Multi-particle interaction in AC electric field driven by dielectrophoresis force

When the dielectrophoresis technology is used to manipulate micron-sized particles, the interaction between particles should not be ignored because of the particle-particle interaction. Especially, when multiple particles (number of particles is above 2) are simultaneously manipulated, the interaction between neighboring particles will affect the results of the manipulation. This research investigates the interaction of particles caused dielectrophoresis effect by the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method based on the hypothesis of the thin layer of the electric double layer at the microscale. The mathematics model can be solved simultaneously by the finite element method for the AC electric field, the flow field around the suspended particles and the particle mechanics at the micrometer scale. In this study, the particle conductivity and the direction of the electric field are investigated, we find that particle conductivity and electric field direction pose an impact on particle movement, and the research reveal the law of microparticle dielectrophoresis movement, which could offer theoretical and technology support to profoundly understand the precise manipulation of particles in microfluidic chips by the dielectrophoresis effect.     

Insulator-based dielectrophoretic focusing and trapping of particles in non-Newtonian fluids

Insulator-based dielectrophoretic (iDEP) microdevices have been limited to work with Newtonian fluids. We report an experimental study of the fluid rheological effects on iDEP focusing and trapping of polystyrene particles in polyethylene oxide, xanthan gum, and polyacrylamide solutions through a constricted microchannel. Particle focusing and trapping in the mildly viscoelastic polyethylene oxide solution are slightly weaker than in the Newtonian buffer. They are, however, significantly improved in the strongly viscoelastic and shear thinning polyacrylamide solution. These observed particle focusing behaviors exhibit a similar trend with respect to electric field, consistent with a revised theoretical analysis for iDEP focusing in non-Newtonian fluids. No apparent focusing of particles is achieved in the xanthan gum solution, though the iDEP trapping can take place under a much larger electric field than the other fluids. This is attributed to the strong shear thinning-induced influences on both the electroosmotic flow and electrokinetic/dielectrophoretic motions.     

Dynamic drag force based on iterative density mapping: A new numerical tool for three‐dimensional analysis of particle trajectories in a dielectrophoretic system

Dielectrophoresis is a widely used means of manipulating suspended particles within microfluidic systems. In order to efficiently design such systems for a desired application, various numerical methods exist that enable particle trajectory plotting in two or three dimensions based on the interplay of hydrodynamic and dielectrophoretic forces. While various models are described in the literature, few are capable of modeling interactions between particles as well as their surrounding environment as these interactions are complex, multifaceted, and computationally expensive to the point of being prohibitive when considering a large number of particles. In this paper, we present a numerical model designed to enable spatial analysis of the physical effects exerted upon particles within microfluidic systems employing dielectrophoresis. The model presents a means of approximating the effects of the presence of large numbers of particles through dynamically adjusting hydrodynamic drag force based on particle density, thereby introducing a measure of emulated particle–particle and particle–liquid interactions. This model is referred to as “dynamic drag force based on iterative density mapping.” The resultant numerical model is used to simulate and predict particle trajectory and velocity profiles within a microfluidic system incorporating curved dielectrophoretic microelectrodes. The simulated data are compared favorably with experimental data gathered using microparticle image velocimetry, and is contrasted against simulated data generated using traditional “effective moment Stokes‐drag method,” showing more accurate particle velocity profiles for areas of high particle density.     

Molecular mechanism of HIV-1 integrase-vDNA interactions and strand transfer inhibitor action: a molecular modeling perspective

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN) is an essential enzyme for splicing a viral DNA (vDNA) replica of its genome into host cell chromosomal DNA (hDNA) and has been recently recognized as a promising therapeutic target for developing anti-AIDS agents. The interaction between HIV-1 IN and vDNA plays an important role in the integration process of the virus. However, a detailed understanding about the mechanism of this interactions as well as the action of the anti-HIV drug raltegravir (RAL, approved by FDA in 2007) targeting HIV-1 IN in the inhibition of the vDNA strand transfer is still absent. In the present work, a molecular modeling study by combining homology modeling, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA), and molecular mechanics Generalized-Born surface area (MM-GBSA) calculations was performed to investigate the molecular mechanism of HIV-1 IN-vDNA interactions and the inhibition action of vDNA strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) RAL. The structural analysis showed that RAL did not influence the interaction between vDNA and HIV-1 IN, but rather targeted a special conformation of HIV-1 IN to compete with host DNA and block the function of HIV-1 IN by forcing the 3'-OH of the terminal A17 nucleotide away from the three catalytic residues (Asp64, Asp116, and Glu152) and two Mg(2+) ions. Thus, the obtained results could be helpful for understanding of the integration process of the HIV-1 virus and provide some new clues for the rational design and discovery of potential compounds that would specifically block HIV-1 virus replication.     

Spectrophotometric and physicochemical investigations of Congo,alizarin red dyes and BSA interactions with Au,Ag and Au/Ag mix nanoparticles,and their antimicrobial activities

Individual and mix metal nanoparticles of Ag and Au have been prepared by the reducing method where citrate was used as reducing/stabilizing agent. The prepared NPs were characterized with UV/Visible and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) tools. The characteristic peak in UV/Visible at 525, 444 and 531 nm for Au, Ag and Ag/Au mix NPs respectively, gave primary confirmation of prepared NPs. TEM analysis showed the size of nanoparticles as 44.04, 19.78 and 30.93 nm for Ag, Au and Ag/Au mix NPs respectively. Congo and alizarin red dye interactions studies have been performed with prepared NPs to see the removal of the pollutants from water. Congo dye has shown weaker interaction as compared to alizarin due to structural symmetry. Amongst all, the AgNPs have shown maximum 67% and 75% interactions with Congo red and alizarin respectively due to high negative charges on the surface. The Au, Ag and Au/Ag mix NPs have shown stronger interaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein up to 51, 59, 55% respectively, estimated through UV/Vis and physicochemical analysis. The biological evaluations of the prepared NPs have shown their antibacterial activity against Gram + ve and –ve species showing up to 9 cm zone of inhibition. The BSA interaction and antibacterial activity of NPs reveal the importance of NPs in medicinal field.