Selective dynamic concentration of peptides at poles of cation-selective nanoporous granules

The authors exposed a non-equilibrium dynamic counterion and coion analyte concentration to an AC electric field to selectively concentrate peptides at the poles of a cation-selective granule. The counterion polarization results from the focusing of the electric field show a discontinuous drop in the intra-granule counterion electromigration flux at the pole. The coion concentration polarization is due to the combined external convective and electromigration fluxes toward the pole that neutralize the accumulating counterions. Because the electromigration mobility of the peptide anion analyte depends on the pH, the authors determined a 20 000-fold high concentration factor for a near-neutral pH of 6.0 to 7.7. Because the peptide is protonated at the acidic pole and its absolute charge ranges from −0.3 to −1.9, the concentration factor scales exponentially with the absolute charge, thus allowing extremely selective concentrations of various peptides, which is demonstrated by fluorescein isothiocyanate tagged angiotensin I (pI ∼ 5.8) and Texas red tagged avidin (pI ∼ 10.5). This dynamic concentration effect can substantially enhance the sensitivity of bio-assays.     

Rapid bioparticle concentration and detection by combining a discharge driven vortex with surface enhanced Raman scattering

Rapid concentration and detection of bacteria in integrated chips and microfluidic devices is needed for the advancement of lab-on-a-chip devices because current detection methods require high concentrations of bacteria which render them impractical. We present a new chip-scale rapid bacteria concentration technique combined with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to enhance the detection of low bacteria count samples. This concentration technique relies on convection by a long-range converging vortex to concentrate the bacteria into a packed mound of 200 μm in diameter within 15 min. Concentration of bioparticle samples as low as 10⁴ colony forming units (CFU)∕ml are presented using batch volumes as large as 150 μl. Mixtures of silver nanoparticles with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli F-amp, and Bacillus subtilis produce distinct and noticeably different Raman spectra, illustrating that this technique can be used as a detection and identification tool.     

ac electroosmotic pumping induced by noncontact external electrodes

Electroosmotic (EO) pumps based on dc electroosmosis is plagued by bubble generation and other electrochemical reactions at the electrodes at voltages beyond 1 V for electrolytes. These disadvantages limit their throughput and offset their portability advantage over mechanical syringe or pneumatic pumps. ac electroosmotic pumps at high frequency (>100 kHz) circumvent the bubble problem by inducing polarization and slip velocity on embedded electrodes,¹ but they require complex electrode designs to produce a net flow. We report a new high-throughput ac EO pump design based on induced-polarization on the entire channel surface instead of just on the electrodes. Like dc EO pumps, our pump electrodes are outside of the load section and form a cm-long pump unit consisting of three circular reservoirs (3 mm in diameter) connected by a 1×1 mm channel. The field-induced polarization can produce an effective Zeta potential exceeding 1 V and an ac slip velocity estimated as 1 mm∕sec or higher, both one order of magnitude higher than earlier dc and ac pumps, giving rise to a maximum throughput of 1 μl∕sec. Polarization over the entire channel surface, quadratic scaling with respect to the field and high voltage at high frequency without electrode bubble generation are the reasons why the current pump is superior to earlier dc and ac EO pumps.     

Convenient quantification of methanol concentration detection utilizing an integrated microfluidic chip

A rapid and simple technique is proposed for methanol concentration detection using a PMMA (Polymethyl-Methacrylate) microfluidic chip patterned using a commercially available CO₂ laser scriber. In the proposed device, methanol and methanol oxidase (MOX) are injected into a three-dimensional circular chamber and are mixed via a vortex stirring effect. The mixture is heated to prompt the formation of formaldehyde and is flowed into a rectangular chamber, to which fuchsin-sulphurous acid is then added. Finally, the microchip is transferred to a UV spectrophotometer for methanol detection purposes. The experimental results show that a correlation coefficient of R² = 0.9940 is obtained when plotting the optical density against the methanol concentration for samples and an accuracy as high as 93.1% are compared with the determined by the high quality gas chromatography with concentrations in the range of 2 ∼ 100 ppm. The methanol concentrations of four commercial red wines are successfully detected using the developed device. Overall, the results show that the proposed device provides a rapid and accurate means of detecting the methanol concentration for a variety of applications in the alcoholic beverage inspection and control field.     

太阳能热发电系统基础理论与关键技术战略研究

太阳能热发电技术是将太阳能转化为热能,然后利用热力循环的方法带动发电机发电的热发电技术的简称,是太阳能的高品位利用方式.本文总结了我国在太阳能热发电研究领域的总体布局,分析了太阳能通过热的形式转换成电能需要经过的多个能量转换环节及其涉及的大量基础科学问题,指出了各个能量传递与转换环节的热传递机理及热流特性,光一热一电转换系统的集成理论以及关键材料和技术是太阳能热发电技术中急需解决的重要基础问题,最后给出了国家自然科学基金委员会今后在太阳能热发电领域的优先资助方向.     

The effect of the surface functionalization and the electrolyte concentration on the electrical conductance of silica nanochannels

It is known that the conductance of nanochannels as a function of electrolyte concentration deviates from a linearly proportional relationship and approaches a value independent of the concentration as the electrolyte concentration is lowered. Most of the proposed models account for this behavior by considering a constant surface charge density and an ideal electrolyte solution. However, at low electrolyte concentrations, the ideal electrolyte approximation is no longer valid because the ions that result from the atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolution in water dominate the ionic concentration. In this paper, arrays of silica nanochannels were electrically characterized via conductance measurements. The conductance at low salt concentrations is modeled by a variable surface charge model that accounts for all ionic species in solution. This model was used to determine the variable surface charge of the bare silica nanochannels as well as of chemically modified nanochannels. The model correctly predicted the variation of the nanochannel conductance observed after silane (aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane) functionalization and single-strand DNA immobilization. Finally, pH modification of bulk KCl solutions was employed as an alternative method of changing the surface charge of silica nanochannels. Surface charge calculated from conductance measurements performed at different bulk pH values confirmed that the surface charge of the silica nanochannel walls is sensitive to the H⁺ concentration.     

Polyphosphonium-based ion bipolar junction transistors

Advancements in the field of electronics during the past few decades have inspired the use of transistors in a diversity of research fields, including biology and medicine. However, signals in living organisms are not only carried by electrons but also through fluxes of ions and biomolecules. Thus, in order to implement the transistor functionality to control biological signals, devices that can modulate currents of ions and biomolecules, i.e., ionic transistors and diodes, are needed. One successful approach for modulation of ionic currents is to use oppositely charged ion-selective membranes to form so called ion bipolar junction transistors (IBJTs). Unfortunately, overall IBJT device performance has been hindered due to the typical low mobility of ions, large geometries of the ion bipolar junction materials, and the possibility of electric field enhanced (EFE) water dissociation in the junction. Here, we introduce a novel polyphosphonium-based anion-selective material into npn-type IBJTs. The new material does not show EFE water dissociation and therefore allows for a reduction of junction length down to 2 μm, which significantly improves the switching performance of the ion transistor to 2 s. The presented improvement in speed as well the simplified design will be useful for future development of advanced iontronic circuits employing IBJTs, for example, addressable drug-delivery devices.There has been a recent interest in developing diodes^1–4 and transistors^4–8 that conduct and modulate ion currents. Such non-linear iontronic components are, for example, interesting as they allow further control of ions in, for instance, electrophoretic drug delivery devices. A range of microfabricated diodes,^9–11 transistors,^12,13 and circuits^9,14 has been constructed using ion-selective membranes. These membranes contain fixed charges of either polarity, compensated by mobile ions of opposite charge (counter-ions). When immersed in an electrolyte, counter-ions can move through the membrane, while ions with the same charge as the fixed charges (co-ions) are repelled. This renders the membrane selective for the counter-ion and can therefore be considered as p- or n-type ion conductors. By combining two membranes of opposite polarity, a bipolar membrane (BM) configuration is obtained¹⁵ (Figure 1(a)). The BM junction can be biased by an ion current in the reverse and forward directions, respectively.^16,17 This modulates the ion concentration inside the BM, and thus the ionic conductivity, which then results in an current rectification.^2,18 In the three-terminal ion bipolar junction transistor¹² (IBJT), an ion-selective base (B) is connected to oppositely selective emitter (E) and collector (C), forming two BM configurations (EB and BC) (Figure 1(b)). pnp- and npn-IBJTs have been constructed¹⁴ from photolithography patterned poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS, p-selective) and quaternized poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) (n-selective) as emitter, collector, and base. In these devices, a neutral poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) electrolyte is typically inserted into the junction to separate the base from the emitter and collector,¹² in order to avoid¹⁹ electric field enhanced (EFE) water dissociation¹⁶ (Figure 1(a)). EFE water dissociation is typically observed in BMs²⁰ and produces water ions inside the BM under reverse bias, which prevents proper IBJT operation. In PEG-IBJTs, the current between the emitter and collector (I_C) is thus modulated by controlling the ion concentration inside the PEG-junction.²¹ Ions are injected or extracted into the junction depending on the bias of the base (V_EB). In a npn-IBJT, a positive bias is typically applied between emitter and collector (V_EC), thus allowing anions to migrate from the emitter to the collector. In the cut-off mode (Figure 1(c)), a negative bias V_EB is applied, resulting in reverse bias of both EB and BC. Cations in the junction will migrate into the base, while anions will primarily migrate into the collector, due to the higher collector bias. This base current (I_B) will extract ions from the junction, which decreases the ionic conductivity in the junction resulting in a low I_C. Eventually, the resistive characteristics for ion charge transport, between the emitter and collector, will be entirely dominated by the junction. This gives that most of the applied V_EC is consumed across the junction with only a minimal voltage potential drop across the emitter and base terminals.Open in a separate windowFIG. 1.(a) The modes of operation for a BM; forward bias (high conduction and ion accumulation), reverse bias (low conduction and ion depletion), and EFE water dissociation (high conduction, formation of ions). (b) Illustrations of an npn-IBJT, with anion-selective emitter (E) and collector (C) forming a junction with a cation-selective base (B). (c) In cut-off mode, the base and collector extract ions from the junction, prohibiting co-ion migration through the base. (d) In active mode, the forward biased EB injects ions into the base, thus allowing anions from the emitter to migrate as co-ions through the base into the collector.In the active-mode of the npn-IBJT (Figure 1(d)), the V_EB bias at the base is reversed (i.e., now positive). This causes injection of cations, from the base, and anions, from the emitter, into the junction. As the ion concentration increases, anions from the emitter can start to drift across the junction to the collector, thus a high I_C is obtained. The high concentration of ions inside the junction is reflected in a low resistive value for ion transport. This now causes the voltage to drop over the emitter and collector terminals, thus lowering the EB forward bias and the injection of ions from the base. At the collector-junction interface, the extraction of anions produces an ion depletion zone and a corresponding voltage drop. Thus, in the active-mode, the applied V_EC is primarily consumed across the emitter and collector terminals and also at the collector-junction interface.The switching speed of an IBJT should be strongly correlated to the distance separating the emitter and collector,¹⁴ as this length determines the volume that needs to be filled or emptied with ions causing modulation of ions in the junction. To achieve a fast-switching IBJT, the junction volume, i.e., the collector-emitter separation, should be as small as possible. However, EFE water dissociation must be avoided since this process ruin the IBJT operation. EFE water dissociation is, in part, driven by the appearance of a large potential drop across a small distance, as occurring at the interface of a BM under reverse bias, producing a high electric field that accelerates the forward reaction rate of water auto-dissociation.¹⁶ Miniaturization of the collector-emitter distance is therefore problematic, as the separation inside the EB and BC BMs evidently also mush shrink, resulting in higher reverse bias electric fields across the BMs and thus promoting EFE water dissociation. The problem of EFE water dissociation in an IBJT primarily manifests itself in the cut-off mode, as water ions are generated in the reversed biased EB and BC BMs. These ions produce an elevated cut-off I_C, and hence deteriorate the IBJTs on–off performance. Here, we report an IBJT, in which the EFE water dissociation is avoided by the use of a novel polyphosphonium-based anion-selective material, which previously has been shown to prevent EFE water dissociation in BM diodes.¹¹ This allows the collector and emitter to directly contact the base without an intermediate PEG-layer. Without the need for a PEG-separator inside the BMs, the collector-emitter distance is reduced to only 2 μm.Polyphosphonium-based npn-IBJTs were produced following the same manufacturing protocol as was reported for polyphosphonium-based ion diodes.¹¹ Conjugated polymer electrodes and cation-selective base was patterned from ∼200 nm thick poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate film on polyethylene terephthalate-sheets using photolithography and dry-etching. The base was rendered electronically insulating by chemical overoxidation via exposure to sodium hypochlorite through a mask. A 2 μm thick SU8-layer was patterned on-top of this configuration, with an opening defining the actual junction. 1 μm thick polyphosphonium-based anion-selective emitter and collector were deposited and patterned using photolithography and dry-etching, to overlap with the base at the opening of the SU8. Finally, a second 10 μm thick layer of SU8 was used to seal the junction. The membranes were hydrated by incubation in dH2O for 24 h before any measurements were carried out. Aqueous 0.1M NaCl electrolytes were used during the measurement. All electrical measurements were performed using a Keithley 2602 source meter.The switching characteristics of the npn-IBJT were obtained by applying V_EC of 10 V and alternating V_EB at ±3 V for various duration of time, see Figure ​Figure2.2. A periodic 5 s switching with 8 Hz measurement rate was used to record the dynamics of the turn-on/off characteristics of the device. When V_EB switches from −3 to +3 V, there is a quick increase in the I_B, as ions from the base and emitter migrate into the emitter/base junction. After a delay of ∼0.25 s, I_C starts to increase due to the increased ion concentration in the emitter/base junction and the subsequent diffusion of anions into the base. As the I_C increases, the I_B decreases as the voltage drop between the emitter and base decreases, and after ∼2 s I_C reaches 90% of the steady state on-current level. For longer on-switching times, the I_B and I_C stay stable over 30 s, after which a small increase is observed. This current-drift in both I_B and I_C is likely due to the contribution of co-ion migration. As cations from the base migrate into the emitter as co-ions, the conductivity in the emitter increases, leading to an increased I_C value. This increases the ion concentration at the base, which gives less selective ion injection and thus more cation injection from the base, i.e., a higher I_B.Open in a separate windowFIG. 2.Emitter-collector current response as the IBJT is switched between cut-off (V_EB = −3 V) and active mode (V_EB = 3 V) for V_EC = 10 V, at 5 s and 120 s periods.As V_EB is switched back to −3 V, there is a sharp negative peak in I_E as ions are extracted from the junction, which occur mainly through the base (cations) and collector (anions) terminals. As the ion concentration in the base drops, I_C decreases. The transistor turns off to 10% of the value of the steady state on-current within ∼2 s, regardless of the duration of the on-state. The constant turn-off time indicates that ions are not accumulating to a significant extent inside the junction during the on-steady state but are instead constantly transported out of the junction. When all co-ions have been extracted from the junction, the Donnan exclusion prevents subsequent injection of anions into the base, and I_C is therefore low. The on/off ratio of I_C reaches above 100.A transfer curve was obtained by scanning V_EB between −3 and +3 V while keeping V_EC at 10 V (Figure 3(a)). As expected, both I_C and I_B remain low for negative V_EB. In this range, both EB and BC are biased in reverse direction. As V_EB turns positive, the EB configuration is switched into forward bias and ions are injected into the junction. This leads to a linear increase in I_C vs. V_EB. For the reverse scan, a minor hysteresis is observed for both the I_C and I_B scans, again probably due to the contribution of co-ion migration due to long time operation of the device.Open in a separate windowFIG. 3.Transfer and output curves. (a) The transfer curve is low for negative V_EB and increases linearly for positive V_EB with approximately zero threshold. (b) The output curves show I_C saturating with respect of V_EC for positive V_EB.The transistor output characteristics were obtained by scanning V_EC at different V_EB values (Figure 3(b)). The saturation regime, i.e., the bias mode was both EB and BC are in forward bias, was avoided as this has negative impact on the stability of the device. As reported for previous IBJT devices, the output characteristics show a clear saturation behaviour of I_C across the entire range of V_EC. Further, the I_C increases linearly with V_EB. The increase of both I_C and I_B when operating for extended periods of time in the active mode is again attributed to the addition and inclusion of co-ions in the junction. The current gain (I_C/I_B) at V_EC = 10 V decreases with V_EB and reaches 43.9, 17.9, and 10.7 for V_EB = 1 V, 2 V, and 3 V, respectively. For higher base bias voltages, the ion concentration increases in the junction and thus the injection selectivity decreases.In comparison with previously reported IBJTs,^12,14,21 the lack of a neutral electrolyte layer in the junction has an overall positive effect on the device characteristics. Main performance improvements are found in a decrease in the turn-on time from 9 s (for npn-IBJT²¹) to 2 s, for devices with comparable junction widths and heights. The main contribution to the improved switching speed is likely the decreased length between the emitter and collector. Interestingly, simulations have shown that an extended space charge region (ESCR), for a PEG-IBJT in cut-off mode, can extend several micrometers away from the collector.²² Thus, a PEG-IBJT with an emitter-collector separation of single micrometers should show an increased cut-off current due to the ESCR overlapping in the junction. However, by omitting the PEG in the junction, the ESCR is reduced due to screening from the fixed charges in the BM layers. This enables the IBJT, reported here, to operate with retained low cut-off currents. On-off ratios and ion current gains are approximately equal to previous IBJTs,^12,14,21 at above 100 and 10, respectively. The on–off ratio and ion current gain are more dependent on the selectivity of the membranes and the charge of the junction.Further, the need to separate the layers in a PEG-IBJT puts high demands on the patterning resolution and alignment accuracy to reduce the separation between emitter/collector and base. As polyphosphonium allows the IBJT to be built without separation of layers, miniaturization of the junction is relatively easier to obtain. The switching speed can potentially be further improved by retaining the base material between the emitter and collector (see Figure 1(b)), thus allowing for a more direct pathway for I_C. This design would, however, require a much more accurate layer alignment or that the base patterned on top of the emitter and collector layers. In general, such modifications of device geometry are simpler to accomplish with the non-EFE water dissociating polyphosphonium as fewer active layers are used, suggesting a further use of polyphosphonium to improve switching speed and miniaturization of IBJTs. Such further advancement in IBJT performance would be welcomed, for example, in the continued work towards complex ionic circuits¹⁴ to regulate signalling in bioelectronics and in drug delivery applications, in which generation of dynamic and complex gradients, at high spatial resolution, is of generic interest.     

Efficient capture of circulating tumor cells with a novel immunocytochemical microfluidic device

Ability to perform cytogenetic interrogations on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from the blood of cancer patients is vital for progressing toward targeted, individualized treatments. CTCs are rare compared to normal (bystander) blood cells, found in ratios as low as 1:10⁹. The most successful isolation techniques have been immunocytochemical technologies that label CTCs for separation based on unique surface antigens that distinguish them from normal bystander cells. The method discussed here utilizes biotin-tagged antibodies that bind selectively to CTCs. The antibodies are introduced into a suspension of blood cells intending that only CTCs will display surface biotin molecules. Next, the cell suspension is passed through a microfluidic channel that contains about 9000 transverse, streptavidin coated posts. A CTC making contact with a post has the opportunity to engage in a biotin-streptavidin reaction that immobilizes the cell. Bystander blood cells remain in suspension and pass through the channel. The goal of the present study is to establish the technical performance of these channels as a function of antigen density and operating conditions, especially flow rate. At 18 μL/min, over 70% of cells are captured at antigen densities greater than 30 000 sites/cell while 50% of cells are captured at antigen densities greater than 10 000. It is found that lower flow rates lead to decreasing cell capture probabilities, indicating that some streamlines develop which are never close enough to a post to allow cell-post contact. Future modeling and streamline studies using computational fluid dynamics software could aid in optimization of channel performance for capture of rare cells.     

A new three-dimensional heat flux-temperature integral relationship for half-space transient diffusion

This paper derives a new integral relationship between heat flux and temperature in a transient, three-dimensional heat conducting Cartesian half space (x>0, y∈(−∞,∞), z∈(−∞,∞)). A unified mathematical treatment has been developed based on operational and transform methods; and singular integral equation regularization. Regularization is accomplished based on a series of observations involving the diffusive nature of the operator. This newly developed relationship provides the local heat flux perpendicular to the front surface at any location within the half space. This expression suggests that an embedded plane of temperature sensors parallel to the surface can be used to acquire the local, in-depth heat flux in the x-direction. The relationship does not require a priori knowledge of the surface boundary condition which has analytically been removed in the process. The ill-posed nature of diffusion is highlighted owing to the appearance of the heating/cooling rate (°C/s) in the integrand of the new relationship. Integral relationships of this type are highly useful for experimental investigations since the in-depth heat flux can be extracted from well-established temperature transducers.     

Cl-指示的石羊河流域地下水演化

化学示踪剂是研究干旱区地下水化学演化和补给来源追踪的有效手段之一。本文以Cl-为示踪剂,通过其他离子与Cl-的相互关系对石羊河流域地下水演化特征及影响因子进行分析:Br-/Cl-、Na+/Cl-、S042-/Cl-、HCO3-/Cl-、Ca2+/Cl-、Mg2+/Cl-相互关系指示了流域中游地区地下水与地表水补给关系密切,水质较好,水化学作用以溶滤为主,蒸发也起到一定作用,下游盆地地下水矿化度较高,不完全是现代降水的补给,石膏、方解石溶解和阳离子交换作用使得地下水富镁。总体而言,石羊河流域地下水演化在多种地球化学作用下进行,在以蒸发为主导动力的条件下,水岩相互作用和阳离子交换过程促使地下水演化为现代特征。     

The microfluidics of the eccrine sweat gland,including biomarker partitioning,transport, and biosensing implications

Non-invasive and accurate access of biomarkers remains a holy grail of the biomedical community. Human eccrine sweat is a surprisingly biomarker-rich fluid which is gaining increasing attention. This is especially true in applications of continuous bio-monitoring where other biofluids prove more challenging, if not impossible. However, much confusion on the topic exists as the microfluidics of the eccrine sweat gland has never been comprehensively presented and models of biomarker partitioning into sweat are either underdeveloped and/or highly scattered across literature. Reported here are microfluidic models for eccrine sweat generation and flow which are coupled with review of blood-to-sweat biomarker partition pathways, therefore providing insights such as how biomarker concentration changes with sweat flow rate. Additionally, it is shown that both flow rate and biomarker diffusion determine the effective sampling rate of biomarkers at the skin surface (chronological resolution). The discussion covers a broad class of biomarkers including ions (Na⁺, Cl⁻, K⁺, NH₄⁺), small molecules (ethanol, cortisol, urea, and lactate), and even peptides or small proteins (neuropeptides and cytokines). The models are not meant to be exhaustive for all biomarkers, yet collectively serve as a foundational guide for further development of sweat-based diagnostics and for those beginning exploration of new biomarker opportunities in sweat.     

Production,characterization and kinetic model of biosurfactant produced by lactic acid bacteria

BackgroundBiosurfactants are surface active molecules produced by microorganisms which have the ability to disrupt the plasma membrane. Biosurfactant properties are important in the food, pharmaceutical and oil industries. Lactic acid bacteria can produce cell-bound and excreted biosurfactants.ResultsThe biosurfactant-producing ability of three Lactobacillus strains was analyzed, and the effects of carbon and nitrogen sources and aeration conditions were studied. The three species of lactobacillus evaluated were able to produce biosurfactants in anaerobic conditions, which was measured as the capacity of one extract to reduce the surface tension compared to a control. The decreasing order of biosurfactant production was L. plantarum>Lactobacillus sp.>L. acidophilus. Lactose was a better carbon source than glucose, achieving a 23.8% reduction in surface tension versus 12.9% for glucose. Two complex nitrogen sources are required for growth and biosurfactant production. The maximum production was reached at 48 h under stationary conditions. However, the highest level of production occurred in the exponential phase. Biosurfactant exhibits a critical micelle concentration of 0.359 ± 0.001 g/L and a low toxicity against E. coli. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated a glycoprotein structure. Additionally, the kinetics of fermentation were modeled using a logistic model for the biomass and the product, achieving a good fit (R² > 0.9).ConclusionsL. plantarum derived biosurfactant production was enhanced using adequate carbon and nitrogen sources, the biosurfactant is complex in structure and because of its low toxicity could be applied to enhance cell permeability in E. coli.How to cite: Montoya Vallejo C, Florez Restrepo MA, Guzmán Duque FL, et al. Production, characterization and kinetic model of biosurfactant produced by lactic acid bacteria. Electron J Biotechnol 2021;53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2021.06.001     

Preface to Special Topic: Dielectrophoresis

This Special Topic section is on dielectrophoresis, a growing area of widespread interest and relevance to the microfluidics and nanofluidics community.There was a time when the arrival of a telegram from the local post office would foreshadow a step-function change in one’s equilibrium. An internet service provider can now deliver the same effect, as illustrated by an unexpected e-mail from Leslie Yeo inquiring if I would “be interested in guest editing a special issue of Biomicrofluidics on recent advances in dielectrophoresis (DEP).” Flattery directed towards vanity can produce interesting results—which I hope this special issue of Biomicrofluidics demonstrates. The rationale for this special issue is the belief of the journal’s Editors (Dr. Chia Chang and Dr. Leslie Yeo) that dielectrophoresis is a growing area of widespread interest and relevance to the microfluidics and nanofluidics community. Papers, both fundamental and applied, were solicited from the leaders working across this broad interdisciplinary area of research. I was delighted by the positive responses of those whose invited contributions appear in this special issue—efforts certainly not motivated by vanity but through enthusiasm for the subject. Some of those invited to contribute were unable to do so because of other demands on their time. Ongoing advances being made in DEP, especially in its various applications, will surely merit another special issue in the future and hopefully include contributions from those unable to do so now.Two of the papers in this special issue address fundamental aspects of dielectrophoresis (DEP), namely the influences on DEP from electrical double-layers and from particle-particle interactions. Consideration of electrical double layers associated with charged particle surfaces is particularly important for nanoparticles because their effective polarizabilities, associated with field-induced dynamics of the counterions and co-ions in the double layer, can dominate over the intrinsic polarizability of the particle itself. This can influence, for example, to what extent the observation of changes in the DEP crossover frequency (marking the transition between positive and negative DEP) can be relied upon in new immunoassays based on the DEP behavior of functionalized nanoparticles. By considering the electrodynamics of double layers, Basuray et al.¹ propose a theory to predict how the DEP crossover frequency will vary as a function of particle size and the ionic strength of the suspending electrolyte. In their paper, Sancho et al.² derive a theoretical model to describe how particle-particle interactions (e.g., “pearl-chaining”) influence the DEP crossover frequency value. This model also describes well the changes in electrorotation and a newly observed precession effect as particles approach each other under the influence of a rotating field.DEP at the nanoscale is also addressed in contributions from the groups of Ralph Hölzel, Junya Suehiro, and Karan Kaler. Thus, Henning et al.³ describe a new method, based on the measurement of capacitance changes between planar microelectrodes, for the automatic acquisition of the DEP properties of nanoparticles without the need for labeling protocols or visual observations. Suehiro⁴ describes how DEP can be employed as a bottom-up approach for fabricating nanomaterial-based devices such as a carbon nanotube gas sensor and a ZnO nanowire photosensor. Kaler et al.⁵ describe how the DEP manipulation of miniscule amounts of polar aqueous samples, a method known as liquid-DEP, can be used for on-chip bioassays, such as nucleic acid analysis, and through parallel sample processing offer the potential for conducting automated multiplexed assays. The use of DEP to selectively trap and separate cells has been investigated over many years, and contributions from the groups of Hywel Morgan, Ana Valero, Masau Washizu, and Gerard Markx describe the latest advances and applications. Thomas et al.⁶ describe a new automated DEP cell trap design for the isolation, concentration, separation, and recovery of human osteoblast-like cells from a heterogeneous population. Recovery of small populations of human osteoblast-like cells with a purity of 100% is demonstrated. A cell-sorting device, based on the opposition of DEP forces that discriminates between cell types according to such properties as their membrane permittivity and cytoplasm conductivity, is described by Valeroet al.⁷ The versatility of the device is demonstrated by synchronizing a yeast cell culture at a particular phase of the cell cycle. Gel et al.⁸ describe a DEP-assisted cell trapping method for fusing pairs of cells in an array of micro-orifices. This method produces not only a high yield of viable cell fusants, but also allows for subsequent study of postfusion cell development. Zhu et al.⁹ describe a DEP-based microfluidic separation system in which dead and active cells can be collected from a given cell suspension, whilst at the same time eluting dormant cells. In the second paper from Gerard Markx’s group, Zhu et al.¹⁰ demonstrate that the rate-limiting resuscitation of a colony of dormant bacteria is determined by the diffusion of a resuscitation-promoting factor into the colony interior. This study involved the artificial engineering of different sizes and shapes of bacterial aggregates using DEP forces. Finally, in my own contribution,¹¹ I have attempted to summarize the growing output of DEP publications in terms of their contributions to the theory, technology, and applications of DEP.     

The diffusion of moisture in sorbent solids—I. Diffusion cell and pore diffusion

A complete theory of diffusion of absorbing gases in porous solids is developed. Both ordinary and thermal diffusion are considered. The thermodynamics of irreversible processes is used to derive the general flux equations.A new theoretical model of surface diffusion is presented. Moreover, the proper method of combining surface and gas-phase fluxes is established. The total flux in the pores is represented by a 5 parameter model, which includes the effects of (1) free (gaseous) diffusion, (2) Knudsen diffusion, and (3) surface diffusion.The design of a new diffusion cell is presented along with a stagewise method for analyzing results. The cell is unique in that specimens mounted in copper clad circuit board material permits nonisothermal as well as isothermal operation. Earlier designs were confined to isothermal operation due to mounting specimens in metallic materials such as brass and aluminum.     

The diffusion of moisture in sorbent solids part II. activated alumina

Ordinary and thermal diffusion of moisture in activated alumina are investigated using a new diffusion cell design and scheme of analysis reported earlier. The specific form of the mass flux equation has a pronounced effect on the magnitude of the associated thermal diffusion ratio. In the case of activated alumina-moist air, if a partial pressure gradient is used, then the thermal diffusion term is small if not zero.Free, Knudsen and surface diffusion all play a part in the diffusion through activated alumina. However, surface diffusion makes the major contribution and for this reason the model in this case can be simplified to a two parameter surface model.The activation energy for surface diffusion is constant and is approximately equal to the mean isosteric heat of absorption. In addition, mean pore radius, turtuosity, and other physical constants are computed from the least square fit of experimental data. Furthermore, the model is theoretically consistent over the entire concentration range (0≦ C_A ≦ C_Asat).A new fact about activated alumina (Grade F1) it that it does not transfer moisture in a nonisothermal condition so long as the partial pressures of moisture on the two sides of the pellet are the same. There appears to be no previous report of this fact in the periodical literature.     

Lighting design by the interflection method

Proposed international terminology¹ used in the paper is as follows: pharos F = luminous flux (lumen), pharosage D - luminous flux density (lumen m^?2, helios H = generalized brightness (pharosage per unit solid angle, expressed in blondels).     

Magnetophoretic-based microfluidic device for DNA isolation

This paper presents a continuous flow microfluidic device for the separation of DNA from blood using magnetophoresis for biological applications and analysis. This microfluidic bio-separation device has several benefits, including decreased sample handling, smaller sample and reagent volumes, faster isolation time, and decreased cost to perform DNA isolation. One of the key features of this device is the use of short-range magnetic field gradients, generated by a micro-patterned nickel array on the bottom surface of the separation channel. In addition, the device utilizes an array of oppositely oriented, external permanent magnets to produce strong long-range field gradients at the interfaces between magnets, further increasing the effectiveness of the device. A comprehensive simulation is performed using COMSOL Multiphysics to study the effect of various parameters on the magnetic flux within the separation channel. Additionally, a microfluidic device is designed, fabricated, and tested to isolate DNA from blood. The results show that the device has the capability of separating DNA from a blood sample with a purity of 1.8 or higher, a yield of up to 33 μg of polymerase chain reaction ready DNA per milliliter of blood, and a volumetric throughput of up to 50 ml/h.     

Purification and mechanism of action of antitubercular principle from garlic (Allium sativum) active against isoniazid susceptible and resistantMycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv

Allicin was prepared from the ethanol extract of garlic without the use of heat. It inhibited the growth ofMycobacterium tuberculosis H₃₇R_v andM. tuberculosis TRC-C 1193 resistant to isoniazid completely when grown as surface cultures as well as shake cultures. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 70 μg/ml for both organisms. Further purification of allicin over silica gel-G columns gave a chloroform elutable fraction called CEF-allicin which inhibited the growth of both the susceptible and the isoniazid resistant strains ofM. tuberculosis. Its MIC is 25 μg/ml and is the lowest reported so far when compared with very high inhibitory concentration of 1 to 3mg/ml reported by other workers. It completely inhibited the synthesis of lipids and DNA from¹⁴C-acetate and³H-thymidine respectively and almost completely that of proteins and glycine derived carbohydrates from¹⁴C-glycine ofM. tuberculosis within 6 hr of exposure to CEF-allicin.