Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Terri C. Lovell, Sarah G. Bolton, John P. Kenison, Julia Shangguan, Claire E. Otteson, Fehmi Civitci, Xiaolin Nan, Michael D. Pluth, Ramesh Jasti
Summary: Fluorophores, such as carbon nanotube nanohoops, have potential for biological imaging with bright, tunable optical properties, but challenges remain in precise synthesis and functionalization. Researchers reported a targeted intracellular nanohoop with high two-photon absorption cross-section and photostability for fluorescence imaging applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Huanwen Mu, Yongpeng Zeng, Yinyin Zhuang, Weibo Gao, Yong Zhou, Krishnaraj Rajalingam, Wenting Zhao
Summary: A nanobar-based platform is introduced in this study, which effectively guides Ras protein clustering into quantifiable patterns in live cells that can be observed using conventional microscopy. The platform allows differentiation of major Ras isoforms and characterization of their mutants, as well as evaluation of the specificity and sensitivity of Ras inhibitors. This platform will provide a novel avenue for deciphering Ras regulations and facilitating the development of anti-Ras drugs.
Article
Biophysics
Alexandra Bermudez, Zachary Gonzalez, Bao Zhao, Ethan Salter, Xuanqing Liu, Leixin Ma, Mohammad Khalid Jawed, Cho-Jui Hsieh, Neil Y. C. Lin
Summary: The mechanical properties of tissues have a significant impact on biological processes, and measuring the supracellular modulus field of live cell layers with high-throughput and minimal perturbation has been challenging. In this study, we developed a method to quantify the effective modulus of a monolayer of cells by integrating a custom cell stretcher, light microscopy, and AI-based inference. This method allows for the visualization of the effective modulus distribution of thousands of cells almost instantly.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shunsuke Sawada, Masaru Yoshikawa, Keita Tsutsui, Tomoki Miyazaki, Keiko Kano, Emi Mishiro-Sato, Shinya Tsukiji
Summary: Small-molecule fluorescent probes based on the myrGC3Me motif were developed for simple and rapid staining of the Golgi in living cells with high specificity and no cytotoxicity. The probes allowed visualization of dynamic changes of the Golgi morphology induced by drug treatments and during cell division. These probes are useful tools for cell biological and diagnostic applications.
ACS CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Evelina I. Nikelshparg, Ekaterina S. Prikhozhdenko, Roman A. Verkhovskii, Vsevolod S. Atkin, Vitaly A. Khanadeev, Boris N. Khlebtsov, Daniil N. Bratashov
Summary: A new type of flat substrate utilizing stabilized aggregates of gold nanostars and a polymer layer has been used for visualizing structures and studying biochemical processes within living cells via surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The long tips of the gold nanostars can penetrate the cell membrane to receive the SERS signal from biomolecules inside the cell, aiding in the study of biomolecular distribution in different cell compartments.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiao Li, Lasse H. Klausen, Wei Zhang, Zeinab Jahed, Ching-Ting Tsai, Thomas L. Li, Bianxiao Cui
Summary: The presence of nanotopography drastically alters cell behavior, making neurons and stem cells behave as if they were on soft hydrogels when cultured on rigid glass substrates. Rigid nanotopography resembles the effects of soft hydrogels in reducing cell stiffness and membrane tension. Nanotopography reduces focal adhesions and cell stiffness by enhancing endocytosis and subsequent removal of integrin receptors.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Zhihao Wei, Xi Liu, Ruiqing Yan, Guocheng Sun, Weiyong Yu, Qiang Liu, Qianjin Guo
Summary: This article introduces a new pixel-level multimodal fusion (PLMF) deep network that can predict the location of cellular organelles using label-free cell optical microscopy images. The proposed method combines the global prediction of the Transformer and the local detail analysis ability of CNN, improving the accuracy of prediction.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Guanlin Zhou, Chao Wang, Chengwei Wu, Wei Zhang
Summary: The cell elastic modulus is widely used as a mechanics-based marker to analyze the biological effects of substrates on cells. However, the traditional Hertz model used to extract the apparent elastic modulus can cause errors due to violations of the small deformation assumption, infinite half-space assumption, and inability to account for substrate deformation. In this study, an active learning model is proposed to effectively extract the cell elastic modulus and reduce extraction errors. Numerical calculations and indentation experiments confirm the accuracy and efficiency of the established model.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Roza Izgilov, Alex Naftaly, Dafna Benayahu
Summary: Adipose tissue metabolism under hyperglycemia leads to Type II diabetes (T2D). In this study, adipocytes were cultured with glycation-induced advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which increased cell and niche stiffness and altered cell signaling. The formation of AGEs coincided with changes in protein structure and reduced adipogenesis, leading to impairment of insulin signaling.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarka Pokorna, Ana E. Ventura, Tania C. B. Santos, Martin Hof, Manuel Prieto, Anthony H. Futerman, Liana C. Silva
Summary: This study provides a thorough analysis of the factors that can lead to variability in Laurdan GP measurements and suggests approaches to improve data quality. It also demonstrates the impact of cell culture conditions on GP determination.
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lorena Sigaut, Micaela Bianchi, Catalina von Bilderling, Lia Isabel Pietrasanta
Summary: This study investigated the effects of substrate stiffness on cellular traction forces and the focal adhesion protein zyxin by cultivating cells on polyacrylamide hydrogels of different stiffness. Results showed that increasing substrate rigidity led to higher cellular traction generation and longer zyxin residence time at focal adhesions, with a positive correlation between the two. Additionally, it was observed that the correlation between traction forces exerted by cells and zyxin residence time persisted at the subcellular level, regardless of substrate stiffness variations.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Hansen Zhao, Feng Ge, Yongyu Zhang, Zhenrong Huang, Xiangjun Shi, Bin Xiong, Xuebin Liao, Sichun Zhang, Yan He
Summary: Understanding spatiotemporal dynamics of particles in complex biological environments is crucial. SEES, a method based on historical experience vector analysis, automatically presents global trajectory patterns and local continuities without predefined models, showing greater sensitivity to rare events and multivariable observations compared to the Hidden Markov model. Application of SEES to analyze interactions between nanoparticles and PD-L1 expressing cells successfully pinpointed rare events, visualized Brownian motion, and evaluated different dynamics. These findings could help in designing highly efficient nanocargoes.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Maria Podinovskaia, Cristina Prescianotto-Baschong, Dominik P. Buser, Anne Spang
Summary: This study introduces a novel live-cell imaging assay for monitoring endosome maturation process, applicable to various types of mammalian cells. It was found that different endosome conversion processes and acidification relied on different factors. This assay serves as a powerful tool to further unravel various aspects of endosome maturation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aditya Iyer, Maxim Baranov, Alexander J. Foster, Shreyans Chordia, Gerard Roelfes, Rifka Vlijm, Geert van den Bogaart, Bert Poolman
Summary: The study developed noncovalent fluorogenic protein tags in bacteria using transcription factor-based tags, CTPEs, to enable long-term fluorescence microscopy of living bacterial cells. This provides a general tool for investigating cellular protein localization and dynamics, protein-protein interactions, and prolonged live-cell microscopy, even under oxygen-free conditions.
ACS CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yu Jin Kim, Min Jun Ko, Bum Chul Park, Jun Hwan Moon, Yoo Sang Jeon, Hyeon Su Park, Myeong Soo Kim, Hee-Dae Kim, Daiha Shin, Young Keun Kim
Summary: The physical microenvironment plays a crucial role in determining cell adhesion and altering cellular properties by influencing intracellular signaling pathways. Experimental findings suggest that reducing cell adhesion forcibly can lead to changes in epithelial cell markers and induce mesenchymal characteristics in cells through a partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Shuhuan Hu, Wei Huang, Fanchao Meng, Raymond H. W. Lam, Denvid Lau
Summary: The interfacial bonding integrity between different materials is crucial for maintaining the functionality of physical systems at various scales. This study employs multiple interface characterization methods to investigate the interfacial reinforcement mechanism of adding carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a matrix material. The results provide insights into developing polymer/nanoparticle composites with reinforced interfacial bonding integrity for sustainable and reliable applications.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Jifeng Ren, Yi Liu, Wei Huang, Raymond H. W. Lam
Summary: Investigating the transiting speeds of floating cells along a narrow microchannel and their corresponding physical properties can enhance our understanding of metastasis of circulating tumor cells via blood vessels. This study provides a theoretical analysis, computational fluid dynamics simulation, and microfluidic experiments to reveal the key cell physical properties and channel configurations determining the transiting speed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yiming Liu, Xingcan Huang, Jingkun Zhou, Chun Ki Yiu, Zhen Song, Wei Huang, Sina Khazaee Nejad, Hu Li, Tsz Hung Wong, Kuanming Yao, Ling Zhao, Woojung Yoo, Wooyoung Park, Jiyu Li, Ya Huang, Hiuwai Raymond Lam, Enming Song, Xu Guo, Yanwei Wang, Zhenxue Dai, Lingqian Chang, Wen Jung Li, Zhaoqian Xie, Xinge Yu
Summary: Wearable electronics have gained extensive attention for their potential applications in health monitoring. However, conventional battery technology faces limitations. To address this issue, researchers have developed a sweat-activated biocompatible battery with high capacity and power density, enabling long-term powering of wearable devices.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Cia-Hin Lau, Siping Huang, Raymond H. W. Lam, Chung Tin
Summary: In this study, we developed a strategy to derive VP64 variants with gain-of-function mutations using PAM-flexible dual base editor-mediated mutagenesis and self-activation strategies. The enhanced VP64 variants were able to efficiently activate the endogenous promoter of anti-aging and longevity genes in human cells.
MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Review
Developmental Biology
Aidan H. Terhune, Jeyoon Bok, Shiyu Sun, Jianping Fu
Summary: The development of a zygote into an embryo is a miraculous process in nature, but scientists have struggled to understand the mechanisms in human embryos due to ethical and practical limitations. However, pluripotent stem cells have the ability to mimic specific embryonic events, allowing the creation of in vitro models that recapitulate different stages of early embryo development.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jiyu Li, Dinglong Hu, Chee Kent Lim, Jifeng Ren, Xin Yao, Chao Ma, Marcos, Weiqiang Chen, Patrick K. H. Lee, Raymond H. W. Lam
Summary: The human host-associated microbial communities can provide insights into health status, and single-cell bacteria identification can serve as reliable biomarkers for clinical diagnosis. However, existing single-cell isolation methods often face challenges in obtaining sufficient sample volume and target cells. This research presents a novel microfluidic system for single-bacteria extraction, which shows high success rates and compatibility with downstream analysis. It demonstrates the potential application of this system in microbiome and pathology research, as well as clinical diagnosis.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Xin Cui, Lelin Liu, Jiyu Li, Yi Liu, Ya Liu, Dinglong Hu, Ruolin Zhang, Siping Huang, Zhongning Jiang, Yuchao Wang, Yun Qu, Stella W. Pang, Raymond H. W. Lam
Summary: The study presents a microfluidic live-cell immunoassay integrated with a microtopographic environment for monitoring intercellular interactions in cancer microenvironments. The developed assay allows for co-culture of immune cells and cancer cells, simultaneous detection of different cytokines, and investigation of migration behaviors of cells on different platforms. This integrated microfluidic platform provides an efficient, broad-range and precise on-chip cytokine detection approach with clinical significance in early immune diagnosis, personalized immunotherapy, and precision medicine.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Peng Xiao, Jianpan Huang, Xiongqi Han, Jacinth W. S. Cheu, Yang Liu, Lok Hin Law, Joseph H. C. Lai, Jiyu Li, Se Weon Park, Carmen C. L. Wong, Raymond H. W. Lam, Kannie W. Y. Chan
Summary: The study reports a robust approach to image pH changes in the tumor microenvironment using pH-sensing microbeads. The method provides a sensitive and noninvasive way to monitor the pH changes during treatment.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yen-Yu Hsu, Agnes M. Resto Irizarry, Jianping Fu, Allen P. Liu
Summary: Plasma membrane tension acts as a regulator of cellular activities, but current measurement techniques are limited in their ability to investigate membrane biophysics and the role of tension. In this study, a new optical reporter for membrane tension is developed using a modified E. coli mechanosensitive channel and circularly permuted GFP, which allows measurement of membrane tension based on fluorescence intensity changes.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuankai Jin, Xiaonan Liu, Wanghuai Xu, Pengcheng Sun, Siping Huang, Siyan Yang, Xiao Yang, Qinggong Wang, Raymond H. W. Lam, Ruirui Li, Zuankai Wang
Summary: Droplet electrotaxis is a taxis-like behavior exhibited by liquid droplets on charged substrates in response to external stimuli, allowing for precise manipulation of droplets with diverse properties using solid or liquid stimuli. The flexibility of droplet electrotaxis also enables it to manifest even in the presence of additional layers. Importantly, it can harness charges generated from various manners, expanding its application scenarios in cell labeling and droplet information recording.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Renhua Yang, Siping Huang, Yiwen Zhang, Chao Zhang, Jingui Qian, Raymond H. W. Lam, Joshua E-Y Lee, Zuankai Wang
Summary: In this work, a high-throughput multi-sample acoustofluidic aggregation device is proposed, which can manipulate up to 12 samples simultaneously using a single reusable acoustic tweezer. The device utilizes a polydimethylsiloxane frame as a selective acoustic-absorbing feature to create asymmetric acoustic waves over multiple detachable superstrates. The device can efficiently aggregate multiple samples of various compositions and sizes, ranging from non-bioactive microparticles to bioactive cells.
JOURNAL OF MICROMECHANICS AND MICROENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Hanbai Wu, Shuo Shi, Yi Liu, Qiang Zhang, Raymond H. W. Lam, Chwee Teck Lim, Jinlian Hu
Summary: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of death worldwide, resulting in increased healthcare costs. Microfluidic systems have emerged as a promising approach to better understand and treat CVDs due to their advantages in reproducibility, physiological relevance, and controllability. This review highlights the innovative designs of microfluidic devices for CVDs research, including material selection and physiological considerations. Various biomedical applications, such as blood-vessel-on-a-chip and heart-on-a-chip, are discussed in relation to investigating the underlying mechanisms of CVDs. Additionally, future directions and challenges in the development of next-generation microfluidic systems for diagnosing and treating CVDs are addressed.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hanbai Wu, Yi Liu, Chen Ai, Shuo Shi, Raymond H. W. Lam, Jinlian Hu
Summary: This study investigates the effects of cell-scale microstructures on cell differentiation and the underlying mechanisms. The results demonstrate that microstructures with a curvature radius of 50 μm can provide maximum acting forces to cells, promoting cell spreading and osteoblast differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. Furthermore, the two-dimensional force generated by narrow curvatures on microgrooves outperforms other microstructures in terms of osteogenesis of MC3T3-E1 cells.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Feng Lin, Xia Li, Shiyu Sun, Zhongyi Li, Chenglin Lv, Jianbo Bai, Lin Song, Yizhao Han, Bo Li, Jianping Fu, Yue Shao
Summary: Researchers have developed an efficient biomaterial system that can generate gut spheroids from human pluripotent stem cells through mechanically enhanced tissue morphogenesis. The study also reveals the mechanisms behind gut spheroid formation, including the effects of cell multilayering and crowding, and proposes a mechanism for morphogenetic transitions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Lanqi Gong, Yu Zhang, Yuma Yang, Qian Yan, Jifeng Ren, Jie Luo, Yuen Chak Tiu, Xiaona Fang, Beilei Liu, Raymond Hiu Wai Lam, Ka-On Lam, Anne Wing-Mui Lee, Xin-Yuan Guan
Summary: The tumor microenvironment is crucial for tumor progression, and collagen enrichment leads to drug resistance in liver cancer cells. LOXL2, an enzyme that facilitates collagen cross-linking, enhances adhesion-mediated drug resistance. Inhibiting LOXL2 can promote the efficacy of sorafenib and 5-fluorouracil.
HEPATOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)