Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Jaeseok Lee, Minseok Kim
Summary: In this study, a rapid and reproducible fabrication method for polymer-based rigid microfluidic devices using epoxy resin is developed. The polymeric devices overcome the limitations of traditional PDMS channels and demonstrate structural robustness and chemical resistance suitable for chemically or physically demanding experiments. These rigid devices facilitate lab-on-chip research and enable various applications such as high-performance liquid chromatography, bacterial culture, and polymerase chain reaction.
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Chenchen Zhou, Yuwei Cao, Chenxu Liu, Wanlin Guo
Summary: Microparticles have attracted extensive interest due to their unique shapes, complex structures, and ability to incorporate various functions. Microfluidic lithography provides a new method for preparing high precision and high throughput microparticles. This review discusses the recent progress of microfluidic lithography methods and the obtained microparticle morphologies, as well as the postprocessing techniques and application prospects for microparticles.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
V Sizyuk, A. Hassanein
Summary: Building a successful device for magnetic fusion energy production is a great challenge. This study investigates and compares the performance of the current ITER tokamak design during two types of transient events, plasma disruptions and edge-localized modes (ELMs), and proposes a method to reduce the damage using a small carbon insert.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Kashif Mehmood, Aamer Shahzad, Farooq Akram, Taimur Ali Shams, M. N. Mumtaz, Jehanzeb Masud
Summary: The invention of bladeless fans has revolutionized the design technology in the fan industry in recent years. Bladeless fans are unique in shape and highly efficient in performance. This study aims to find an optimized geometry for a bladeless ceiling fan comparable to a conventional fan. Through Design of Experiments analysis, the study determined that a fan diameter of 1.4 m, jet width of 2.55 mm, jet orientation of 91.21o, and jet velocity of 3 m/s are the optimized parameters for a bladeless fan. CFD simulations showed an average velocity of 1.32 m/s and a velocity spread of 76%. Compared to conventional ceiling fans, the bladeless fan recorded a 60% enhancement in air delivery values. The study concludes that the future solution for economical ceiling fans lies in the application of bladeless technologies.
JOURNAL OF WIND ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRIAL AERODYNAMICS
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shiva Khorshid, Rosita Goffi, Giorgia Maurizii, Serena Benedetti, Giovanna Sotgiu, Roberto Zamboni, Sara Buoso, Roberta Galuppi, Talita Bordoni, Mattia Tiboni, Annalisa Aluigi, Luca Casettari
Summary: Fungal infections of the skin, nails, and hair are a common health concern. The use of keratin nanoparticles can improve antifungal agent penetration and provide sustainable targeted drug delivery.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuma Sasaki, Seina Hiroshige, Masaya Takizawa, Yuichiro Nishizawa, Takayuki Uchihashi, Haruka Minato, Daisuke Suzuki
Summary: Soft and deformable elastomer microspheres exhibit a non-close-packed arrangement on solid substrates after water evaporation, with thin films of non-close-packed structures successfully generated using the Langmuir-Blodgett method. These findings may improve nano-science and technology for precise control in surface patterning.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Balaji Mohan, Abdullah S. AlRamadan, Yasser Al-Qahtani, Yoann Viollet, Jihad Badra
Summary: In this study, a design of experiments and machine learning based optimization framework was developed for engine calibration. The framework facilitated the identification of the global optimum and reduced the number of experimental runs.
Review
Biology
Karen Melissa Lerin-Morales, Luis F. Olguin, Eva Mateo-Marti, Maria Colin-Garcia
Summary: Microfluidic devices are small tools used to manipulate small volumes of fluids, mainly in the biomedical and chemical fields. Their recent application in prebiotic chemistry has been summarized in this review, which discusses their potential and contribution to solving prebiotic chemistry questions.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Vladimir Modrak, Ranjitharamasamy Sudhakara Pandian, Pavol Semanco
Summary: In this study, experiments were conducted with the genetic algorithm to tackle machine cell formation problems with the aim of minimizing intercell moves and cell load variation. The results were promising in determining the optimal combination of genetic algorithm parameters.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Kenta Fukada, Michiko Seyama
Summary: Microfluidic control using reinforced learning with failure-based rewards can maximize training effect and find optimal separating conditions automatically, making it valuable in fields such as automatic synthetic chemistry, biomedical analysis, and microfabrication robotics.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Hailong Wang, Kai Chen, Biyue Lin, Jingping Kou, Lijun Li, Shuming Wu, Shouzhu Liao, Guodong Sun, Junwen Pu, Hua Yang, Zhongqing Wang
Summary: A design of experiments approach was used to optimize the manufacturing process of linagliptin. Through determining critical process parameters and optimal reaction conditions, process-related impurities were successfully removed, resulting in a high-yield and high-purity procedure.
ORGANIC PROCESS RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Zachary Cosenza, David E. Block, Keith Baar
Summary: The study demonstrates the effectiveness of a nonlinear design-of-experiments (DOE) method in predicting optimal media conditions for biological processes. By reducing the cost of muscle cell proliferation media while maintaining cell growth, the method outperformed traditional DOE, but its applicability is limited to single passages, highlighting the importance of aligning objective functions with process goals.
BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Arne Luken, Matthias Geiger, Lea Steinbeck, Anna-Christin Joel, Angelika Lampert, John Linkhorst, Matthias Wessling
Summary: This study demonstrates the manufacturing of micron-sized wet-spun fibers with diverse geometries using a microfluidic spinneret, which contributes to tissue engineering applications by providing strong mechanical properties. The research shows that this manufacturing process pushes the boundaries of fiber fabrication, leading to the development of more refined and complex tissue engineering materials in the future.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nicola L. Bell, Manuel Kupper, Leroy Cronin
Summary: Design of experiments (DOE) is a key method for optimizing physical processes by altering multiple variables at once to assess their effect. In chemistry, DOE explores a wider parameter space than One Factor at a Time (OFAT) method, providing greater opportunity to optimize yield, purity, and explore chemical space for new compounds. Insights from DOE analysis can lead to optimized synthetic procedures and improved product yield, even for complex multivariate synthetic procedures.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Shahryar Zare, A. R. Tavakolpour-saleh, A. Aghahosseini, M. H. Sangdani, Reza Mirshekari
Summary: This paper discusses the application of soft computing methods in the optimization and design of Stirling engines, including genetic algorithms, particle swarm optimization, fuzzy logic, and artificial neural networks. These soft computing methods can effectively address the main concerns of researchers, and optimizing parameters can improve the performance of Stirling engines.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Stefan Hennig, Zhe Shu, Ludwig Gutzweiler, Peter Koltay, Felix von Stetten, Roland Zengerle, Susanna M. Frueh
Summary: A paper-based open microfluidic platform was developed for efficient protein separation and immunological analysis, demonstrating advantages in time-saving, reduced sample consumption, and improved reproducibility. This platform is particularly suitable for analyzing scarce and precious samples.
Article
Pathology
Elena Kipf, Franziska Schlenker, Nadine Borst, Marion Fillies, Renate Kirschner-Schwabe, Roland Zengerle, Cornelia Eckert, Felix von Stetten, Michael Lehnert
Summary: The authors developed personalized multiplex mediator probe PCR (MP PCR) for MRD monitoring in ALL, which can accurately quantify more MRD markers in less sample material. This helps reduce the impact of clonal tumor evolution on clinical outcomes. Additionally, they increased the multiplex level to 4-plex and met the EuroMRD requirements for reliable quantification, facilitating and accelerating MP PCR assay development for standardized personalized diagnostics.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Fritz Koch, Ole Thaden, Stefan Conrad, Kevin Troendle, Gunter Finkenzeller, Roland Zengerle, Sabrina Kartmann, Stefan Zimmermann, Peter Koltay
Summary: The generation of artificial human tissue using 3D bioprinting has become an important research topic in recent years. In this study, the authors evaluate the process parameters relevant to a hybrid bioprinting process, involving the printing of thermoplastic material and a cell-laden hydrogel. Through their experiments, they determine the optimal printing temperature and filament bonding strength for successful tissue generation. They also examine the mechanical strength of the printed structures and observe that scaffolds made using the hybrid bioprinting technique show promising mechanical properties.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Anna Klebes, Anna-Sophia Kittel, Rene D. Verboket, Felix von Stetten, Susanna M. Fruh
Summary: The development of a Multianalyte-Assay that can simultaneously detect inflammation biomarkers and pathogen DNA from one sample within 35 minutes has great potential to improve wound management at the point-of-care.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yu-Ting Kao, Silvia Calabrese, Nadine Borst, Michael Lehnert, Yu-Kai Lai, Franziska Schlenker, Peter Juelg, Roland Zengerle, Piotr Garstecki, Felix von Stetten
Summary: A novel microfluidic one-pot wash-free fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay was developed for detection and quantification of bacterial load, offering simplicity, speed, and accuracy in analysis. This method is significant for quantitative analysis of bacterial load.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Maximilian Neugebauer, Clara E. Grundmann, Michael Lehnert, Felix von Stetten, Susanna M. Frueh, Regine Suss
Summary: This article presents a novel approach for quantifying siRNA in drug formulations using reverse transcription real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). The method is highly sensitive and specific, allowing for the quantification of released siRNA and assessment of siRNA stability and concentration inside dendriplexes.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Franziska Schlenker, Peter Juelg, Jan Lueddecke, Nils Paust, Roland Zengerle, Tobias Hutzenlaub
Summary: cfDNA is a promising biomarker for cancer monitoring and infectious disease diagnostics. This study presents a new concept for automated cfDNA extraction using nanobeads in a centrifugal microfluidic LabDisk. By optimizing the incubation chamber geometry, frequency, and temperature protocols, the recovery rates of cfDNA were maximized. The LabDisk showed better reproducibility and comparable allele frequencies compared to manual approaches, making it a highly attractive solution for automated liquid biopsy cfDNA extraction.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Guilherme Miotto, Kerstin Thiemann, Markus Rombach, Roland Zengerle, Sabrina Kartmann
Summary: This article presents a method based on holographic PIV/PTV for accurately measuring low flow rates in medical applications. The method is simple and can measure flow rates within the range of a few nL/min.
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING-BIOMEDIZINISCHE TECHNIK
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Joshua Weygant, Fritz Koch, Katrin Adam, Kevin Troendle, Roland Zengerle, Guenter Finkenzeller, Sabrina Kartmann, Peter Koltay, Stefan Zimmermann
Summary: This study used a drop-on-demand bioprinting approach to investigate the cellular interactions between building blocks in dimensions of micrometers. It was found that a gap of 200 μm between endothelial cells (HUVECs) and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) led to decreased sprouting of HUVECs towards ASCs and increased growth from ASCs towards HUVECs.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Pranshul Sardana, Mohammadreza Zolfaghari, Guilherme Miotto, Roland Zengerle, Thomas Brox, Peter Koltay, Sabrina Kartmann
Summary: The reliable dispensing of droplets in a small volume range is challenging, and it depends on factors such as liquid properties and dispenser design. This study uses convolutional neural networks to classify liquids with different rheological properties and evaluates the effects of data cleaning, sampling strategies, and training data size. The best-performing model, based on the ECOmini-18 architecture, achieves a test accuracy of 94.2% after training on 12,000 data points from two batches.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Yu-Kai Lai, Yu-Ting Kao, Jacob Friedrich Hess, Silvia Calabrese, Felix von Stetten, Nils Paust
Summary: This article presents a centrifugal microfluidic cartridge that can generate eight-fold parallel monodisperse water-in-oil droplets using standard laboratory equipment. The cartridge design interfaces centrifugal microfluidics with linear structures of standard high-throughput laboratory automation, enabling simultaneous droplet generation from eight samples into standard PCR 8-tube strips. The inlets of the cartridge allow for minimal manual liquid handling, and droplets with a mean diameter of 86 μm and a coefficient of variation below 4% can be generated within 10 minutes. Additionally, a digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assay demonstrated the feasibility of the method.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Silvia Calabrese, Anja M. Markl, Maximilian Neugebauer, Stefanie J. Krauth, Nadine Borst, Felix von Stetten, Michael Lehnert
Summary: This article presents a novel reporter emission multiplexing approach for digital PCR (REM-dPCR), which utilizes n target-independent reporter molecules and target sequence-specific mediator probes to increase the multiplexing capacity of the device. The study demonstrates the sensitive and precise quantification of KRAS mutant and wild-type DNA sequences using this method.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Johannes Dornhof, Viktoria Zieger, Jochen Kieninger, Daniel Frejek, Roland Zengerle, Gerald A. Urban, Sabrina Kartmann, Andreas Weltin
Summary: Three-dimensional cell agglomerates are increasingly important in biomedicine, providing in vitro models for tissue functions and having applications in cancer research. This study combines state-of-the-art bioprinting techniques with 3D cell culture monitoring, demonstrating the automation and integration of sensors and drug delivery in 3D cell culture and organ-on-chip experiments.