Flexible Toolbox of High-Precision Microfluidic Modules for Versatile Droplet-Based Applications.

Although the enormous potential of droplet-based microfluidics has been successfully demonstrated in the past two decades for medical, pharmaceutical, and academic applications, its inherent potential has not been fully exploited until now. Nevertheless, the cultivation of biological cells and 3D cell structures like spheroids and organoids, located in serially arranged droplets in micro-channels, has a range of benefits compared to established cultivation techniques based on, e.g., microplates and microchips. To exploit the enormous potential of the droplet-based cell cultivation technique, a number of basic functions have to be fulfilled. In this paper, we describe microfluidic modules to realize the following basic functions with high precision: (i) droplet generation, (ii) mixing of cell suspensions and cell culture media in the droplets, (iii) droplet content detection, and (iv) active fluid injection into serially arranged droplets. The robustness of the functionality of the Two-Fluid Probe is further investigated regarding its droplet generation using different flow rates. Advantages and disadvantages in comparison to chip-based solutions are discussed. New chip-based modules like the gradient, the piezo valve-based conditioning, the analysis, and the microscopy module are characterized in detail and their high-precision functionalities are demonstrated. These microfluidic modules are micro-machined, and as the surfaces of their micro-channels are plasma-treated, we are able to perform cell cultivation experiments using any kind of cell culture media, but without needing to use surfactants. This is even more considerable when droplets are used to investigate cell cultures like stem cells or cancer cells as cell suspensions, as 3D cell structures, or as tissue fragments over days or even weeks for versatile applications.

Synthesis of Biocompatible Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPION) under Different Microfluidic Regimes.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) have a great potential in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications as they provide contrast in magnetic resonance imaging techniques and allow magnetic hyperthermia and drug delivery. Though various types of SPION are commercially available, efforts to improve the quality of SPION are highly in demand. Here, we describe a strategy for optimization of SPION synthesis under microfluidics using the coprecipitation approach. Synthesis parameters such as temperature, pH, iron salt concentration, and coating materials were investigated in continuous and segmented flows. Continuous flow allowed synthesizing particles of a smaller size and higher stability than segmented flow, while both conditions improved the quality of particles compared to batch synthesis. The most stable particles were obtained at a synthesis condition of 6.5 M NH4OH base, iron salt (Fe2+/Fe3+) concentration ratio of 4.3/8.6, carboxymethyl dextran coating of 20 mg/mL, and temperature of 70 °C. The synthesized SPION exhibited a good efficiency in labeling of human platelets and did not impair cells. Our study under flow conditions provides an optimal protocol for the synthesis of better and biocompatible SPION that contributes to the development of nanoparticles for medical applications.

A modified 384-well-device for versatile use in 3D cancer cell (co-)cultivation and screening for investigations of tumor biology in vitro.

Pancreatic cancer exhibits a worst prognosis owed to an aggressive tumor progression i.a. driven by chemoresistance or tumor-stroma-interactions. The identification of candidate genes, which promote this progression, can lead to new therapeutic targets and might improve patient's outcome. The identification of these candidates in a plethora of genes requires suitable screening protocols. The aim of the present study was to establish a universally usable device which ensures versatile cultivation, screening and handling protocols of cancer cells with the 3D spheroid model, an approved model to study tumor biology. By surface modification and alternative handling of a commercial 384-well plate, a modified device enabling (i) 3D cultivation either by liquid overlay or by a modified hanging drop method for (ii) screening of substances as well as for tumor-stroma-interactions (iii) either with manual or automated handling was established. The here presented preliminary results of cell line dependent dose-response-relations and a stromal-induced spheroid-formation of the pancreatic cancer cells demonstrate the proof-of-principle of the versatile functionality of this device. By adapting the protocols to automation, a higher reproducibility and the ability for high-throughput analyses were ensured.

Parametric studies on droplet generation reproducibility for applications with biological relevant fluids.

Although the great potential of droplet based microfluidic technologies for routine applications in industry and academia has been successfully demonstrated over the past years, its inherent potential is not fully exploited till now. Especially regarding to the droplet generation reproducibility and stability, two pivotally important parameters for successful applications, there is still a need for improvement. This is even more considerable when droplets are created to investigate tissue fragments or cell cultures (e.g. suspended cells or 3D cell cultures) over days or even weeks. In this study we present microfluidic chips composed of a plasma coated polymer, which allow surfactants-free, highly reproducible and stable droplet generation from fluids like cell culture media. We demonstrate how different microfluidic designs and different flow rates (and flow rate ratios) affect the reproducibility of the droplet generation process and display the applicability for a wide variety of bio(techno)logically relevant media.

Generation of Cardiomyocytes in Pipe-Based Microbioreactor Under Segmented Flow.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Embryonic stem (ES) cells have got a broad range differentiation potential. The differentiation is initiated via aggregation of non-differentiated ES cells into embryoid body (EB) capable of multi-lineage development. However experimental variables present in standard differentiation techniques lead to high EB heterogeneity, affecting development into the cells of desired lineage, and do not support the process automatization and scalability. METHODS: Here we present a novel pipe based microbioreactor (PBM) setup based on segmented flow, designed for spatial maintenance of temperature, nutrition supply, gas supply and sterility. RESULTS: We verified PBM feasibility for continuous process generating cardiac cells starting from single ES cell suspension followed by EB formation for up to 10 days. The ES cells used in the study were genetically modified for cardiac-specific EGFP expression allowing optical monitoring of cardiomyocytes while EBs remained within PBM for up to 10 days. Efficiency of cardiac cells formation within PBM was similar compared to a standard hanging drop based protocol. CONCLUSION: Our findings ensure further development of microfluidic bioreactor technology to enable robust cardiomyocytes production for needs of drug screening, tissue engineering and other applications.

Hemodynamic aspects of reduced platelet adhesion on bioinspired microstructured surfaces.

Occlusion by thrombosis due to the absence of the endothelial cell layer is one of the most frequent causes of failure of artificial vascular grafts. Bioinspired surface structures may have a potential to reduce the adhesion of platelets contributing to hemostasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the hemodynamic aspects of platelet adhesion, the main cause of thrombosis, on bioinspired microstructured surfaces mimicking the endothelial cell morphology. We tested the hypothesis that platelet adhesion is statistically significantly reduced on bioinspired microstructured surfaces compared to unstructured surfaces. Platelet adhesion as a function of the microstructure dimensions was investigated under flow conditions on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces by a combined experimental and theoretical approach. Platelet adhesion was statistically significantly reduced (by up to 78%; p≤0.05) on the microstructured PDMS surfaces compared to that on the unstructured control surface. Finite element method (FEM) simulations of blood flow dynamic revealed a micro shear gradient on the microstructure surfaces which plays a pivotal role in reducing platelet adhesion. On the surfaces with the highest differences of the shear stress between the top of the microstructures and the ground areas, platelet adhesion was reduced most. In addition, the microstructures help to reduce the interaction strength between fluid and surfaces, resulting in a larger water contact angle but no higher resistance to flow compared to the unstructured surface. These findings provide new insight into the fundamental mechanisms of reducing platelet adhesion on microstructured bioinspired surfaces and may lay the basis for the development of innovative next generation artificial vascular grafts with reduced risk of thrombosis.

A modular segmented-flow platform for 3D cell cultivation.

In vitro 3D cell cultivation is promised to equate tissue in vivo more realistically than 2D cell cultivation corresponding to cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Therefore, a scalable 3D cultivation platform was developed. This platform, called pipe-based bioreactors (pbb), is based on the segmented-flow technology: aqueous droplets are embedded in a water-immiscible carrier fluid. The droplet volumes range from 60 nL to 20 µL and are used as bioreactors lined up in a tubing like pearls on a string. The modular automated platform basically consists of several modules like a fluid management for a high throughput droplet generation for self-assembly or scaffold-based 3D cell cultivation, a storage module for incubation and storage, and an analysis module for monitoring cell aggregation and proliferation basing on microscopy or photometry. In this report, the self-assembly of murine embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to uniformly sized embryoid bodies (EBs), the cell proliferation, the cell viability as well as the influence on the cell differentiation to cardiomyocytes are described. The integration of a dosage module for medium exchange or agent addition will enable pbb as long-term 3D cell cultivation system for studying stem cell differentiation, e.g. cardiac myogenesis or for diagnostic and therapeutic testing in personalized medicine.