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Current Opinion in Structural Biology Oct 2021Microfluidic systems under laminar flow conditions provide in-solution information about species size and binding affinities at very modest sample costs. Flow-induced... (Review)
Review
Microfluidic systems under laminar flow conditions provide in-solution information about species size and binding affinities at very modest sample costs. Flow-induced dispersion analysis directly measures the spread of the analyte profile using Taylor dispersion analysis, whereas microfluidic diffusional sizing quantifies the transfer of analyte from one phase to another. Species of sizes between 0.5 and 1000 nm can be analyzed, and different populations resolved. Both techniques also allow analysis in complex media and medium throughput analysis. These properties make them valuable complements to existing approaches to measure biomolecular interactions.
Topics: Diffusion; Microfluidics
PubMed: 33831785
DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.02.006 -
Analytical Biochemistry Dec 2023Microarrays are powerful tools for high-throughput bioassays that can extract information from tens of thousands of micro-spots consisting of biomolecules. This... (Review)
Review
Microarrays are powerful tools for high-throughput bioassays that can extract information from tens of thousands of micro-spots consisting of biomolecules. This information is invaluable to many applications, such as drug discovery and disease diagnostics. Different applications of these microarrays need spots of different shapes, sizes, and chemistries to achieve their goals. Micro/nano-fabrication techniques are used to make microarrays with different feature structures and array densities for required assay procedures. Understanding these fabrication methods is essential to creating an effective microarray. The purpose of this article is to critically review fabrication methods used in recent microarray-based bioassay studies. We summarized commonly used microarray fabrication techniques and filled the gap in recent literature on relevant topics. We discussed recent examples of how microarrays were fabricated and used in a variety of bioassays. Specifically, we examined microarray printing, various microlithography techniques, and microfluidics-based microarray fabrication. We evaluated how their application shaped the fabrication methods and compared their performance based on different applications. In the end, we discussed current challenges and outlined potential future directions. This review addressed the gap in literature and provided important insights for choosing appropriate fabrication techniques towards different applications.
Topics: Microarray Analysis; Microfluidics; Biological Assay
PubMed: 37914004
DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2023.115369 -
Small (Weinheim An Der Bergstrasse,... Jan 2021Cells are complex machines whose behaviors arise from their internal collection of dynamically interacting organelles, supramolecular complexes, and cytoplasmic... (Review)
Review
Cells are complex machines whose behaviors arise from their internal collection of dynamically interacting organelles, supramolecular complexes, and cytoplasmic chemicals. The current understanding of the nature by which subcellular biology produces cell-level behaviors is limited by the technological hurdle of measuring the large number (>10 ) of small-sized (<1 μm) heterogeneous organelles and subcellular structures found within each cell. In this review, the emergence of a suite of micro- and nano-technologies for studying intracellular biology on the scale of organelles is described. Devices that use microfluidic and microelectronic components for 1) extracting and isolating subcellular structures from cells and lysate; 2) analyzing the physiology of individual organelles; and 3) recreating subcellular assembly and functions in vitro, are described. The authors envision that the continued development of single organelle technologies and analyses will serve as a foundation for organelle systems biology and will allow new insight into fundamental and clinically relevant biological questions.
Topics: Biology; Microfluidics; Organelles
PubMed: 33345457
DOI: 10.1002/smll.202005793 -
Lab on a Chip Apr 2020Electrochemistry provides possibilities to realize smart microdevices of the next generation with high functionalities. Electrodes, which constitute major components of... (Review)
Review
Electrochemistry provides possibilities to realize smart microdevices of the next generation with high functionalities. Electrodes, which constitute major components of electrochemical devices, can be formed by various microfabrication techniques, and integration of the same (or different) components for that purpose is not difficult. Merging this technique with microfluidics can further expand the areas of application of the resultant devices. To augment the development of next generation devices, it will be beneficial to review recent technological trends in this field and clarify the directions required for moving forward. Even when limiting the discussion to electrochemical microdevices, a variety of useful techniques should be considered. Therefore, in this review, we attempted to provide an overview of all relevant techniques in this context in the hope that it can provide useful comprehensive information.
Topics: Electrochemistry; Electrodes; Microtechnology
PubMed: 32129358
DOI: 10.1039/c9lc01112a -
Lab on a Chip Feb 2022This perspective considers ways in which the field of microfluidics can increase its impact by improving existing technologies and enabling new functionalities. We... (Review)
Review
This perspective considers ways in which the field of microfluidics can increase its impact by improving existing technologies and enabling new functionalities. We highlight applications where microfluidics has made or can make important contributions, including diagnostics, food safety, and the production of materials. The success of microfluidics assumes several forms, including fundamental innovations in fluid mechanics that enable the precise manipulation of fluids at small scales and the development of portable microfluidic chips for commercial purposes. We identify outstanding technical challenges whose resolution could increase the accessibility of microfluidics to users with both scientific and non-technical backgrounds. They include the simplification of procedures for sample preparation, the identification of materials for the production of microfluidic devices in both laboratory and commercial settings, and the replacement of auxiliary equipment with automated components for the operation of microfluidic devices.
Topics: Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; Microfluidics
PubMed: 35048918
DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00731a -
Current Opinion in Otolaryngology &... Oct 2020Treatment of auditory dysfunction is dependent on inner ear drug delivery, with microtechnologies playing an increasingly important role in cochlear access and... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Treatment of auditory dysfunction is dependent on inner ear drug delivery, with microtechnologies playing an increasingly important role in cochlear access and pharmacokinetic profile control. This review examines recent developments in the field for clinical and animal research environments.
RECENT FINDINGS
Micropump technologies are being developed for dynamic control of flow rates with refillable reservoirs enabling timed delivery of multiple agents for protection or regeneration therapies. These micropumps can be combined with cochlear implants with integral catheters or used independently with cochleostomy or round window membrane (RWM) delivery modalities for therapy development in animal models. Sustained release of steroids with coated cochlear implants remains an active research area with first-time-in-human demonstration of reduced electrode impedances. Advanced coatings containing neurotrophin producing cells have enhanced spiral ganglion neuron survival in animal models, and have proven safe in a human study. Microneedles have emerged for controlled microperforation of the RWM for significant enhancement in permeability, combinable with emerging matrix formulations that optimize biological interaction and drug release kinetics.
SUMMARY
Microsystem technologies are providing enhanced and more controlled access to the inner ear for advanced drug delivery approaches, alone and in conjunction with cochlear implants.
Topics: Animals; Drug Delivery Systems; Ear, Inner; Humans; Microtechnology
PubMed: 32796268
DOI: 10.1097/MOO.0000000000000648 -
Advances in Biochemical... 2023The use of cell-free production systems in droplet microfluidic devices has gained significant interest during the last decade. Encapsulating DNA replication, RNA... (Review)
Review
The use of cell-free production systems in droplet microfluidic devices has gained significant interest during the last decade. Encapsulating DNA replication, RNA transcription, and protein expression systems in water-in-oil drops allows for the interrogation of unique molecules and high-throughput screening of libraries of industrial and biomedical interest. Furthermore, the use of such systems in closed compartments enables the evaluation of various properties of novel synthetic or minimal cells. In this chapter, we review the latest advances in the usage of the cell-free macromolecule production toolbox in droplets, with a special emphasis on new on-chip technologies for the amplification, transcription, expression, screening, and directed evolution of biomolecules.
Topics: Microfluidics; High-Throughput Screening Assays; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices
PubMed: 37306704
DOI: 10.1007/10_2023_224 -
Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews 2020Oral administration is a pillar of the pharmaceutical industry and yet it remains challenging to administer hydrophilic therapeutics by the oral route. Smart and... (Review)
Review
Oral administration is a pillar of the pharmaceutical industry and yet it remains challenging to administer hydrophilic therapeutics by the oral route. Smart and controlled oral drug delivery could bypass the physiological barriers that limit the oral delivery of these therapeutics. Micro- and nanoscale technologies, with an unprecedented ability to create, control, and measure micro- or nanoenvironments, have found tremendous applications in biology and medicine. In particular, significant advances have been made in using these technologies for oral drug delivery. In this review, we briefly describe biological barriers to oral drug delivery and micro and nanoscale fabrication technologies. Micro and nanoscale drug carriers fabricated using these technologies, including bioadhesives, microparticles, micropatches, and nanoparticles, are described. Other applications of micro and nanoscale technologies are discussed, including fabrication of devices and tissue engineering models to precisely control or assess oral drug delivery in vivo and in vitro, respectively. Strategies to advance translation of micro and nanotechnologies into clinical trials for oral drug delivery are mentioned. Finally, challenges and future prospects on further integration of micro and nanoscale technologies with oral drug delivery systems are highlighted.
Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Drug Carriers; Drug Delivery Systems; Humans; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Microspheres; Microtechnology; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Pharmaceutical Preparations
PubMed: 32707147
DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2020.07.012 -
Molecular Microbiology Mar 2022Advances in microfabrication technology, and its increasing accessibility, allow us to explore fungal biology as never before. By coupling molecular genetics with... (Review)
Review
Advances in microfabrication technology, and its increasing accessibility, allow us to explore fungal biology as never before. By coupling molecular genetics with fluorescence live-cell imaging in custom-designed chambers, we can now probe single yeast cell responses to changing conditions over a lifetime, characterise population heterogeneity and investigate its underlying causes. By growing filamentous fungi in complex physical environments, we can identify cross-species commonalities, reveal species-specific growth responses and examine physiological differences relevant to diverse fungal lifestyles. As affordability and expertise broadens, microfluidic platforms will become a standard technique for examining the role of fungi in cross-kingdom interactions, ranging from rhizosphere to microbiome to interconnected human organ systems. This review brings together the perspectives already gained from studying fungal biology in microfabricated systems and outlines their potential in understanding the role of fungi in the environment, health and disease.
Topics: Biology; Fungi; Humans; Microtechnology; Rhizosphere; Saccharomyces cerevisiae
PubMed: 34592794
DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14816 -
Lab on a Chip Dec 2022Inertial microfluidics uses the hydrodynamic effects induced at finite Reynolds numbers to achieve passive manipulation of particles, cells, or fluids and offers the... (Review)
Review
Inertial microfluidics uses the hydrodynamic effects induced at finite Reynolds numbers to achieve passive manipulation of particles, cells, or fluids and offers the advantages of high-throughput processing, simple channel geometry, and label-free and external field-free operation. Since its proposal in 2007, inertial microfluidics has attracted increasing interest and is currently widely employed as an important sample preparation protocol for single-cell detection and analysis. Although great success has been achieved in the inertial microfluidics field, its performance and outcome can be further improved. From this perspective, herein, we reviewed the current status, challenges, and opportunities of inertial microfluidics concerning the underlying physical mechanisms, available simulation tools, channel innovation, multistage, multiplexing, or multifunction integration, rapid prototyping, and commercial instrument development. With an improved understanding of the physical mechanisms and the development of novel channels, integration strategies, and commercial instruments, improved inertial microfluidic platforms may represent a new foundation for advancing biomedical research and disease diagnosis.
Topics: Microfluidics; Biomedical Research
PubMed: 36263793
DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00722c