Versatile microfluidic complement fixation test for disease biomarker detection.

The complement fixation test (CFT) is a serological test that can be used to detect the presence of specific antibodies or antigens to diagnose infections, particularly diseases caused by microbes that are not easily detected by standard culture methods. We report here, for the first time, a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)/glass slide hybrid microfluidic device that was used to manipulate the solution compartment and communication within the microchannel to establish sampler and indicator systems of CFT. Two types of on-chip CFT, solution-based and solid phase agar-based assays, were successfully demonstrated for biomarker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and recombinant avian influenza A (rH7N9) virus protein detection.

One-post patterning of multiple protein gradients using a low-cost flash foam stamp.

Printing of versatile chemical and biological inks for protein and cell patterning was achieved using a simple and cost-effective flash foam stamp (FFS). The grey-scale mask fabricated stamp can generate multiple protein gradients with one-post stamping. Due to the importance of spatially controlled protein patterns in both biology and tissue engineering, this straightforward and reliable tool is an accessible solution for resource-limited laboratories conducting molecular patterning experiments.

Monitoring of TGF-β 1-Induced Human Lung Adenocarcinoma A549 Cells Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transformation Process by Measuring Cell Adhesion Force with a Microfluidic Device.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process in which epithelial cells lose their cell polarity and cell-cell adhesion, and gain migratory and invasive properties. It is believed that EMT is associated with initiation and completion of the invasion-metastasis cascade. In this study, an economic approach was developed to fabricate a microfluidic device with less instrumentation requirement for the investigation of EMT by quantifying cell adhesion force.

Bi-module sensing device to in situ quantitatively detect hydrogen peroxide released from migrating tumor cells.

Cell migration is one of the key cell functions in physiological and pathological processes, especially in tumor metastasis. However, it is not feasible to monitor the important biochemical molecules produced during cell migrations in situ by conventional cell migration assays. Herein, for the first time a device containing both electrochemical sensing and trans-well cell migration modules was fabricated to sensitively quantify biochemical molecules released from the cell migration process in situ.