Membrane-based microfluidic systems for medical and biological applications.

Microfluidic devices with integrated membranes that enable control of mass transport in constrained environments have shown considerable growth over the last decade. Membranes are a key component in several industrial processes such as chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnological, food, and metallurgy separation processes as well as waste management applications, allowing for modular and compact systems. Moreover, the miniaturization of a process through microfluidic devices leads to process intensification together with reagents, waste and cost reduction, and energy and space savings.

Corrigendum: 3D organ-on-a-chip: the convergence of microphysiological systems and organoids.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.

Corrigendum: Challenge of material haemocompatibility for microfluidic blood-contacting applications.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.

Challenge of material haemocompatibility for microfluidic blood-contacting applications.

Biological applications of microfluidics technology is beginning to expand beyond the original focus of diagnostics, analytics and organ-on-chip devices. There is a growing interest in the development of microfluidic devices for therapeutic treatments, such as extra-corporeal haemodialysis and oxygenation. However, the great potential in this area comes with great challenges.

3D organ-on-a-chip: The convergence of microphysiological systems and organoids.

Medicine today faces the combined challenge of an increasing number of untreatable diseases and fewer drugs reaching the clinic. While pharmaceutical companies have increased the number of drugs in early development and entering phase I of clinical trials, fewer actually successfully pass phase III and launch into the market. In fact, only 1 out of every 9 drugs entering phase I will launch.

The pathogenic biomarker alcohol dehydrogenase protein is involved in Bacillus cereus virulence and survival against host innate defence.

Bacillus cereus is a spore forming bacteria recognized among the leading agents responsible for foodborne outbreaks in Europe. B. cereus is also gaining notoriety as an opportunistic human pathogen inducing local and systemic infections.

Implication of a Key Region of Six Genes Involved in Siroheme Synthesis, Nitrite Reductase Production and Iron Cluster Repair in the Bacterial Response to Nitric Oxide Stress.

Bacterial response to nitric oxide (NO) is of major importance for bacterial survival. NO stress is a main actor of the eukaryotic immune response and several pathogenic bacteria have developed means for detoxification and repair of the damages caused by NO. However, bacterial mechanisms of NO resistance by Gram-positive bacteria are poorly described.

Dr. NO and Mr. Toxic - the versatile role of nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide (NO) is present in various organisms from humans, to plants, fungus and bacteria. NO is a fundamental signaling molecule implicated in major cellular functions. The role of NO ranges from an essential molecule to a potent mediator of cellular damages.

The Pil3 pilus of Streptococcus gallolyticus binds to intestinal mucins and to fibrinogen.

Streptococcus gallolyticus is a commensal bacterium responsible for infectious endocarditis in the elderly, which has frequently been associated with colonic carcinoma. Whether this species is a cause or a consequence of colorectal cancer remains unknown. We recently demonstrated that S.