested both in vitro and in vivo. High mechanical and chemical resistance of the elaborated microcapsules was observed. Moreover, the in vitro cultured encapsulated cells released 81.9 +/- 8.2 mIU/mL/24 h (by 100 cell-loaded microcapsules) by day 7, reaching the highest peak at day 21 (161.7 +/- 0.9 mIU/mL/24 h). High and constant hematocrit levels were maintained over 120 days after a single subcutaneous administration of microcapsules and lacking immunosuppressive protocols. No major host reaction was observed. On the basis of the results obtained in our study, cell encapsulation technology might be considered a suitable therapeutic strategy for the long-term delivery of biologically active products, such as Epo.     

A microfluidic device for multiplexed protein detection in nano-liter volumes

We describe a microfluidic immunoassay device that permits sensitive and quantitative multiplexed protein measurements on nano-liter-scale samples. The device exploits the combined power of integrated microfluidics and optically encoded microspheres to create an array of approximately 100-μm² sensors functionalized with capture antibodies directed against distinct targets. This strategy overcomes the need for performing biochemical coupling of affinity reagents to the device substrate, permits multiple proteins to be detected in a nano-liter-scale sample, is scalable to large numbers of samples, and has the required sensitivity to measure the abundance of proteins derived from single mammalian cells. The sensitivity of the device is sufficient to detect 1000 copies of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in a volume of 4.7 nl.