Cascaded contraction-expansion channels for bacteria separation from RBCs using viscoelastic microfluidics.

Implementation of viscoelasticity-based particle migration techniques has attracted significant interest thanks to its simplicity to achieve particle separation and enrichment at high sensitivity and accuracy for the last decade. Many methods have previously been developed for particle focusing and separation, but they all require long fluidic channels to enable the desired elastic force on particles. Here, a cascade contraction-expansion microfluidic system with a much shorter channel length is presented.

Production of natural chitin film from pupal shell of moth: Fabrication of plasmonic surfaces for SERS-based sensing applications.

Commercially available types of chitin or chitin isolate are usually in powder form and are nanofibrous in microstructure. However, the surface characteristics of natural chitin in the body of insects are currently understudied. Herein, natural chitin film was successfully produced from bio-waste of insect pupae of the Japanese giant silkworm.

Alternative screening method for analyzing the water samples through an electrical microfluidics chip with classical microbiological assay comparison of P. aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogenic bacterium in fresh water supplies that creates a risk for public health. Microbiological analysis of drinking water samples is time consuming and requires qualified personnel. Here we offer a screening system for rapid analysis of spring water that has the potential to be turned into a point-of-need system by means of simple mechanism.

Natural β-chitin-protein complex film obtained from waste razor shells for transdermal capsaicin carrier.

In the literature, the produced β-chitin samples are in powder or flake forms but there is no natural β-chitin based film. Also, the commercially available transdermal patches are produced from synthetic polymers. In this regard, we produced natural β-chitin-protein complex (CPC) film from the waste shells of Ensis spp.

Use of sea urchin spines with chitosan gel for biodegradable film production.

In recent years, the film production from natural polymers has considerably increased in food industry as an alternative to the petroleum based synthetic films. Chitosan is one of the most preferred biopolymers for bio-based film production, due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial properties. Because of its hydrophilic properties, chitosan based films dissolve in water, limiting its uses in industry, to overcome this problem; we mixed 200 and 400 mg of the sea urchin spine powder (SUSP) with 20 mL chitosan gel respectively, to obtain a hydrophobic film.