Nematodynamics and structures in junctions of cylindrical micropores

ABSTRACT

We explore equilibrium structures and flow-driven deformations of nematic liquid crystals confined to 3D junctions of cylindrical micropores with homeotropic surface anchoring. The topological state of the nematic ordering field in such basic unit of porous networks is controlled by nematic orientation profiles in individual pores, anchoring frustration along the edges of joining pores and coupling to the material flow field. We numerically investigate formation of the flow-aligned configurations in single cylindrical pores and pore junctions. Depending on the arrangement of inlet and outlet flows in the junction, we demonstrate existence of numerous stationary nematic configurations, characterised by specific bulk defects and surface disclinations along joining edges. Observed bulk defects are nonsingular escaped structures, disclinations in the form of loops or disclination lines pinned to the joining edges of the pores. Furthermore, we show examples of defect dynamics during the flow-induced topological transformations.     

A New Cells‐Compatible Microfluidic Device for Single Channel Recordings

We report the fabrication of a microfluidic apparatus and the realization of a sensors based on PEDOT : PSS, a biocompatible semiconductor polymer used in substitution of standard electrodes for electrophysiological studies and for detection of nanopores in membrane. This gives the possibility to study the mechanisms of ions balance and molecular transport though cell membranes. In particular the apparatus is based on two chambers connected through an aperture in a PTFE sheet where lipid bilayer are formed using Montal‐Mueller method, and the pore‐forming proteins activity is detected by polymeric electrodes. This methodology could be applied to examine different membrane proteins for the purpose of biosensing, drug screening and nanopore technologies.     

Controllable microfluidic strategies for fabricating microparticles using emulsions as templates

Microfluidic techniques provide flexible strategies for fabrication of uniform advanced microparticles with well-tailored sizes, shapes, structures, and functions from controllable emulsion templates. This review highlights recent progress on controllable synthesis of microparticles using versatile microfluidic emulsions as templates. First, highly controllable and scalable microfluidic techniques for the generation of defined emulsions are introduced. Versatile microfluidic strategies for fabricating microparticles from diverse controllable emulsion templates are then summarized, including solid microparticles with spherical, non-spherical, and Janus configurations, porous microparticles with flexible pore structures, and compartmental microparticles with controlled internals. Finally, the future development of microfluidic techniques for microparticle fabrication is briefly discussed.     

Planar microcoil-based microfluidic NMR probes

Microfabricated small-volume NMR probes consisting of electroplated planar microcoils integrated on a glass substrate with etched microfluidic channels are fabricated and tested. 1H NMR spectra are acquired at 300 MHz with three different probes having observed sample volumes of respectively 30, 120, and 470 nL. The achieved sensitivity enables acquisition of an 1H spectrum of 160 microg sucrose in D2O, corresponding to a proof-of-concept for on-chip NMR spectroscopy. Increase of mass-sensitivity with coil diameter reduction is demonstrated experimentally for planar microcoils. Models that enable quantitative prediction of the signal-to-noise ratio and of the influence of microfluidic channel geometry on spectral resolution are presented and successfully compared to the experimental data. The main factor presently limiting sensitivity for high-resolution applications is identified as being probe-induced static magnetic field distortions. Finally, based on the presented model and measured data, future performance of planar microcoil-based microfluidic NMR probes is extrapolated and discussed.     

微电极阵列芯片的脂质体电融合研究

利用旋转蒸发法制作基于大豆卵磷脂的一种大型脂质体,在微电极阵列芯片上进行脂质体电融合实验研究.在电融合过程中,利用介电电泳力实现脂质体在微流控芯片中的排队,再利用高场强的电脉冲使脂质体膜发生可逆性电穿孔,在持续的介电电泳力作用下,使穿孔的脂质体实现融合.芯片上脂质体的融合率可以达到20％左右.而且,玻璃基底材料和低深宽比的通道结构更有利于脂质体融合过程的观察与控制.     

Enhanced particle trapping performance of induced charge electroosmosis

By increasing the number of floating electrodes or enlarging the width of single floating electrode, this work provides effective ways to strongly improve the particle trapping performance of induced charge electroosmosis (ICEO). Particle trapping with double or triple separate narrow floating electrodes increases the effective actuating range of ICEO flow and therefore enhance the optimum trapping ability to be 1.63 or 2.34 times of that with single narrow electrode (width of ), and the ideal trapping frequency is independent of the electrode number due to the mutual independence of electrochemical ion relaxation over each electrode. Furthermore, using a single wide floating electrode with the effective width equal to three separate narrow floating electrodes () instead of a single narrow one slightly lowers the ideal trapping frequency due to an increase in the characteristic polarization length, but the trapping performance is only up to 1.59 times of that with original single narrow electrode, implying that vertical channel confinement effect may severely suppresses the effective actuating range of ICEO flow and renders the trapping performance not as expected. Trapping experiments over wide floating electrode with different channel height were carried out, showing that the trapping performance increases by correctly increasing the channel height.     

Enhancement of signal-to-noise level by synchronized dual wavelength modulation for light emitting diode fluorimetry in a liquid-core-waveguide microfluidic capillary electrophoresis system

The signal-to-noise level of light emitting diode (LED) fluorimetry using a liquid-core-waveguide (LCW)-based microfluidic capillary electrophoresis system was significantly enhanced using a synchronized dual wavelength modulation (SDWM) approach. A blue LED was used as excitation source and a red LED as reference source for background-noise compensation in a microfluidic capillary electrophoresis (CE) system. A Teflon AF-coated silica capillary served as both the separation channel and LCW for light transfer, and blue and red LEDs were used as excitation and reference sources, respectively, both radially illuminating the detection point of the separation channel. The two LEDs were synchronously modulated at the same frequency, but with 180°-phase shift, alternatingly driven by a same constant current source. The LCW transferred the fluorescence emission, as well as the excitation and reference lights that strayed through the optical system to a photomultiplier tube; a lock-in amplifier demodulated the combined signal, significantly reducing its noise level. To test the system, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled amino acids were separated by capillary electrophoresis and detected by SDWM and single wavelength modulation, respectively. Five-fold improvement in S/N ratio was achieved by dual wavelength modulation, compared with single wavelength modulation; and over 100-fold improvement in S/N ratio was achieved compared with a similar LCW-CE system reported previously using non-modulated LED excitation. A detection limit (S/N = 3) of 10 nM FITC-labeled arginine was obtained in this work. The effects of modulation frequency on S/N level and on the rejection of noise caused by LED-driver current and detector were also studied.     

表面增强拉曼光谱在食源性致病微生物检测中的应用研究

食源性致病微生物导致的食源性疾病已成为全球化的公共卫生问题。快速、有效地检测食源性致病微生物是实现食源性疾病预防与控制的关键环节，也是保障食品安全的技术关键。表面增强拉曼光谱(SERS)具有简单、快速、灵敏度高等优点，在食品安全、生物医学、环境监控等领域展现出良好的应用前景。介绍了近年来SERS在食源性致病微生物检测中的应用研究进展。对SERS技术概况、SERS增强理论及SERS增强基底进行了简要介绍，重点回顾了SERS在食源性致病微生物检测中的应用和发展现状。在食品安全分析方面，利用SERS与模式识别方法相结合对食品中常见食源性致病微生物能实现快速、有效鉴别，部分研究已应用于不同食品样品的分析，体现了SERS作为“指纹图谱”的分析优势；在医学诊断方面，SERS可对病理样品(如血液、尿液等)中食源性致病微生物进行快速检测，缩短了样本分析时间，使食源性疾病的快速诊断成为可能；随着微流控技术的发展，微流控平台结合SERS技术被称为“芯片实验室”应用于食源性致病微生物的检测，可提高分析的可控性，稳定性，特异性和灵敏度。通过对比分析，发现不同研究可采用不同分离方法、不同基底、不同目标捕获方式等实现了食源性致病微生物的检测，展示了不同方法间的差异性。已有研究表明了SERS在食源性致病微生物检测中应用可克服传统方法耗时等缺点，实现灵敏快速分析，为食品安全实时监控，食源性疾病即时诊断提供了有效的分析工具。同时，指出了SERS技术应用于食源性致病微生物分析依然面临很大挑战，(1)大多数研究并没有聚焦于实际样品，而标准培养液和实际样品的SERS检测存在较大差异，实际样品组分会对SERS响应产生干扰；(2)不同方法结果有较大差异，主要是由于纳米增强基底差异，吸附方式原理的差异，稳定性的差异等，因此需要更多深入研究进一步优化条件；(3)期望建立标准化的SERS方法替代传统技术，充分展示SERS作为新兴分析工具快速、灵敏、简捷的优势应用于食品安全，医学诊断等领域。将来，随着研究的深入及相关学科的发展，SERS作为极具潜力的快速分析工具，将在食品安全，生物医学等领域具有更广阔的应用前景。     

An ultra‐high temperature flow‐through capillary device for bacterial spore lysis

Rapid and specific characterization of bacterial endospores is dependent on the ability to rupture the cell wall to enable analysis of the intracellular components. In particular, bacterial spores from the bacillus genus are inherently robust and very difficult to lyze or solubilize. Standard protocols for spore inactivation include chemical treatment, sonication, pressure, and thermal lysis. Although these protocols are effective for the inactivation of these agents, they are less well suited for sample preparation for analysis using proteomic and genomic approaches. To overcome this difficulty, we have designed a simple capillary device to perform thermal lysis of bacterial spores. Using this device, we were able to super heat (195°C) an ethylene glycol lysis buffer to perform rapid flow‐through rupture and solubilization of bacterial endospores. We demonstrated that the lysates from this preparation method are compatible with CGE as well as DNA amplification analysis. We further demonstrated the flow‐through lysing device could be directly coupled to a miniaturized electrophoresis instrument for integrated sample preparation and analysis. In this arrangement, we were enabled to perform sample lysis, fluorescent dye labeling, and protein electrophoresis analysis of bacterial spores in less than 10 min. The described sample preparation device is rapid, simple, inexpensive, and easily integratable with various microfluidic devices.     

Micron-sized particle separation with standing surface acoustic wave—Experimental and numerical approaches

Traditional cell/particle isolation methods are time-consuming and expensive and can lead to morphology disruptions due to high induced shear stress. To address these problems, novel lab-on-a-chip-based purification methods have been employed. Among various methods introduced for the separation and purification of cells and synthetics particles, acoustofluidics has been one of the most effective methods. Unlike traditional separation techniques carried out in clinical laboratories based on chemical properties, the acoustofluidic process relies on the physical properties of the sample. Using acoustofluidics, manipulating cells and particles can be achieved in a label-free, contact-free, and highly biocompatible manner. To optimize the functionality of the platform, the numerical study should be taken into account before conducting experimental tests to save time and reduce fabrication expenses. Most current numerical studies have only considered one-dimensional harmonic standing waves to simulate the acoustic pressure distribution. However, one-dimensional simulations cannot calculate the actual acoustic pressure distribution inside the microchannel due to its limitation in considering longitudinal waves. To address this limitation, a two-dimensional numerical simulation was conducted in this study. Our numerical simulation investigates the effects of the platform geometrical and operational conditions on the separation efficiency. Next, the optimal values are tested in an experimental setting to validate these optimal parameters and conditions. This work provides a guideline for future acoustofluidic chip designs with a high degree of reproducibility and efficiency.