Kind gift of THP-1 cells from Dr. Mark Chong and assistance in microfabrication from Dr. Yuejun Kang and Dr. Nishanth V. Menon (School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University) were greatly acknowledged. This project was funded by NTU-Northwestern Institute of Nanomedicine (Nanyang Technological University). H.W.H. was supported by Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) postdoctoral fellowship.

1. Nanoparticles (NPs) Labeling of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Monocytes
<ol>
	<li>Culture mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in Dulbecco&#39;s modified Eagle&#39;s medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and antibiotics to &#8805;80% confluency prior to labeling. Similarly, culture THP-1 cells (ATCC) in Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) 1640 medium supplemented with 10% FBS to a density of ~106 cells/ml.</li>
	<li>Load silica NPs (~500 &#181;m) with calcein dye solution (200 &#181;M) using overnight stirring. Fabricate PLGA-calcein AM (CAM) using a protocol described previously.22
	<ol>
		<li>Dissolve 250 &#181;g CAM and 100 mg PLGA (50:50) in chloroform at 4 &#176;C.</li>
		<li>Generate single emulsion NPs using a high speed homogenizer (13,600 x g, 60 sec) at room temperature. Evaporate the chloroform in a chemical hood (&#8805;3 hr) before collection using centrifugation (3,400 x g for 5 min), washing (double distilled water), freeze-drying and storage in -20 &#176;C.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Incubate CAM-PLGA NPs (1 mg) or calcein silica NPs (150 &#181;g) in 0.01% poly-L-lysine (PLL) solution at room temperature for 15 - 20 min.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge at 3,400 x g for 5 min to remove excess PLL supernatant before NPs resuspension in 1 ml of respective culture medium.</li>
	<li>Incubate the NPs with cells (MSCs or THP-1, ~1 - 2 x 106 cells in total) for approximately 24 hr (0.1 mg&#183;ml&#8722;1 labeling concentration).</li>
	<li>Dissociate and harvest the labeled adherent MSCs using 2 ml of 0.25% trypsin (5 min, 37 &#176;C) and quench with 6 ml of DMEM. Spin down the cells at (1,000 x g, 4 min) and resuspend to a concentration of 105 - 106 cells/ml for microfluidic processing. Use labeled THP-1 cells (105 - 106 cells/ml) directly for microfluidics purification.</li>
</ol>
2. Microfluidic Device Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Device Fabrication
	<ol>
		<li>Fabricate the microfluidic spiral device (500 &#181;m (w) &#215; 115 &#181;m (h)) with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) from a commercial kit using standard soft lithography steps.23</li>
		<li>Mix 30 g of base prepolymer and 3 g curing agent thoroughly in a weighing boat. De-gas the mixture in a desiccator for 60 min to remove any air bubbles.</li>
		<li>Pour the PDMS mixture onto the silicon wafer master mold patterned with the spiral channel design carefully to a height of ~5 - 10 mm.</li>
		<li>De-gas the mixture in a desiccator vacuum for 60 min again to remove any air bubbles. Repeat the process until all bubbles are eliminated.</li>
		<li>Cure the PDMS mixture in an 80 &#176;C oven for 2 hr until the PDMS is set. Ensure the wafer is not tilted during curing to have a constant device height.</li>
		<li>Cut out the PDMS spiral device using a scalpel and carefully peel the PDMS slab from the master mold.</li>
		<li>Trim the edges of the device with a scalpel to ensure smooth surface for bonding.</li>
		<li>Punch two holes (1.5 mm) for the inlets and two holes (1.5 mm) for the outlets on the PDMS device using a 1.5 mm biopsy puncher.</li>
		<li>Wash the device with isopropanol (IPA) to remove any debris and dry the device in an 80 &#176;C oven for 5 min.</li>
		<li>Clean the bottom surface of the PDMS device (with channel features) using masking tape.</li>
		<li>Clean one side of a glass slide (2&#34; by 3&#34;) using masking tape.</li>
		<li>Carefully place and expose the cleaned surfaces of the PDMS device and glass slide in the chamber of a plasma cleaner and subject them to vacuum for 60 sec. Next, switch on the plasma power to maximum and lower the chamber pressure until the chamber turns pink in color.
		<ol>
			<li>Expose the surfaces to air plasma for 60 sec. The plasma creates reactive species on the exposed surfaces of the PDMS and glass which enables tight bonding when brought into physical contact. Turn off the plasma power and release the pressure from the plasma cleaner to retrieve the device and glass slide.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Bond the PDMS device and glass slide together by pressing the plasma-exposed surfaces tightly and ensuring that no bubbles are trapped between the two surfaces.</li>
		<li>Heat the bonded device using a hotplate set at 80 &#176;C for 2 hr to strengthen the bonding.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Device Operation
	<ol>
		<li>Cut two pieces of tubing (1.52 mm OD) of ~15 - 20 cm for the inlet syringes and attach a syringe tip (gauge 23) on one end of each tubing.</li>
		<li>Cut two pieces of tubing (1.52 mm OD) of ~5 - 10 cm for the outlets and attach to the outlet holes of the PDMS device.</li>
		<li>Prior to sample running, manually prime the device with a syringe containing 70% ethanol until it flows out of the outlet tubing. Allow the ethanol sit for 30 sec to 1 min to sterilize the device.</li>
		<li>Load 30 ml of filtered (0.2 &#181;m pore) sheath buffer (Phosphate-Buffered Saline (PBS) with 0.1% Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA)) into the 60 ml syringe and secure the syringe on a syringe pump. Set the pump to the correct settings (Syringe size: 60 ml, Volume: 60,000 &#181;l). 
		Note: The addition of BSA to PBS is to minimize cell-cell binding and non-specific binding between cells and the PDMS device.</li>
		<li>Load 3 ml of labeled cells into the 3 ml syringe and secure the syringe on a separate syringe pump. Set the pump to the correct settings (Syringe size: 3 ml, Volume: 3,000 &#181;l).</li>
		<li>Check that no air bubbles are trapped in the syringes to ensure a stable flow. Remove any air bubbles by gently ejecting few drops of liquid out of the nozzle.</li>
		<li>Connect the inlet syringe tips and tubing to the syringes, and insert them into the respective inlets of the device (sheath and sample inlet). Ensure that there are no bubbles along the tubing.</li>
		<li>Mount the devices onto an inverted phase-contrast microscope for real time imaging during cell sorting process.</li>
		<li>Secure a small waste beaker and two 15 ml tubes close to the device on the microscope stage using adhesives.</li>
		<li>Place the outlet tubings into the waste beaker.</li>
		<li>Set the flow ratio for sample to sheath buffer to 1:10 and start both syringe pumps to initiate the sorting process (Example: 120 &#181;l/min for sample syringe and 1,200 &#181;l/min for sheath syringe; channel flow velocity ~0.38 m/sec).</li>
		<li>Run the device for 1.5 min for the flow rate to stabilize. This can be confirmed by presence of inertially focused cells near the channel inner wall under bright-field with phase contrast using a high-speed camera (~5,000 - 10,000 frames per second (fps), exposure time: 10-50 &#181;sec).</li>
		<li>Position the outlet tubings into different tubes to collect the eluents from the cell outlet and waste outlet.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

<ol>
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The authors have nothing to disclose.

The DFF cell purification technology described herein enables rapid and continuous separation of labeled cells in a high throughput manner. This separation approach is ideal for large sample volume or high cell concentration sample processing, and is better than conventional membrane-based filtration which is prone to clogging after extended use. Similarly, affinity-based magnetic separation requires additional cell labelling steps which are laborious and expensive. The purified cells are shown to retain their labeled ag...

Engineering cells by agent-loaded micro/nanoparticles (NPs) is a simple, genomic integration-free, and versatile method to enhance bioimaging capability and augment/supplement its native therapeutic properties in regenerative medicine.1-3 Cellular modifications are achieved by labeling the plasma membrane or cytoplasm with an excess concentration of agent-loaded NPs to saturate the binding sites. However, a major drawback of this method is the significant quantities of unbound particles remaining in solution after cell labeling processes, which can potentially confound precise identification of particle-engineered cells or complicate therapeutic outcomes.4,5 In addition, exposure to NPs containing transformative agents (growth factors, corticosteroids, etc.) at excessively high concentration can cause cytotoxicity and misdirected exposure may induce unintended consequences on non-target cells. Even particulate carriers comprising of &#34;biocompatible&#34; materials [e.g., poly(lactic co-glycolic acid), PLGA] can incite potent immune cell responses under certain conditions as well.6 This is especially risky in individuals with impaired immunity (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) which potentially delays systemic nanoparticle clearance.7 Thus, efficient removal of free particles prior to the introduction of particle-engineered cells is of great importance to minimize toxicity profile and reduce misdirected exposure to agent-loaded particles in vivo.
Conventional gradient centrifugation is often used to separate engineered cells from free particles but is laborious and operated in batch mode. Moreover, shear stresses experienced by cells during high-speed centrifugation and the constituents of the density gradient medium may compromise cell integrity and/or influence cell behavior.8 Microfluidics is an attractive alternative with several separation technologies including deterministic lateral displacement (DLD)9, dieletrophoresis10,11 and acoustophoresis12 developed for small particles separation and buffer exchange applications. However, these methods suffer from low throughput (1-10 &#181;l&#183;min&#8722;1) and are prone to clogging issues. Active separations such as dielectrophoresis-based methods also require differences in intrinsic dielectrophoretic cell phenotypes or additional cell labeling steps to achieve separation. A more promising approach involves inertial microfluidics &#8212; the lateral migration of particles or cells across streamlines to focus at distinct positions due to dominant lift forces (FL) at high Reynolds number (Re).13 Due to its high flow conditions and superior size resolution, it has often been exploited for size-based cell separation14,15 and buffer exchange applications.16-18 However, buffer exchange performance remains poor with &#8764;10&#8722;30% contaminant solution as the separated cells usually remain close to the boundary between original and new buffer solutions.16-18 More importantly, the size distribution of target cells has to be similar to achieve precise inertial focusing and separation from the original buffer solution which poses an issue especially in the processing of heterogeneous-sized cell types such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).19
We have previously developed a new inertial microfluidics cell sorting technique termed Dean Flow Fractionation (DFF) for isolating circulating tumor cells (CTCs)20 and bacteria21 from whole blood using a 2-inlet, 2-outlet spiral microchannel device. In this video protocol, we will describe the process of labeling THP-1 (human acute monocytic leukemia cell line) suspension monocytic cells (~15 &#181;m) and MSCs (10-30 &#181;m) with calcein-loaded NPs, followed by fabrication and operation of the DFF spiral microdevice for efficient recovery of labeled cells and removal of unbound NPs.22 This single step purification strategy enables continuous recovery of labeled suspension and adherent cells suspended in fresh buffer solution without centrifugation. Moreover, it can process up to 10 million cells&#183;ml&#8722;1, a cell density amenable for regenerative medicine applications.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="781">
	<colgroup>
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
	</colgroup>
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td colspan="4" height="21" style="height:21px;width:780px;">Cell lines &#38; Media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs)</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Lonza</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">PT-2501</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Dulbecco&#8217;s modified Eagle&#8217;s medium (DMEM)</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Lonza</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">12-614F</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS)</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Gibco</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">10270-106</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">THP-1 monocyte cells (THP-1)</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">ATCC</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">TIB-202</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) 1640 media</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Lonza</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">12-702F</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Name</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td>Comments/Description</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td colspan="4" height="21" style="height:21px;width:780px;">Reagents &#38; Materials</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">0.01% poly-L-lysine (PLL)</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">P8920</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">3 mL Syringe</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">BD</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">302113</td>
			<td>Syringe 3ml Luer-Lock</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">60 ml Syringe</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">BD</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">309653</td>
			<td>Syringe 60ml Luer-Lock</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA)</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Biowest</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">P6154-100GR</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Calcein, AM (CAM)</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Life Technologies</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">C1430</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Calcein</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">C0875</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Isopropanol</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Fisher Chemical</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">#P/7507/17</td>
			<td>HPLC Grade 2.5 L</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Phosphate-Buffered Saline (PBS)</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Lonza</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">17-516Q/12</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Plain Microscope Slides</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">FIS#12-550D</td>
			<td>75 X 25 X 1 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Dow Corning</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">SYLGARD&#174; 184</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Scotch tape</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">3M</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">21200702044</td>
			<td>18mm x 25m</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Silica NPs (&#8764;200 &#956;m)</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">748161</td>
			<td>Pore size 4 nm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Syringe Tip</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">JEC Technology</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">7018302</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">23GA .013 X .25</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Trypsin-EDTA (0.25%)</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Life Technologies</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">25200-056</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Tygon Tubing</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Spectra-Teknik</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">06419-01</td>
			<td>.02X.06&#34; 100</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:368px;">Name</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td>Comments/Description</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td colspan="4" height="21" style="height:21px;width:780px;">Equipment</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Biopsy punch</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Harris Uni-Core</td>
			<td>69036-15</td>
			<td>1.50 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Dessicator</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Scienceware</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">111/4 IN OD</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">High-speed Camera</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Phantom&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">V9.1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Inverted phase-contrast microscope&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Nikon</td>
			<td>Eclipse Ti</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Plasma cleaner</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Harrick Plasma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">PDC-002</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:368px;">Syringe Pump</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">Chemyx</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">CX Fusion 200</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

microfluidic buffer exchange for interference-free micro/nanoparticle cell engineering

Engineering cells with active-ingredient-loaded micro/nanoparticles (NPs) is becoming an increasingly popular method to enhance native therapeutic properties, enable bio imaging and control cell phenotype. A critical yet inadequately addressed issue is the significant number of particles that remain unbound after cell labeling which cannot be readily removed by conventional centrifugation. This leads to an increase in bio imaging background noise and can impart transformative effects onto neighboring non-target cells. In this protocol, we present an inertial microfluidics-based buffer exchange strategy termed as Dean Flow Fractionation (DFF) to efficiently separate labeled cells from free NPs in a high throughput manner. The developed spiral microdevice facilitates continuous collection (&#62;90% cell recovery) of purified cells (THP-1 and MSCs) suspended in new buffer solution, while achieving &#62;95% depletion of unbound fluorescent dye or dye-loaded NPs (silica or PLGA). This single-step, size-based cell purification strategy enables high cell processing throughput (106 cells/min) and is highly useful for large-volume cell purification of micro/nanoparticle engineered cells to achieve interference-free clinical application.

After labeling the cells with bio imaging agent-loaded NPs overnight, the labeled cells (containing free particles) are harvested and purified by DFF spiral microdevice to remove free NPs in a single step process (Figure 1A). The 2-inlet, 2-outlet spiral microchannel is designed by engineering software and microfabricated using SU-8 photoresist. The patterned silicon wafer is then used as a template for PDMS replica molding using soft lithography techniques (Figur...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Microfluidic Buffer Exchange for Interference-free Micro/Nanoparticle Cell Engineering at JoVE.com

Microfluidic Buffer Exchange for Interference-free Micro/Nanoparticle Cell Engineering

This protocol describes the use of an inertial microfluidics-based buffer exchange strategy to purify micro/nanoparticle engineered cells with efficient depletion of unbound particles.

Engineering cells with active-ingredient-loaded micro/nanoparticles (NPs) is becoming an increasingly popular method to enhance native therapeutic ...

microfluidic-buffer-exchange-for-interference-free-micronanoparticle

Research

JoVE Journal

Bioengineering

9.0K Views.  Nanyang Technological University. This protocol describes the use of an inertial microfluidics-based buffer exchange strategy to purify micro/nanoparticle engineered cells with efficient depletion of unbound particles.

Video: Microfluidic Buffer Exchange for Interference-free Micro/Nanoparticle Cell Engineering

Site-specific Bacterial Chromosome Engineering: &#934;C31 Integrase Mediated Cassette Exchange (IMCE)

The bacterial chromosome may be used to stably maintain foreign DNA in the mega-base range1. Integration into the chromosome circumvents issues such as plasmid replication, plasmid stability, plasmid incompatibility, and plasmid copy number variance. This method uses the site-specific integrase from the Streptomyces phage (&Phi;) C312,3. The &Phi;C31 integrase catalyzes a direct recombination between two specific DNA sites: attB and attP (34 and 39 bp, respectively)4. This recombination is stable and does not revert5. A "landing pad" (LP) sequence consisting of a spectinomycin- resistance gene, aadA (SpR), and the E. coli &szlig;-glucuronidase gene (uidA) flanked by attP sites has been integrated into the chromosomes of Sinorhizobium meliloti, Ochrobactrum anthropi, and Agrobacterium tumefaciens in an intergenic region, the ampC locus, and the tetA locus, respectively. S. meliloti is used in this protocol. Mobilizable donor vectors containing attB sites flanking a stuffer red fluorescent protein (rfp) gene and an antibiotic resistance gene have also been constructed. In this example the gentamicin resistant plasmid pJH110 is used. The rfp gene6 may be replaced with a desired construct using SphI and PstI. Alternatively a synthetic construct flanked by attB sites may be sub-cloned into a mobilizable vector such as pK19mob7. The expression of the &Phi;C31 integrase gene (cloned from pHS628) is driven by the lac promoter, on a mobilizable broad host range plasmid pRK78139.
A tetraparental mating protocol is used to transfer the donor cassette into the LP strain thereby replacing the markers in the LP sequence with the donor cassette. These cells are trans-integrants. Trans-integrants are formed with a typical efficiency of 0.5%. Trans-integrants are typically found within the first 500-1,000 colonies screened by antibiotic sensitivity or blue-white screening using 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-D-glucuronic acid (X-gluc). This protocol contains the mating and selection procedures for creating and isolating trans-integrants.

A quick and efficient method to integrate foreign DNA of interest into pre-made acceptor strains, termed landing pad strains, is described. The method allows site-specific integration of a DNA cassette into the engineered landing pad locus of a given strain, through conjugation and expression of the &#934;C31 integrase.

The bacterial chromosome may be used to stably maintain foreign DNA in the mega-base range1. Integration into the chromosome circumvents issues such as ...

Microfluidic Mixers for Studying Protein Folding

The process by which a protein folds into its native conformation is highly relevant to biology and human health yet still poorly understood. One reason for this is that folding takes place over a wide range of timescales, from nanoseconds to seconds or longer, depending on the protein1. Conventional stopped-flow mixers have allowed measurement of folding kinetics starting at about 1 ms. We have recently developed a microfluidic mixer that dilutes denaturant ~100-fold in ~8 &mu;s2. Unlike a stopped-flow mixer, this mixer operates in the laminar flow regime in which turbulence does not occur. The absence of turbulence allows precise numeric simulation of all flows within the mixer with excellent agreement to experiment3-4.
Laminar flow is achieved for Reynolds numbers Re &le;100. For aqueous solutions, this requires micron scale geometries. We use a hard substrate, such as silicon or fused silica, to make channels 5-10 &mu;m wide and 10 &mu;m deep (See Figure 1). The smallest dimensions, at the entrance to the mixing region, are on the order of 1 &mu;m in size. The chip is sealed with a thin glass or fused silica coverslip for optical access. Typical total linear flow rates are ~1 m/s, yielding Re~10, but the protein consumption is only ~0.5 nL/s or 1.8 &mu;L/hr. Protein concentration depends on the detection method: For tryptophan fluorescence the typical concentration is 100 &mu;M (for 1 Trp/protein) and for FRET the typical concentration is ~100 nM.
The folding process is initiated by rapid dilution of denaturant from 6 M to 0.06 M guanidine hydrochloride. The protein in high denaturant flows down a central channel and is met on either side at the mixing region by buffer without denaturant moving ~100 times faster (see Figure 2). This geometry causes rapid constriction of the protein flow into a narrow jet ~100 nm wide. Diffusion of the light denaturant molecules is very rapid, while diffusion of the heavy protein molecules is much slower, diffusing less than 1 &mu;m in 1 ms. The difference in diffusion constant of the denaturant and the protein results in rapid dilution of the denaturant from the protein stream, reducing the effective concentration of the denaturant around the protein. The protein jet flows at a constant rate down the observation channel and fluorescence of the protein during folding can be observed using a scanning confocal microscope5.

In this work we explain the fabrication and use of a microfluidic mixer capable of mixing two solutions in ~8 &mu;s. We also demonstrate the use of these mixers with spectroscopic detection using UV fluorescence and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET).

The process by which a protein folds into its native conformation is highly relevant to biology and human health yet still poorly understood. One reason ...

Systematic Analysis of In Vitro Cell Rolling Using a Multi-well Plate Microfluidic System

A major challenge for cell-based therapy is the inability to systemically target a large quantity of viable cells with high efficiency to tissues of interest following intravenous or intraarterial infusion. Consequently, increasing cell homing is currently studied as a strategy to improve cell therapy. Cell rolling on the vascular endothelium is an important step in the process of cell homing and can be probed in-vitro using a parallel plate flow chamber (PPFC). However, this is an extremely tedious, low throughput assay, with poorly controlled flow conditions. Instead, we used a multi-well plate microfluidic system that enables study of cellular rolling properties in a higher throughput under precisely controlled, physiologically relevant shear flow1,2. In this paper, we show how the rolling properties of HL-60 (human promyelocytic leukemia) cells on P- and E-selectin-coated surfaces as well as on cell monolayer-coated surfaces can be readily examined. To better simulate inflammatory conditions, the microfluidic channel surface was coated with endothelial cells (ECs), which were then activated with tumor necrosis factor-&#945; (TNF-&#945;), significantly increasing interactions with HL-60 cells under dynamic conditions. The enhanced throughput and integrated multi-parameter software analysis platform, that permits rapid analysis of parameters such as rolling velocities and rolling path, are important advantages for assessing cell rolling properties in-vitro. Allowing rapid and accurate analysis of engineering approaches designed to impact cell rolling and homing, this platform may help advance exogenous cell-based therapy.

Systematic Analysis of In Vitro Cell Rolling Using a Multi-well Plate Microfluidic System

This study used a multi-well plate microfluidic system, significantly increasing throughput of cell rolling studies under physiologically relevant shear flow. Given the importance of cell rolling in the multi-step cell homing cascade and the importance of cell homing following systemic delivery of exogenous populations of cells in patients, this system offers potential as a screening platform to improve cell-based therapy.

A major challenge for cell-based therapy is the inability to systemically target a large quantity of viable cells with high efficiency to tissues of ...

Cell Squeezing as a Robust, Microfluidic Intracellular Delivery Platform

Rapid mechanical deformation of cells has emerged as a promising, vector-free method for intracellular delivery of macromolecules and nanomaterials. This technology has shown potential in addressing previously challenging applications; including, delivery to primary immune cells, cell reprogramming, carbon nanotube, and quantum dot delivery. This vector-free microfluidic platform relies on mechanical disruption of the cell membrane to facilitate cytosolic delivery of the target material. Herein, we describe the detailed method of use for these microfluidic devices including, device assembly, cell preparation, and system operation. This delivery approach requires a brief optimization of device type and operating conditions for previously unreported applications. The provided instructions are generalizable to most cell types and delivery materials as this system does not require specialized buffers or chemical modification/conjugation steps. This work also provides recommendations on how to improve device performance and trouble-shoot potential issues related to clogging, low delivery efficiencies, and cell viability.

Rapid mechanical deformation of cells has emerged as a promising, vector-free method for intracellular delivery of macromolecules and nanomaterials. This protocol provides detailed steps on how to use the system for a broad range of applications.

Rapid mechanical deformation of cells has emerged as a promising, vector-free method for intracellular delivery of macromolecules and nanomaterials. This ...

A Microfluidic Technique to Probe Cell Deformability

Here we detail the design, fabrication, and use of a microfluidic device to evaluate the deformability of a large number of individual cells in an efficient manner. Typically, data for ~102 cells can be acquired within a 1 hr experiment. An automated image analysis program enables efficient post-experiment analysis of image data, enabling processing to be complete within a few hours. Our device geometry is unique in that cells must deform through a series of micron-scale constrictions, thereby enabling the initial deformation and time-dependent relaxation of individual cells to be assayed. The applicability of this method to human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cells is demonstrated. Driving cells to deform through micron-scale constrictions using pressure-driven flow, we observe that human promyelocytic (HL-60) cells momentarily occlude the first constriction for a median time of 9.3 msec before passaging more quickly through the subsequent constrictions with a median transit time of 4.0 msec per constriction. By contrast, all-trans retinoic acid-treated (neutrophil-type) HL-60 cells occlude the first constriction for only 4.3 msec before passaging through the subsequent constrictions with a median transit time of 3.3 msec. This method can provide insight into the viscoelastic nature of cells, and ultimately reveal the molecular origins of this behavior.

We demonstrate a microfluidics-based assay to measure the timescale for cells to transit through a sequence of micron-scale constrictions.

Here we detail the design, fabrication, and use of a microfluidic device to evaluate the deformability of a large number of individual cells in an ...

Controlled Microfluidic Environment for Dynamic Investigation of Red Blood Cell Aggregation

Blood, as a non-Newtonian biofluid, represents the focus of numerous studies in the hemorheology field. Blood constituents include red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets that are suspended in blood plasma. Due to the abundance of the RBCs (40% to 45% of the blood volume), their behavior dictates the rheological behavior of blood especially in the microcirculation. At very low shear rates, RBCs are seen to assemble and form entities called aggregates, which causes the non-Newtonian behavior of blood. It is important to understand the conditions of the aggregates formation to comprehend the blood rheology in microcirculation. The protocol described here details the experimental procedure to determine quantitatively the RBC aggregates in microcirculation under constant shear rate, based on image processing. For this purpose, RBC-suspensions are tested and analyzed in 120 x 60 &#181;m poly-dimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) microchannels. The RBC-suspensions are entrained using a second fluid in order to obtain a linear velocity profile within the blood layer and thus achieve a wide range of constant shear rates. The shear rate is determined using a micro Particle Image Velocimetry (&#181;PIV) system, while RBC aggregates are visualized using a high speed camera. The videos captured of the RBC aggregates are analyzed using image processing techniques in order to determine the aggregate sizes based on the images intensities.

The protocol described details an experimental procedure to quantify Red Blood Cell (RBC) aggregates under a controlled and constant shear rate, based on image processing techniques. The goal of this protocol is to relate RBC aggregate sizes to the corresponding shear rate in a controlled microfluidic environment.

Blood, as a non-Newtonian biofluid, represents the focus of numerous studies in the hemorheology field. Blood constituents include red blood cells, white ...

Using Adhesive Patterning to Construct 3D Paper Microfluidic Devices

We demonstrate the use of patterned aerosol adhesives to construct both planar and nonplanar 3D paper microfluidic devices. By spraying an aerosol adhesive through a metal stencil, the overall amount of adhesive used in assembling paper microfluidic devices can be significantly reduced. We show on a simple 4-layer planar paper microfluidic device that the optimal adhesive application technique and device construction style depends heavily on desired performance characteristics. By moderately increasing the overall area of a device, it is possible to dramatically decrease the wicking time and increase device success rates while also reducing the amount of adhesive required to keep the device together. Such adhesive application also causes the adhesive to form semi-permanent bonds instead of permanent bonds between paper layers, enabling single-use devices to be non-destructively disassembled after use. Nonplanar 3D origami devices also benefit from the semi-permanent bonds during folding, as it reduces the likelihood that unrelated faces may accidently stick together. Like planar devices, nonplanar structures see reduced wicking times with patterned adhesive application vs uniformly applied adhesive.

We demonstrate the use of patterned aerosol adhesives to construct 3D paper microfluidic devices. This method of adhesive application forms semi-permanent bonds between layers, enabling single-use devices to be non-destructively disassembled after use and to ease folding complex nonplanar structures.

We demonstrate the use of patterned aerosol adhesives to construct both planar and nonplanar 3D paper microfluidic devices. By spraying an aerosol ...

A Microfluidic Platform for High-throughput Single-cell Isolation and Culture

Studying the heterogeneity of single cells is crucial for many biological questions, but is technically difficult. Thus, there is a need for a simple, yet high-throughput, method to perform single-cell culture experiments. Here, we report a microfluidic chip-based strategy for high-efficiency single-cell isolation (~77%) and demonstrate its capability of performing long-term single-cell culture (up to 7 d) and cellular heterogeneity analysis using clonogenic assay. These applications were demonstrated with KT98 mouse neural stem cells, and A549 and MDA-MB-435 human cancer cells. High single-cell isolation efficiency and long-term culture capability are achieved by using different sizes of microwells on the top and bottom of the microfluidic channel. The small microwell array is designed for precisely isolating single-cells, and the large microwell array is used for single-cell clonal culture in the microfluidic chip. This microfluidic platform constitutes an attractive approach for single-cell culture applications, due to its flexibility of adjustable cell culture spaces for different culture strategies, without decreasing isolation efficiency.

Here, we present a protocol for isolating and culturing single cells with a microfluidic platform, which utilizes a new microwell design concept to allow for high-efficiency single cell isolation and long-term clonal culture.

Studying the heterogeneity of single cells is crucial for many biological questions, but is technically difficult. Thus, there is a need for a simple, yet ...

Multi-step Variable Height Photolithography for Valved Multilayer Microfluidic Devices

Microfluidic systems have enabled powerful new approaches to high-throughput biochemical and biological analysis. However, there remains a barrier to entry for non-specialists who would benefit greatly from the ability to develop their own microfluidic devices to address research questions. Particularly lacking has been the open dissemination of protocols related to photolithography, a key step in the development of a replica mold for the manufacture of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) devices. While the fabrication of single height silicon masters has been explored extensively in literature, fabrication steps for more complicated photolithography features necessary for many interesting device functionalities (such as feature rounding to make valve structures, multi-height single-mold patterning, or high aspect ratio definition) are often not explicitly outlined. 
Here, we provide a complete protocol for making multilayer microfluidic devices with valves and complex multi-height geometries, tunable for any application. These fabrication procedures are presented in the context of a microfluidic hydrogel bead synthesizer and demonstrate the production of droplets containing polyethylene glycol (PEG diacrylate) and a photoinitiator that can be polymerized into solid beads. This protocol and accompanying discussion provide a foundation of design principles and fabrication methods that enables development of a wide variety of microfluidic devices. The details included here should allow non-specialists to design and fabricate novel devices, thereby bringing a host of recently developed technologies to their most exciting applications in biological laboratories.

Multilayer microfluidic devices often involve the fabrication of master molds with complex geometries for functionality. This article presents a complete protocol for multi-step photolithography with valves and variable height features tunable to any application. As a demonstration, we fabricate a microfluidic droplet generator capable of producing hydrogel beads.

Microfluidic systems have enabled powerful new approaches to high-throughput biochemical and biological analysis. However, there remains a barrier to ...

Microfluidic Bioprinting for Engineering Vascularized Tissues and Organoids

Engineering vascularized tissue constructs and organoids has been historically challenging. Here we describe a novel method based on microfluidic bioprinting to generate a scaffold with multilayer interlacing hydrogel microfibers. To achieve smooth bioprinting, a core-sheath microfluidic printhead containing a composite bioink formulation extruded from the core flow and the crosslinking solution carried by the sheath flow, was designed and fitted onto the bioprinter. By blending gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) with alginate, a polysaccharide that undergoes instantaneous ionic crosslinking in the presence of select divalent ions, followed by a secondary photocrosslinking of the GelMA component to achieve permanent stabilization, a microfibrous scaffold could be obtained using this bioprinting strategy. Importantly, the endothelial cells encapsulated inside the bioprinted microfibers can form the lumen-like structures resembling the vasculature over the course of culture for 16 days. The endothelialized microfibrous scaffold may be further used as a vascular bed to construct a vascularized tissue through subsequent seeding of the secondary cell type into the interstitial space of the microfibers. Microfluidic bioprinting provides a generalized strategy in convenient engineering of vascularized tissues at high fidelity.

We provide a generalized protocol based on a microfluidic bioprinting strategy for engineering a microfibrous vascular bed, where a secondary cell type could be further seeded into the interstitial space of this microfibrous structure to generate vascularized tissues and organoids.