PoroFluidics: deterministic fluid control in porous microfluidics.

Microfluidic devices with open lattice structures, equivalent to a type of porous media, allow for the manipulation of fluid transport processes while having distinct structural, mechanical, and thermal properties. However, a fundamental understanding of the design principles for the solid structure in order to achieve consistent and desired flow patterns remains a challenge, preventing its further development and wider applications. Here, through quantitative and mechanistic analyses of the behavior of multi-phase phenomena that involve gas-liquid-solid interfaces, we present a design framework for microfluidic devices containing porous architectures (referred to as poroFluidics) for deterministic control of multi-phase fluid transport processes.

Potential Avenues for Exosomal Isolation and Detection Methods to Enhance Small-Cell Lung Cancer Analysis.

Around the world, lung cancer has long been the main factor in cancer-related deaths, with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) being the deadliest form of lung cancer. Cancer cell-derived exosomes and exosomal miRNAs are considered promising biomarkers for diagnosing and prognosis of various diseases, including SCLC. Due to the rapidity of SCLC metastasis, early detection and diagnosis can offer better diagnosis and prognosis and therefore increase the patient's chances of survival.

Toward Personalized Nanomedicine: The Critical Evaluation of Micro and Nanodevices for Cancer Biomarker Analysis in Liquid Biopsy.

Liquid biopsy for the analysis of circulating cancer biomarkers (CBs) is a major advancement toward the early detection of cancer. In comparison to tissue biopsy techniques, liquid biopsy is relatively painless, offering multiple sampling opportunities across easily accessible bodily fluids such as blood, urine, and saliva. Liquid biopsy is also relatively inexpensive and simple, avoiding the requirement for specialized laboratory equipment or trained medical staff.

Low-cost electrochemical paper-based device for exosome detection.

Exosomes are vesicles released by healthy and cancer cells into the extracellular matrix and bodily fluid. Cancer cell-derived exosomes have attracted much attention in early-stage detection and prognostication of treatment response. Thus, detecting exosomes is of great interest to biology and medicine.

An Interfacial Affinity Interaction-Based Method for Detecting HOTAIR lncRNA in Cancer Plasma Samples.

Long non-coding RNA Homeobox transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) is recognized as a participant in different processes of normal cell development. Aberrant overexpression of HOTAIR contributes to the initiation, growth, and invasiveness of ovarian cancer. Using the affinity interaction of target HOTAIR lncRNA sequences towards a screen-printed gold electrode (SPE-Au), herein we report on a novel, rapid and simple method to detect HOTAIR sequences.

Rapid, Simple and Inexpensive Fabrication of Paper-Based Analytical Devices by Parafilm Hot Pressing.

Paper-based analytical devices have been substantially developed in recent decades. Many fabrication techniques for paper-based analytical devices have been demonstrated and reported. Herein, we report a relatively rapid, simple, and inexpensive method for fabricating paper-based analytical devices using parafilm hot pressing.

A Portable Device for LAMP Based Detection of SARS-CoV-2.

This paper reports the design, development, and testing of a novel, yet simple and low-cost portable device for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2. The device performs loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and provides visually distinguishable images of the fluorescence emitted from the samples. The device utilises an aluminium block embedded with a cartridge heater for isothermal heating of the sample and a single-board computer and camera for fluorescence detection.

Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification in a Core-Shell Bead Assay for the Detection of Tyrosine Kinase AXL Overexpression.

The upregulated expression of tyrosine kinase AXL has been reported in several hematologic and solid human tumors, including gastric, breast, colorectal, prostate and ovarian cancers. Thus, AXL can potentially serve as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for various cancers. This paper reports the first ever loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) in a core-shell bead assay for the detection of AXL gene overexpression.

An amplification-free method for the detection of HOTAIR long non-coding RNA.

The discovery of large transcripts of long RNAs that have limited protein coding capacity, known as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) present new concepts on RNA-mediated gene regulation. Increasing evidence suggests that large intervening ncRNAs regulate key pathways in cancer genesis and metastasis. Among the most characterized lncRNAs, homeobox (HOX) transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) acts as an oncogenic molecule in different cancer cells, and thus its expression level serves as a potential biomarker for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in several human cancers, such as breast, prostate, liver and ovarian cancer.

Detection of the SARS-CoV-2 humanized antibody with paper-based ELISA.

This work reports the development of a rapid, simple and inexpensive colorimetric paper-based assay for the detection of the severe acute respiratory symptom coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) humanized antibody. The paper device was prepared with lamination for easy sample handling and coated with the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen. This assay employed a colorimetric reaction, which is followed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) conjugated detecting antibody in the presence of the 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) substrate.

PCR-Free Detection of Long Non-Coding HOTAIR RNA in Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines and Plasma Samples.

Long non-coding RNA HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) is one of the promising biomarkers that has widely been used in determining the stages of many cancers, including ovarian cancer. In cancer diagnostics, the two key analytical challenges for detecting long non-coding RNA biomarkers are i) the low concentration levels (nM to fM range) in which they are found and ii) the analytical method where broad dynamic range is required (four to six orders of magnitude) due to the large variation in expression levels for different HOTAIR RNAs. To meet these challenges, we report on a biosensing platform for the visual (colorimetric) estimation and subsequent electrochemical quantification of ovarian-cancer-specific HOTAIR using a screen-printed gold electrode (SPE-Au).

Cell alignment and accumulation using acoustic nozzle for bioprinting.

Bioprinting could spatially align various cells in high accuracy to simulate complex and highly organized native tissues. However, the uniform suspension and low concentration of cells in the bioink and subsequently printed construct usually results in weak cell-cell interaction and slow proliferation. Acoustic manipulation of biological cells during the extrusion-based bioprinting by a specific structural vibration mode was proposed and evaluated.

Formation of cell spheroids using Standing Surface Acoustic Wave (SSAW).

3D bioprinting becomes one of the popular approaches in the tissue engineering. In this emerging application, bioink is crucial for fabrication and functionality of constructed tissue. The use of cell spheroids as bioink can enhance the cell-cell interaction and subsequently the growth and differentiation of cells in the 3D printed construct with the minimum amount of other biomaterials.

The development of malaria diagnostic techniques: a review of the approaches with focus on dielectrophoretic and magnetophoretic methods.

The large number of deaths caused by malaria each year has increased interest in the development of effective malaria diagnoses. At the early-stage of infection, patients show non-specific symptoms or are asymptomatic, which makes it difficult for clinical diagnosis, especially in non-endemic areas. Alternative diagnostic methods that are timely and effective are required to identify infections, particularly in field settings.