CRISPR-Cas12a2-based rapid and sensitive detection system for target nucleic acid.

Infectious diseases are extremely important public health issues, where the design of effective, rapid, and convenient detection platforms is critical. In this study, we coupled SuCas12a2, a novel Cas12 family RNA-targeting nuclease, with conventional PCR and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), respectively, to develop novel detection approaches, named PCR-SuCas12a2 and RPA-SuCas12a2. SuCas12a2 possesses collateral cleavage activity and cuts the additional single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) added to the reaction system once the ternary complex RNA-SuCas12a2-CRISPR RNA (crRNA) is formed.

A digestive system microphysiological platform for assessment of internal-exposure risks and metabolic disease mechanisms induced by multi-size nano-plastics.

Nano-plastics (NPs) are emerging hazardous environmental contaminants that pose health risks with size-dependent toxic effects and are potential risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and lipid metabolism disorders including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, their underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. To shed more light on the causes of these risks, we developed a digestive system microphysiological platform (DS-MPP) for simulating dynamic internal-exposure of multi-size NPs in the gastrointestinal tract and liver.

CHAMP: A Centrifugal Microfluidics-Based CRISPR/Cas12b-Combined Real-Time LAMP One-Pot Method for Infection Diagnosis.

The outbreak poses health risks to community residents. However, it still has limitations for current clinical diagnostic methods (qPCR nucleic acid assay or IgM immunoassay), including specialized handling, expensive equipment, prolonged turnaround time, and false positives and negatives, highlighting the need to improve clinical diagnostic methods. Herein, we present a novel centrifugal microfluidics-based method for rapidly diagnosing infections (CHAMP system).

A phosphorylated guanidine chitosan and UiO-66-NH modified magnetic nanoparticle platform for enrichment and detection of multiple bacteria.

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a powerful tool for early warning of infectious disease outbreaks. Hence, a rapid and portable pathogen monitoring system is urgent needed for on-site detection. In this work, we first reported synthesis of an artificial modulated wide-spectrum bacteria capture nanoparticle (Arg-CSP@UiO@FeO).

Air-Liquid Interface Microfluidic Monitoring Sensor Platform for Studying Autophagy Regulation after PM2.5 Exposure.

Undoubtedly, a deep understanding of PM-induced tumor metastasis at the molecular level can contribute to improving the therapeutic effects of related diseases. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of fine particle exposure through long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) regulation in autophagy and, ultimately, lung cancer (LC) metastasis remains elusive; on the other hand, the related monitoring sensor platform used to investigate autophagy and cell migration is lacking. Herein, this study performed an air-liquid interface microfluidic monitoring sensor (AIMMS) platform to analyze human bronchial epithelial cells after PM stimulation.

Fucoidan-based antibody-free magnetic nanoparticle for on-site detection of waterborne SARS-CoV-2.

The portable and sensitive point-of-care-test (POCT) method is in urgent need to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) for ensuring public health and safety. However, detection of trace number of pathogens in real water sample from the environment still faces challenges, because complex environment disruptors can rapidly degrade targets. Herein, magnetic beads coated with fucoidan and polydopamine (Fuc-PDA-MBs) were introduced as the capture carrier for pretreatment of samples.

Proteinase K-pretreated ConA-based ELISA assay: a novel urine LAM detection strategy for TB diagnosis.

Objectives: Lipoarabinomannan (LAM), an abundant cell wall glycolipid of mycobacteria including (), is a promising TB diagnostic marker. The current commercially available urine LAM assays are not sufficiently sensitive, and more novel detection strategies are urgently needed to fill the current diagnostic gap.

Methods: A proteinase K-pretreated Concanavalin A (ConA)-based ELISA assay was developed.

Development and evaluation of a centrifugal disk system for the rapid detection of multiple pathogens and their antibiotic resistance genes in urinary tract infection.

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are some of the most common bacterial infections in the world. Nevertheless, as uncomplicated UTIs are treated empirically without culturing the urine, adequate knowledge of the resistance pattern of uropathogens is essential. Conventional urine culture and identification take at least 2 days.

Primary exploration of host-microorganism interaction and enteritis treatment with an embedded membrane microfluidic chip of the human intestinal-vascular microsystem.

Intestinal flora plays a crucial role in the host's intestinal health. Imbalances in the intestinal flora, when accompanied by inflammation, affect the host's intestinal barrier function. Understanding it requires studying how living cells and tissues work in the context of living organs, but it is difficult to form the three-dimensional microstructure intestinal-vascular system by monolayer cell or co-culture cell models, and animal models are costly and slow.

Fully Automated CRISPR-LAMP Platform for SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron Variants.

Integrated clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) technology is of great importance in CRISPR-based diagnostic systems, which urgently needs to be developed to improve diagnostic accuracy. A labor-free, contamination-free, and fully automated droplet manipulation platform for the CRISPR-LAMP technology has not been developed before. Herein, we propose a fully automated CRISPR-LAMP platform, which can precisely manipulate the CRISPR-LAMP droplet and perform combined reactions with high sensitivity and specificity.

Assessment of cancer-related signaling pathways in responses to polystyrene nanoplastics via a kidney-testis microfluidic platform (KTP).

As a new type of environmental pollutants, micro/nano plastics (MPs/NPs) derived from plastic products are commonly contact in daily life and lead to some serious health issues. The toxicity effects of MPs/NPs on the human body have aroused wide concerns. Although MPs/NPs have been reported to be transmitted into the kidney and reproductive organs, the molecular mechanisms of MPs/NPs toxicity remain unclear due to the lack of a physiologically relevant organ-organ linking platform in vitro.

A rapid multiplex nucleic acid detection system of airborne fungi by an integrated DNA release device and microfluidic chip.

Occupational health problems, such as asthma, in specific work environments arise from the presence of airborne fungi. Rapid detection of pathogenic airborne fungi is therefore important to reduce or avoid any adverse effects on staff health. Herein, we established a new integrated rapid Lyticase-Motor-Chemical reagent nucleic acid releasing (LMC) method for the release of fungal DNA.

Recent developments and trends of automatic nucleic acid detection systems.

Nucleic acid detection, widely used in clinical diagnosis, biological analysis, and environmental monitoring, is of great significance for disease diagnosis and basic research. With the outbreak of COVID-19, the demand for fast and high-throughput nucleic acid detection from large numbers of samples has increased sharply. Automated nucleic acid detection systems can meet these needs, and also play important roles in disease screening and infectious disease prevention and control.

Biosafety of human environments can be supported by effective use of renewable biomass.

Preventing pathogenic viral and bacterial transmission in the human environment is critical, especially in potential outbreaks that may be caused by the release of ancient bacteria currently trapped in the permafrost. Existing commercial disinfectants present issues such as a high carbon footprint. This study proposes a sustainable alternative, a bioliquid derived from biomass prepared by hydrothermal liquefaction.

A point-of-care test device for MRSA rapid detection.

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is one of the most common pathogenic bacteria, and methicillin-resistant SA (MRSA) is an equally common drug-resistant bacteria. MRSA detection is of great significance for clinical diagnosis, medication guidance, and prevention of antibiotic abuse. Traditional MRSA detection using the culture method is time-consuming, laborious, and difficult to conduct rapid on-site detection.

Universally Stable and Precise CRISPR-LAMP Detection Platform for Precise Multiple Respiratory Tract Virus Diagnosis Including Mutant SARS-CoV-2 Spike N501Y.

Nowadays, rapid and accurate diagnosis of respiratory tract viruses is an urgent need to prevent another epidemic outbreak. To overcome this problem, we have developed a clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) loop mediated amplification (LAMP) technology to detect influenza A virus, influenza B virus, respiratory syncytial A virus, respiratory syncytial B virus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, including variants of concern (B.1.

A LAMP-based microfluidic module for rapid detection of pathogen in cryptococcal meningitis.

Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a global threat with significant attributable morbidity and mortality. Information on microfluidic detection for CM diagnosis is still limited. We developed a multifunctional microfluidic module that integrated the pathogen enrichment and on-chip nucleic acid extraction.

A LAMP-based system for rapid detection of eight common pathogens causing lower respiratory tract infections.

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and lack a rapid diagnostic method. To improve the diagnosis of LRTIs, we established an available loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the detection of eight common lower respiratory pathogens, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. The whole process can be achieved within 1 h (sample to results read out).

Cytotoxicity analysis of biomass combustion particles in human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells on an air-liquid interface/dynamic culture platform.

Background: Exposure to indoor air pollution from solid fuel combustion is associated with lung diseases and cancer. This study investigated the cytotoxicity and molecular mechanisms of biomass combustion-derived particles in human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells (HPAEpiC) using a platform that combines air-liquid interface (ALI) and dynamic culture (DC) systems.

Methods: HPAEpiC were cultured on the surface of polycarbonate (PC) membranes on the ALI-DC platform.

The decay of airborne bacteria and fungi in a constant temperature and humidity test chamber.

Despite substantial research to profile the microbial characteristics in the atmosphere, the changing metabolism underpinning microbial successional dynamics remains ambiguous. Herein, we applied qPCR, high-throughput sequencing of the genes encoding 16S and ITS rRNA to render the bacterial/fungal dynamics of ambient PM filters maintained at constant conditions of temperature (20 ± 2 °C) and humidity (50 ± 5%). The incubation experiments which lasted for 50 days aim to simulate a metabolic process of microbe in two types PM (polluted and non-polluted).

Sorption of organochlorine pesticides on polyethylene microplastics in soil suspension.

As a new type of environmental pollutant, microplastics (MPs) can adsorb residual organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the soil and pose a severe threat to the soil ecosystems. To understand the interaction between soil MPs and OCPs, the sorption of two kinds of OCPs, including hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), on polyethylene (PE) microplastics in soil suspension was studied through sorption kinetics and isotherm models. The effects of solution/soil ratio and MPs diameter on sorption were examined.

A Three-Dimensional Micromixer Using Oblique Embedded Ridges.

A micromixer is one of the most significant components in a microfluidic system. A three-dimensional micromixer was developed with advantages of high efficiency, simple fabrication, easy integration, and ease of mass production. The designed principle is based on the concepts of splitting-recombination and chaotic advection.

Association of PM with Insulin Resistance Signaling Pathways on a Microfluidic Liver-Kidney Microphysiological System (LK-MPS) Device.

Insulin resistance (IR) is a typical sign of metabolic dysregulation caused by fine particulate matter (PM), but the underlying signaling has not been clearly determined. Herein, a microfluidic liver-kidney microphysiological system (LK-MPS) is presented to assess the signaling pathways of IR generated by PM at 200 μg/mL for 24 h. The LK-MPS device consisted of a biomimetic liver-kidney architecture and reconstructed two circulation paths: the liver metabolism-kidney excretion (LM-KE) and kidney excretion-liver metabolism (KE-LM), by which PM is feasibly distributed in the two organs.