Diagnostic assays are an important part of health care, both in the clinic and in research laboratories. In addition to improving treatments and clinical outcomes, rapid and reliable diagnostics help track disease epidemiology, curb infectious outbreaks, and further the understanding of chronic illness. Disease markers such as antigens, RNA, and DNA are present at low concentrations in biological samples, such that the majority of diagnostic assays rely on an amplification reaction before detection is possible. Ideally, these amplification reactions would be sensitive, specific, inexpensive, rapid, integrated, and automated. Microfluidic technology currently in development offers many advantages over conventional benchtop reactions that help achieve these goals. The small reaction volumes and energy consumption make reactions cheaper and more efficient in a microfluidic reactor. Additionally, the channel architecture could be designed to perform multiple tests or experimental steps on one integrated, automated platform. This review explores the current research on microfluidic reactors designed to aid diagnostic applications, covering a broad spectrum of amplification techniques and designs.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-bioeng-070909-105312 | DOI Listing |
Micromachines (Basel)
January 2025
School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
This study evaluates the performance of continuous flow and drop-based microfluidic devices for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) under identical hydrodynamic and chemical conditions. Flows at low values of Dean number (De < 1) were investigated, where the contribution of the vortices forming inside the drop to the additional mixing inside the reactor should be most noticeable. In the drop-based microfluidic device, discrete aqueous drops serving as reactors were generated by flow focusing using silicone oil as the continuous phase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Hazard Mater
January 2025
CEREGE, CNRS, Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, INRAE, Aix-en-Provence, France; Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.
Within the ITER project (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) an international project building a magnetic confinement device to achieve fusion as a sustainable energy source, tungsten (W) is planned to serve as a plasma-facing component (PFC) in the tokamak, a magnetic confinement device used to produce controlled thermonuclear fusion power. Post plasma-W interactions, submicron tungsten particles can be released. This study investigated the exposure of lentic freshwater ecosystems to ITER-like tungsten nanoparticles in indoor aquatic mesocosms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
January 2025
Bio-Microfluidics Lab, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
Water pollution, driven by a variety of enduring contaminants, poses considerable threats to ecosystems, human health, and biodiversity, highlighting the urgent need for innovative and sustainable treatment approaches. Ozone-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have demonstrated significant efficacy in breaking down stubborn pollutants, such as organic micropollutants and pathogens, that are not easily addressed by traditional treatment techniques. This review offers an in-depth analysis of ozonation mechanisms, covering both the direct oxidation by ozone and the indirect reactions facilitated by hydroxyl radicals, emphasizing their effectiveness and adaptability across various wastewater matrices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAngew Chem Int Ed Engl
January 2025
University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Cancer Research, Crewe Road South, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, EH4 2XR, Edinburgh, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND.
Beyond their classical role as cytotoxics, Platinum (Pt) coordination complexes recently joined the selected group of transition metals capable of performing bioorthogonal reactions in living environments. To minimize their reactivity towards nucleophiles, which limit their catalytic performance, we investigated the use of Pt(0) with different forms, sizes and surface functionalization. We report herein the development of PEGylated Pt nanodendrites with the capacity to activate prodyes and prodrugs in cell culture and in vivo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecules
December 2024
Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Energy Storage and Novel Cell Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, China.
Hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) materials are typically formed by the self-assembly of small organic units (synthons) with specific functional groups through hydrogen bonding or other interactions. HOF is commonly used as an electrolyte for batteries. Well-designed HOF materials can enhance the proton exchange rate, thereby boosting battery performance.
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