Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Xiaopeng Yang, Kun Wang, Peng Huang, Yimin Guan, Demeng Liu
Summary: A novel impedance-based cell counting chip based on thermal bubble drive was designed in this study, which provides a driving force for cells through a combination of thermal bubble nozzles and microfluidic channels. The chip achieves high throughput detection of 45,000 beads/s under extreme conditions, with a fourfold difference in detection voltage obtained.
Article
Optics
Zhijian Zhan, Liu Cao, Mi Li, Yuejiang Song
Summary: This study demonstrates particle counting using high-order Fano resonance in an optofluidic microcavity, where a resonant optical pulse is generated as a particle crosses the microcavity, confirming the feasibility of this counting method.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Panpan Niu, Junfeng Jiang, Kun Liu, Shuang Wang, Tong Wang, Yize Liu, Xuezhi Zhang, Zhenyang Ding, Tiegen Liu
Summary: A disposable optofluidic microtubule immunosensor has been proposed and demonstrated for the label-free detection of cardiac troponin I-C (cTnI-C) complex. The immunosensor offers fast label-free detection, real-time monitoring, high sensitivity, and a disposable sensing element.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cedric David Koolen, Laura Torrent, Ayush Agarwal, Olga Meili-Borovinskaya, Natalia Gasilova, Mo Li, Wen Luo, Andreas Zuttel
Summary: In this study, a high-throughput single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry protocol was developed to determine the size, count, and elemental makeup of thousands of nanoparticles with atomistic precision. The proposed protocol has important implications for research and applications in various fields.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Masashi Ugawa, Sadao Ota
Summary: This study introduces a high-throughput 3D-imaging flow cytometry technique based on light-sheet microscopy, which can rapidly screen a large number of cells and obtain subcellular structural information.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
C. Helbig, T. Menzen, K. Wuchner, A. Hawe
Summary: Imaging flow cytometry (IFC) is a technique for cellular imaging that allows parallel acquisition of data in brightfield, fluorescence, and side scattering channels. It has been applied to sub-visible particle analysis in biopharmaceuticals and has the potential to provide additional information, such as particle origin. This study developed masks for IFC image analysis to optimize the accuracy of size determination for polystyrene beads and pharmaceutically relevant particles in brightfield and fluorescence channels. The results showed good agreement between IFC and flow imaging microscopy (FIM) in terms of particle sizing, but IFC reported lower concentrations for polystyrene particle standards than FIM. For fluorescently stained silicone oil and protein particles, IFC FL imaging reported higher particle concentrations in the low micrometer size range. Overall, IFC is identified as a useful tool for generating supportive data for particle characterization purposes or trouble shooting activities, but not as a routine quantitative technique for subvisible particle analysis in drug product development or quality control.
JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Nozomi Takeue, Ayaka Kuroyama, Yoshiharu Hayashi, Kan Tanaka, Sousuke Imamura
Summary: This study successfully isolated nonbleaching strains of the unicellular red alga C. merolae that do not degrade phycocyanin under nitrogen depletion using autofluorescence spectroscopy and cell sorting. This versatile method will help elucidate the mechanisms regulating pigments in microalgae.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Yanchang Zheng, Guo Wu, Yesheng Chen, Yuelin Lu, Cheng Li, Guibo Wan, Rongxin Yin
Summary: Based on Mie scattering theory, this paper develops an optical sensor for a laser particle counter. The design includes an illumination optical path, a scattering light path, and a structure for the sampling air path. The performance of the sensor is tested and meets the requirements of ISO 21501-4 standard.
REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Balazs Illes, Peter Gordon
Summary: Respirators are crucial in limiting the spread of COVID-19, but there is a global shortage of these, as well as melt-blown non-woven fabrics and testing possibilities. A new efficient filtering measurement method using laser-based particle counting has been developed, showing promising results in testing respirator materials.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Adrian Roth, David Frantz, Mehdi Stiti, Edouard Berrocal
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the lack of understanding regarding the airborne transmission pathway of diseases. This study presents a new method using high-speed scattered light imaging to measure the size of liquid particles (droplets) in respiratory events, providing valuable data to improve the understanding of airborne transmission pathway.
JOURNAL OF AEROSOL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Xiaodong Bai, Pichao Liu, Zhiguo Cao, Hao Lu, Haipeng Xiong, Aiping Yang, Zhe Cai, Jianjun Wang, Jianguo Yao
Summary: Rice plant counting is crucial in rice production for various applications. Current manual methods are tedious and time-consuming, thus an UAV-based approach called RiceNet is proposed. RiceNet utilizes RGB images collected by a UAV and consists of a feature extractor frontend and 3 feature decoder modules. Experimental results demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of RiceNet compared to other methods, suggesting its potential to replace traditional manual counting methods.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Kaimin Gao, Hong Lian, Chengfeng Xue, Jing Zhou, Xiaomei Yan
Summary: Protein aggregation is a major challenge in biopharmaceuticals, affecting therapeutic efficacy and reducing shelf life. This study presents a new method of using a laboratory-built nano-flow cytometer (nFCM) to count and size protein aggregates as small as 40 nm. The results show that therapeutic proteins contain billions to trillions of particles per milliliter in the size range of 40 to 200 nm.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zunming Zhang, Rui Tang, Xinyu Chen, Lauren Waller, Alston Kau, Anthony A. Fung, Bien Gutierrez, Cheolhong An, Sung Hwan Cho, Lingyan Shi, Yu-Hwa Lo
Summary: We have developed a high-throughput technique that can relate the positions of individual cells to their three-dimensional imaging features. This technique is particularly useful for nonadherent cells and overcomes the limitations of existing spatial biology methodologies. Our approach involves recording 3D cell images at high throughput using a custom 3D imaging flow cytometer and dispensing cells in a FIFO manner using a robotic cell placement platform. Experiments with human cancer cell lines have demonstrated the feasibility of mapping 3D cell images to their locations on a membrane filter for a large number of cells in a short time. This technology and method bridge the gap between single-cell image analysis and single-cell molecular analysis.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wenlin Liu, Hua Qin, Zhiwei Lv, Yanze Feng, Yuetong Shi, Zixiang Liu, Chenghao Bai
Summary: The ant colony optimization algorithm was applied to optimize the structural parameters of the cap aspheric lens in order to couple the light from a laser diode into an optical fiber. The designed lens achieved a theoretical coupling efficiency of 89.8% and experimental results showed a maximum coupling efficiency of 88.63% and average coupling efficiency of 79.39%. The design method proved to be feasible and effective.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
R. Mildner, S. Hak, J. Parot, A. Hyldbakk, S. E. Borgos, D. Some, C. Johann, F. Caputo
Summary: Lipid-based nanoparticles for RNA delivery have shown significant progress, with the MDAF4 technique being useful for their physical characterization, but requiring adjustments for the unique structure of LNP-RNA. The use of a frit-inlet channel can effectively enhance the application of MD-AF4 to LNP-RNA.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS AND BIOPHARMACEUTICS
(2021)
Review
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Xiangxun Chen, Yuao Wu, Van Thanh Dau, Nam-Trung Nguyen, Hang Thu Ta
Summary: Biological drugs (BDs) have become increasingly important in treating various diseases, but their effectiveness is limited by challenges in administration, delivery, stability, and degradation. Nanotechnology, specifically polymeric nanomaterials, is being used to overcome these limitations. This review examines recent articles on manufacturing methods for encapsulating BDs in polymeric materials and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of different strategies, such as emulsification, nanoprecipitation, self-encapsulation, and coaxial electrospraying. The impact of critical synthesis parameters on BD activity, such as sonication, is also explored, along with future challenges and perspectives for scale-up production and clinical translation.
BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Aditya Vashi, Kamalalayam Rajan Sreejith, Nam-Trung Nguyen
Summary: Gravity is crucial for the development of life on earth. Reduced gravity experiments are usually conducted in the International Space Station, but its challenges have led to the development of ground-based devices and methods. However, more attention and research are still needed for the advantages of space conditions in developing new drugs, vaccines, and chemical applications.
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Hoang Huy Vu, Nam-Trung Nguyen, Navid Kashaninejad
Summary: Superhydrophobic surfaces with hierarchal micro/nanostructures have many interesting applications due to their self-cleaning, waterproof, anti-biofouling, anti-corrosion, and low-adhesion properties. However, they suffer from loss of superhydrophobicity over time and inability to repel all types of liquids. To overcome these issues, microstructures with re-entrant curvature have emerged, showing excellent liquid-repellent abilities and robustness. This review summarizes the design and fabrication strategies of these microstructures, emphasizing wettability studies and other surface properties, as well as potential applications and remaining technical challenges.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Thanh-An Truong, Tuan Khoa Nguyen, Xinghao Huang, Aditya Ashok, Sharda Yadav, Yoonseok Park, Mai Thanh Thai, Nhat-Khuong Nguyen, Hedieh Fallahi, Shuhua Peng, Sima Dimitrijev, Yi-Chin Toh, Yusuke Yamauchi, Chun Hui Wang, Nigel Hamilton Lovell, John Ashley Rogers, Thanh Nho Do, Nam-Trung Nguyen, Hangbo Zhao, Hoang-Phuong Phan
Summary: A stamping-free micromachining process is used to realize 3D flexible and stretchable wide bandgap electronics. Photolithography is applied on both sides of free-standing nanomembranes to create flexible structures directly on standard silicon wafers, allowing control over optical transparency and mechanical properties. The detachment and controlled mechanical buckling of the devices transform 2D wide bandgap semiconductors into complex 3D structures. This advancement in wide bandgap materials with 3D architectures will greatly facilitate the development of advanced 3D bio-electronics interfaces.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Helena H. W. B. Hansen, Haotian Cha, Lingxi Ouyang, Jun Zhang, Bo Jin, Helen Stratton, Nam-Trung Nguyen, Hongjie An
Summary: Nanobubbles, suspended gaseous entities in liquids, have versatile biomedical applications such as aiding in drug delivery, serving as imaging agents, and allowing controlled and targeted delivery. This review provides an overview of their preparation, characterization, current research focuses, and their potential impact on the future of biomedicine.
BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Xiudong Duan, Zhou Zheng, Yingdong Luo, Tianshu Dong, Yuanyuan Huang, Yani Li, Xin Tu, Chaolong Song
Summary: Droplet-based microfluidics is an emerging interdisciplinary field that has broad applications. This article proposes the usage of real-time quantitative phase imaging technique for the 3-D detection of flowing droplets to provide a precise measurement of droplet volume. Comparative experiments confirm that our proposed method offers higher accuracy and monodispersity of on-demand droplet generation, with enhanced stability and anti-interference. This method promises predictable outcomes in many microfluidics-based systems.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Vinay Kumar, Van Thanh Dau, Zia Javanbakht, Andrew Seagar, Nam-Trung Nguyen, Peter Woodfield
Summary: The magnetic body force is crucial for modeling convection in ferrofluids, but there is no consensus on the formulation of this term in recent literature. We present an updated derivation of the body force directly from the Lorentz force and Maxwell's equations. By comparing with other formulations, we find that the calculated body force differs by a factor of about four for a susceptibility of the order of 1, greatly affecting thermomagnetic convection predictions for a heated microwire.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Tanzena Tanny, Mohamed Sallam, Narshone Soda, Nam-Trung Nguyen, Mobashwer Alam, Muhammad J. A. Shiddiky
Summary: The CRISPR/Cas system is an effective diagnostic tool for agricultural pathogens, providing high sensitivity, specificity, and rapid assay time. It is suitable for diagnosing plant pathogens and identifying genetically modified crops.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Duc Ba Nguyen, Shirjana Saud, Quang Thang Trinh, Hongjie An, Nam-Trung Nguyen, Hoang Tung Do, Young Sun Mok, Won Gyu Lee
Summary: A multiple-capillary Ar plasma jet was generated using an advanced dielectric barrier discharge reactor, with advantages of low Ar consumption and gas temperature, suitable for various biomedical applications and material surface treatments.
PLASMA CHEMISTRY AND PLASMA PROCESSING
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Akriti Nepal, Huong D. N. Tran, Nam-Trung Nguyen, Hang Thu Ta
Summary: In traumatized patients, uncontrollable continuous bleeding and unexpected intraoperative bleeding are the primary causes of mortality, increasing the risk of complications and surgical failure. Haemostatic sponges, with their high liquid absorption ratio, are an effective clinical practice for treating various types of wound bleeding. When in contact with blood, they can cause platelet adhesion, aggregation, and thrombosis, achieving the goal of wound bleeding control.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Binura Perera, Yuao Wu, Nam-Trung Nguyen, Hang Thu Ta
Summary: Atherosclerosis, the main cause of cardiovascular diseases, is difficult to effectively treat in the later stages. Nanomaterials and nanoparticle-mediated therapies provide a targeted and controlled release of therapeutics, which can effectively resolve atherosclerotic plaque.
MATERIALS TODAY BIO
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Haotian Cha, Yuchen Dai, Helena H. W. B. Hansen, Lingxi Ouyang, Xiangxun Chen, Xiaoyue Kang, Hongjie An, Hang Thu Ta, Nam-Trung Nguyen, Jun Zhang
Summary: Inertial microfluidics utilizes fluid inertia to manipulate particles and cells in a simple and precise manner. This study introduces an innovative way to adjust inertial focusing by embedding asymmetrical obstacle microstructures, resulting in unilateral focusing. The influence of obstacle size and asymmetrical patterns on unilateral inertial focusing is characterized, and this approach is successfully applied for the separation of particles and cancer cells from white blood cells.
CYBORG AND BIONIC SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Fariba Malekpour Galogahi, Melody Christie, Ajeet Singh Yadav, Hongjie An, Helen Stratton, Nam-Trung Nguyen
Summary: In this study, a core-shell particle was developed as a protective framework for DNA, with potential applications in digital PCR. Liquid beads, specifically core-shell particles with liquid cores, were generated using a high-throughput and facile flow-focusing microfluidic device, providing precise control over process parameters and particle characteristics. The experimental results demonstrated that the liquid beads formulated using this technique can amplify encapsulated DNA and be used for digital PCR without interfering with the fluorescence signal.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nhat-Khuong Nguyen, Du Tuan Tran, Ann Chuang, Pradip Singha, Gregor Kijanka, Michele Burford, Chin Hong Ooi, Nam-Trung Nguyen
Summary: This paper demonstrates the use of a transparent liquid marble as a micro-photobioreactor for microalgal culture, showing significant improvement in culture yield compared to conventional culture flasks. The liquid marble platform provides a 30-fold increase in maximum cell density, opening up new possibilities for various applications.
REACTION CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ajeet Singh Yadav, Fariba Malekpour Galogahi, Du Tuan Tran, Aditya Vashi, Chin Hong Ooi, Kamalalayam Rajan Sreejith, Nam-Trung Nguyen
Summary: In this study, a flow-focusing microfluidic device was used to assemble 120 picolitre core-shell beads into a monolayer for digital PCR analysis. The DNA concentration of the sample was quantified through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and fluorescence detection. Wide-field fluorescence images were captured using a low-cost digital camera and macro lens, and analyzed using a custom Python script. The results of the digital PCR analysis were compared with those obtained through RT-qPCR.
