Microfluidic SlipChip device for multistep multiplexed biochemistry on a nanoliter scale.

We have developed a multistep microfluidic device that expands the current SlipChip capabilities by enabling multiple steps of droplet merging and multiplexing. Harnessing the interfacial energy between carrier and sample phases, this manually operated device accurately meters nanoliter volumes of reagents and transfers them into on-device reaction wells. Judiciously shaped microfeatures and surface-energy traps merge droplets in a parallel fashion.

Reading Out Single-Molecule Digital RNA and DNA Isothermal Amplification in Nanoliter Volumes with Unmodified Camera Phones.

Digital single-molecule technologies are expanding diagnostic capabilities, enabling the ultrasensitive quantification of targets, such as viral load in HIV and hepatitis C infections, by directly counting single molecules. Replacing fluorescent readout with a robust visual readout that can be captured by any unmodified cell phone camera will facilitate the global distribution of diagnostic tests, including in limited-resource settings where the need is greatest. This paper describes a methodology for developing a visual readout system for digital single-molecule amplification of RNA and DNA by (i) selecting colorimetric amplification-indicator dyes that are compatible with the spectral sensitivity of standard mobile phones, and (ii) identifying an optimal ratiometric image-process for a selected dye to achieve a readout that is robust to lighting conditions and camera hardware and provides unambiguous quantitative results, even for colorblind users.

The pumping lid: investigating multi-material 3D printing for equipment-free, programmable generation of positive and negative pressures for microfluidic applications.

Equipment-free pumping is a challenging problem and an active area of research in microfluidics, with applications for both laboratory and limited-resource settings. This paper describes the pumping lid method, a strategy to achieve equipment-free pumping by controlled generation of pressure. Pressure was generated using portable, lightweight, and disposable parts that can be integrated with existing microfluidic devices to simplify workflow and eliminate the need for pumping equipment.

Flanking residues are central to DO11.10 T cell hybridoma stimulation by ovalbumin 323-339.

T cell activation requires formation of a tri-molecular interaction between a major histocompatibility complex (MHC), peptide, and T cell receptor. In a common model system, the ovalbumin epitope 323-339 binds the murine class II MHC, I-A(d), in at least three distinct registers. The DO11.