Inactivating histone deacetylase HDA promotes longevity by mobilizing trehalose metabolism.

Histone acetylations are important epigenetic markers for transcriptional activation in response to metabolic changes and various stresses. Using the high-throughput SEquencing-Based Yeast replicative Lifespan screen method and the yeast knockout collection, we demonstrate that the HDA complex, a class-II histone deacetylase (HDAC), regulates aging through its target of acetylated H3K18 at storage carbohydrate genes. We find that, in addition to longer lifespan, disruption of HDA results in resistance to DNA damage and osmotic stresses.

Measuring the Replicative Lifespan of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Using the HYAA Microfluidic Platform.

The replicative aging of the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has been a useful model for dissecting the molecular mechanisms of the aging process. Traditionally, the replicative lifespan (RLS) is measured by manually dissecting mother cells from daughter cells, which is a very tedious process. Since 2012, several microfluidic systems have been developed to automate the dissection process, significantly accelerating RLS determination.

Integrated Microfluidic System for Gene Silencing and Cell Migration.

Metastasis involves the phenotype transition of cancer cells to gain invasiveness, and the following migration at the tumor site. Here an integrated microfluidic chip to study this process is presented by combining on-chip delivery of siRNA for gene silencing and cell migration assay. The major advantage of the integrated chip is the simple input of cells and gene transfection materials, and the ultimate output of migration ability.

Microfluidic Platforms for Yeast-Based Aging Studies.

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been a powerful model for the study of aging and has enabled significant contributions to our understanding of basic mechanisms of aging in eukaryotic cells. However, the laborious low-throughput nature of conventional methods of performing aging assays limits the pace of discoveries in this field. Some of the technical challenges of conventional aging assay methods can be overcome by use of microfluidic systems coupled to time-lapse microscopy.

CRISPR-Cas9 delivery to hard-to-transfect cells via membrane deformation.

The CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas (CRISPR-associated) nuclease system represents an efficient tool for genome editing and gene function analysis. It consists of two components: single-guide RNA (sgRNA) and the enzyme Cas9. Typical sgRNA and Cas9 intracellular delivery techniques are limited by their reliance on cell type and exogenous materials as well as their toxic effects on cells (for example, electroporation).

High-throughput analysis of yeast replicative aging using a microfluidic system.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been an important model for studying the molecular mechanisms of aging in eukaryotic cells. However, the laborious and low-throughput methods of current yeast replicative lifespan assays limit their usefulness as a broad genetic screening platform for research on aging. We address this limitation by developing an efficient, high-throughput microfluidic single-cell analysis chip in combination with high-resolution time-lapse microscopy.

Imaging of Cell-Cell Communication in a Vertical Orientation Reveals High-Resolution Structure of Immunological Synapse and Novel PD-1 Dynamics.

The immunological synapse (IS) is one of the most pivotal communication strategies in immune cells. Understanding the molecular basis of the IS provides critical information regarding how immune cells mount an effective immune response. Fluorescence microscopy provides a fundamental tool to study the IS.

Sheathless size-based acoustic particle separation.

Particle separation is of great interest in many biological and biomedical applications. Flow-based methods have been used to sort particles and cells. However, the main challenge with flow based particle separation systems is the need for a sheath flow for successful operation.

A label-free cell separation using surface acoustic waves.

We present two-stage microfluidic platform for a continuous label-free cell separation using surface acoustic waves. In the proposed platform, cells are first lined up at the center of the channel by using standing surface acoustic waves without introducing any external sheath flow. After focused at the center of the channel, the cells are then entered to the actual cell separation stage where the larger cell are exposed to more lateral displacement in the channel towards the pressure node due to the acoustic force differences.