Engineering superlyophobic surfaces as the microfluidic platform for droplet manipulation

We propose robust engineering superlyophobic surfaces (SLS) as a universal microfluidic platform for droplet manipulation enabling electric actuation, featured with characteristics of highly nonwetting, low adhesion, and low friction for various liquids including water and oil. To functionalize SLS with embedded electrodes, two configurations with continuous and discrete topologies have been designed and compared. The discrete configuration is found to be superior upon comparison of their fabrication, microstructures and nonwetting performances. We also present new formulation of SLS pressure stability for linear, square and hexagonal pattern layouts, and propose a criterion for three wetting states (the Cassie-Baxter, partial Cassie-Baxter and Wenzel states) by introducing two dimensionless parameters, which are supported by our experimental data. Droplet manipulation experiments including deformation and transport on electrode-embedded SLS were performed, showing that present SLS reduce adhesion and flow resistance of oil droplets respectively by 98% and 73% compared with a smooth hydrophobic surface, and the excellent hydrodynamic performances are applicable for a wide range of droplet velocity. Simulation of an oil droplet electrically actuated on SLS predicts the significantly increased droplet motion for a low solid fraction and a relatively large droplet size.     

Recent advances in particle and droplet manipulation for lab-on-a-chip devices based on surface acoustic waves

Manipulation of microscale particles and fluid liquid droplets is an important task for lab-on-a-chip devices for numerous biological researches and applications, such as cell detection and tissue engineering. Particle manipulation techniques based on surface acoustic waves (SAWs) appear effective for lab-on-a-chip devices because they are non-invasive, compatible with soft lithography micromachining, have high energy density, and work for nearly any type of microscale particles. Here we review the most recent research and development of the past two years in SAW based particle and liquid droplet manipulation for lab-on-a-chip devices including particle focusing and separation, particle alignment and patterning, particle directing, and liquid droplet delivery.     

Conversion of surface energy and manipulation of a single droplet across micropatterned surfaces

To clarify a driving mechanism for the self-movement of a droplet across hydrophobic textured surfaces in series and to develop applications for a microfluidic device, we report a theoretical model, a microfabrication technique, and experimental measurements. The contact angle of a droplet on a composite surface, the stable surface energy level, and the energy barrier caused by hysteresis were investigated. With increasing patterned density of the microstructure, the contact angle and stable surface energy decreased gradually, but the energy barrier increased. Both the analytical results and the experimental measurements show that the surface energy for a suspended status is greater than that for a collapsed status, which produces increased energy to generate the movement of a droplet. An analysis of interactions between actuation force, resistive force, and viscous force during the motion of a droplet is based on the equilibrium between forces. From the perspective of energy conversion, the difference in surface energy between a higher state and a lower state would drive a single droplet and make it move spontaneously if it could overcome the static friction force resulting from hysteresis and the kinetic friction force under droplet movement. The mean velocity in the present device, measured to be 62.5 mm s (-1), agrees satisfactorily with the theoretical prediction. The model developed for the energy levels enables us to assess the contact mode of a droplet placed on the patterned surface. For a prediction of the transport capability of the designed devices, a theoretical interpretation of the conversion between the surface energy and the kinetic energy of the droplet establishes a criterion that the pattern density of a textured surface should be less than 0.76. The effective rate of energy conversion is estimated to be 20.6%.     

A nanoscale graphene oxide-peptide biosensor for real-time specific biomarker detection on the cell surface

A nanoscale RGD-pyrene-graphene oxide (GO) biosensor was prepared for real-time in situ detection of a cancer cell surface marker, integrin αvβ3. This nanoscale GO-based biosensor is simple, robust, sensitive and of high selectivity. It can also be adapted to other cancer cell surface marker evaluation systems.     

Analytical detection techniques for droplet microfluidics—A review

In the last decade, droplet-based microfluidics has undergone rapid progress in the fields of single-cell analysis, digital PCR, protein crystallization and high throughput screening. It has been proved to be a promising platform for performing chemical and biological experiments with ultra-small volumes (picoliter to nanoliter) and ultra-high throughput. The ability to analyze the content in droplet qualitatively and quantitatively is playing an increasing role in the development and application of droplet-based microfluidic systems. In this review, we summarized the analytical detection techniques used in droplet systems and discussed the advantage and disadvantage of each technique through its application. The analytical techniques mentioned in this paper include bright-field microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, laser induced fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy, electrochemistry, capillary electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, absorption detection, chemiluminescence, and sample pretreatment techniques. The importance of analytical detection techniques in enabling new applications is highlighted. We also discuss the future development direction of analytical detection techniques for droplet-based microfluidic systems.     

Cellphone-based detection platform for rbST biomarker analysis in milk extracts using a microsphere fluorescence immunoassay

Current contaminant and residue monitoring throughout the food chain is based on sampling, transport, administration, and analysis in specialized control laboratories. This is a highly inefficient and costly process since typically more than 99 % of the samples are found to be compliant. On-site simplified prescreening may provide a scenario in which only samples that are suspect are transported and further processed. Such a prescreening can be performed using a small attachment on a cellphone. To this end, a cellphone-based imaging platform for a microsphere fluorescence immunoassay that detects the presence of anti-recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) antibodies in milk extracts was developed. RbST administration to cows increases their milk production, but is illegal in the EU and a public health concern in the USA. The cellphone monitors the presence of anti-rbST antibodies (rbST biomarker), which are endogenously produced upon administration of rbST and excreted in milk. The rbST biomarker present in milk extracts was captured by rbST covalently coupled to paramagnetic microspheres and labeled by quantum dot (QD)-coupled detection antibodies. The emitted fluorescence light from these captured QDs was then imaged using the cellphone camera. Additionally, a dark-field image was taken in which all microspheres present were visible. The fluorescence and dark-field microimages were analyzed using a custom-developed Android application running on the same cellphone. With this setup, the microsphere fluorescence immunoassay and cellphone-based detection were successfully applied to milk sample extracts from rbST-treated and untreated cows. An 80 % true-positive rate and 95 % true-negative rate were achieved using this setup. Next, the cellphone-based detection platform was benchmarked against a newly developed planar imaging array alternative and found to be equally performing versus the much more sophisticated alternative. Using cellphone-based on-site analysis in future residue monitoring can limit the number of samples for laboratory analysis already at an early stage. Therewith, the entire monitoring process can become much more efficient and economical. Figure

Cellphone-based detection platform for rbST biomarker analysis in milk extracts using a microsphere fluorescence immunoassay     

High-sensitivity nanosensors for biomarker detection

High sensitivity nanosensors utilize optical, mechanical, electrical, and magnetic relaxation properties to push detection limits of biomarkers below previously possible concentrations. The unique properties of nanomaterials and nanotechnology are exploited to design biomarker diagnostics. High-sensitivity recognition is achieved by signal and target amplification along with thorough pre-processing of samples. In this tutorial review, we introduce the type of detection signals read by nanosensors to detect extremely small concentrations of biomarkers and provide distinctive examples of high-sensitivity sensors. The use of such high-sensitivity nanosensors can offer earlier detection of disease than currently available to patients and create significant improvements in clinical outcomes.     

一种锌配合物用于炭疽生物标志物的检测

采用溶剂热合成方法,合成了一种新型金属配位聚合物{[Zn₂(L)(H₂O)(DMA)]·DMA·2.3H₂O}_n (1),其中L^4-为完全脱去质子的N,N''-二(4-羧基苄基)-5-氨基间苯二甲酸,DMA为N,N-二甲基乙酰胺。单晶X射线衍射结果显示,该配合物属于三斜晶系,空间群为P$overline{1}$,a=0.989 6(5) nm,b=1.370 5(5) nm,c=1.382 1(5) nm,α=80.067(5)°,β=76.729(5)°,γ=76.611(5)°,结构是由二维金属有机层通过π…π相互作用而扩展成的三维超分子骨架。红外光谱验证了锌离子与L^4-配体成功配位。粉末X射线衍射(PXRD)实验证实了配合物1具有较高的纯度。热重分析结果显示配合物1在室温至416.9 ℃区间内具有较好的热稳定性。在273 nm的激发光下,配合物1在437 nm处有较强的荧光发射,可以在30 s内快速检测乙醇溶液中的炭疽生物标志物——吡啶-2,6-二甲酸,具有选择性高、抗干扰能力强、检测限低(约为15 μmol·L^-1)等特点。结合PXRD图和紫外可见吸收光谱揭示了其检测机理为晶体骨架坍塌而诱导的荧光猝灭。     

Proteomic identification of salivary transferrin as a biomarker for early detection of oral cancer

Oral cancer has a low five-year survival rate. Early detection of oral cancer could reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with this disease. Saliva, which can be sampled non-invasively and is less complex than blood, is a good potential source of oral cancer biomarkers. Proteomic analysis of saliva from oral cancer patients and control subjects was performed to identify salivary biomarkers of early stage oral cancer in humans. The protein profile of pooled salivary samples from patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) or OSCC-free control subjects was analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analyses. Potential biomarkers were verified by Western blotting and ELISA assays. Transferrin levels were elevated in the saliva of OSCC patients as determined using 2DE followed by MALDI-TOF MS and confirmed by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS, Western blotting and ELISA. The increase in salivary transferrin levels in OSCC patients strongly correlated with the size and stage of the tumor. The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curves showed that salivary transferrin-based ELISA was highly specific, sensitive and accurate for the early detection of oral cancer. We have identified salivary transferrin as a biomarker for the detection of early stage oral cancer. This finding provides a promising basis for the development of a non-invasive diagnostic test for early stage oral cancer.     

Electromechanical biosensors for pathogen detection

Rapid and sensitive detection of pathogen is critical for public health, defense and security. Methods such as culture and immunoassays, though highly selective and accurate, are time-consuming and not sufficient for fast decision-making in many situations. Biosensors have been developed to meet the challenges in pathogen detection. This article reviews the development and application of electromechanical biosensors for pathogen detection. It covers the most commonly used electromechanical biosensor systems, specifically quartz crystal microbalances, cantilever sensors and surface wave acoustic sensors. Sensing principles, immobilization of biorecognition elements, and applications to the detection of pathogens in food and water samples are sequentially discussed.

Label-free detection of cancer biomarker candidates using surface plasmon resonance imaging

In this work, we present an antibody array for the detection of cancer biomarker candidates by a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging sensor with polarization contrast. Responses from the SPR imaging sensor are shown to be similar to those from a conventional spectroscopy-based SPR sensor. Antibodies are spotted onto a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) composed of oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG)-containing alkanethiol chains. Detection of two cancer biomarker candidates, activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule/CD 166 (ALCAM) and transgelin-2 (TAGLN2), is demonstrated. Limits of detection for ALCAM and TAGLN2 are established at 6 ng/mL and 3 ng/mL, respectively, in buffer. No cross-reactivity is observed between immobilized antibodies and nonspecific antigen. Biomarker candidates are also detected in a 10% human serum solution. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Picoliter droplet microfluidic immunosorbent platform for point-of-care diagnostics of tetanus

We have developed a sensitive, specific, rapid and low cost picoliter microsphere-based platform for bioanalyte detection and quantification. In this method, a biological sample, biosensing microspheres, and fluorescently labeled detection (secondary) antibodies are co-encapsulated to capture the analyte (here: human anti-tetanus immunoglobulin G) on the surface of the microsphere in microfluidic pL-sized droplets. The absorption of the analyte and detecting antibodies on the microsphere concentrate the fluorescent signal in correlation with analyte concentration. Using our platform and commercially available antibodies, we were able to quantify anti-tetanus antibodies in human serum. In comparison to standard bulk immunosorbent assays, the microfluidic droplet platform presented here reduces the reagent volume by four orders of magnitude, while fast reagent mixing reduces the detection time from hours to minutes. We consider this platform to be a major leap forward in the miniaturization of immunosorbent assays and to provide a rapid and low cost tool for global point-of-care.

Microarray methods for protein biomarker detection

The application of protein biomarkers as an aid for the detection and treatment of diseases has been subject to intensified interest in recent years. The quantitative assaying of protein biomarkers in easily obtainable biological fluids such as serum and urine offers the opportunity to improve patient care via earlier and more accurate diagnoses in a convenient, non-invasive manner as well as providing a potential route towards more individually targeted treatment. Essential to achieving progress in biomarker technology is the ability to screen large numbers of proteins simultaneously in a single experiment with high sensitivity and selectivity. In this article, we highlight recent progress in the use of microarrays for high-throughput biomarker profiling and discuss some of the challenges associated with these efforts.     

High-throughput droplet analysis and multiplex DNA detection in the microfluidic platform equipped with a robust sample-introduction technique

In this work, a simple, flexible and low-cost sample-introduction technique was developed and integrated with droplet platform. The sample-introduction strategy was realized based on connecting the components of positive pressure input device, sample container and microfluidic chip through the tygon tubing with homemade polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) adaptor, so the sample was delivered into the microchip from the sample container under the driving of positive pressure. This sample-introduction technique is so robust and compatible that could be integrated with T-junction, flow-focus or valve-assisted droplet microchips. By choosing the PDMS adaptor with proper dimension, the microchip could be flexibly equipped with various types of familiar sample containers, makes the sampling more straightforward without trivial sample transfer or loading. And the convenient sample changing was easily achieved by positioning the adaptor from one sample container to another. Benefiting from the proposed technique, the time-dependent concentration gradient was generated and applied for quantum dot (QD)-based fluorescence barcoding within droplet chip. High-throughput droplet screening was preliminarily demonstrated through the investigation of the quenching efficiency of ruthenium complex to the fluorescence of QD. More importantly, multiplex DNA assay was successfully carried out in the integrated system, which shows the practicability and potentials in high-throughput biosensing.     

Electrochemical biosensors for rapid pathogen detection

Rapid pathogen detection is an emerging issue in clinical, environmental, and food industry sectors. Biosensors can represent a solution to culture-based and molecular methods as they respond to sensitivity, specificity, and rapidity needs. Screen-printed electrodes have been used in association with nanoparticles to increase the signal and improve sensitivity reaching low numbers of the targets. Antibodies, DNA probes, and aptamers are mainly used to functionalize the working electrodes to ensure high specific pathogen detection by the use of voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy, amperometry, and conductivity. Electrochemical biosensors can be miniaturized to construct portable devices useful for in situ assays.     

Combining rails and anchors with laser forcing for selective manipulation within 2D droplet arrays

We demonstrate the combination of a rails and anchors microfluidic system with laser forcing to enable the creation of highly controllable 2D droplet arrays. Water droplets residing in an oil phase can be pinned to anchor holes made in the base of a microfluidic channel, enabling the creation of arrays by the appropriate patterning of such holes. The introduction of laser forcing, via laser induced thermocapillary forces to anchored droplets, enables the selective extraction of particular droplets from an array. We also demonstrate that such anchor arrays can be filled with multiple, in our case two, droplets each and that if such droplets have different chemical contents, the application of a laser at their interface triggers their merging and a chemical reaction to take place. Finally by adding guiding rails within the microfluidic structure we can selectively fill large scale arrays with monodisperse droplets with significant control over their contents. In this way we make a droplet array filled with 96 droplets containing different concentrations of fluorescent microparticles.     

A carbon nanotubes assisted strategy for insulin detection and insulin proteolysis assay

The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) assisted strategy has been proposed for insulin sensing and insulin proteolysis analysis. Experiments demonstrated that this strategy could be used for trace insulin determination with a low detection limit 7.75 ng mL⁻¹ (S/N = 3) and a detection range from 20 ng mL⁻¹ to 400 ng mL⁻¹. Both biocompatibility and intrinsic conductivity of pristine CNTs enabled them to act an excellent biosensing platform for the realization of direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of insulin. Compared with the present methods, the proposed strategy could realize the trace insulin detection without electrode modifications. It is more convenient and simpler than those based on the chemically modified electrodes. This method also made the CNTs as the indicator for insulin proteolysis analysis so that the biological process could be studied by electron microscope, electrochemical methods and digital camera. CNTs obtained after the proteolysis showed the same capabilities as the pristine ones in electrochemical signal enhancement and could participate in the bio-circle repeatedly.     

Tunable wetting mechanism of polypyrrole surfaces and low-voltage droplet manipulation via redox

This paper presents the experimental results and analyses on a controlled manipulation of liquid droplets upon local reduction and oxidation (redox) of a smart polymer-dodecylbenzenesulfonate doped polypyrrole (PPy(DBS)). The electrochemically tunable wetting property of PPy(DBS) permitted liquid droplet manipulation at very low voltages (-0.9 to 0.6 V). A dichloromethane (DCM) droplet was flattened upon PPy(DBS) reduction. It was found that the surface tension gradient across the droplet contact line induced Marangoni stress, which caused this deformation. Further observation of PPy(DBS)'s color change upon the redox process confirmed that the surface tension gradient was the driving force for the droplet shape change.