Microfluidics and Nanofluidics最新文献

{"title":"Real-time monitoring of Candida albicans biofilm growth and 4-HPA-mediated inhibition using an optoelectrochemical platform","authors":"Anmol Kulshrestha,&nbsp;Pratima Gupta,&nbsp;Vivek Kumar Singh,&nbsp;Abhishek Kumar,&nbsp;Sonal Fande,&nbsp;Sanket Goel","doi":"10.1007/s10404-025-02810-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10404-025-02810-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The opportunistic fungus <i>Candida albicans</i> has become the major cause of hospital-acquired infections due to its ability to develop biofilms that resistance to treatments. his study monitored the real-time growth and inhibition of <i>C. albicans</i> hyphal and biofilm formation using optoelectrochemical approaches, focusing on Secreted Aspartyl Protease 5 (SAP5), a key virulence factor. The natural phenolic compound 4-Hydroxyphenylacetic acid (4-HPA) was computationally screened and demonstrated strong binding affinity to SAP5. In vitro studies indicated a minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) of 4 mg/mL and a minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) of 16 mg/mL. The 4-HPA exhibited considerable potential as an anti-hyphal and anti-biofilm agent, achieving efficacy &gt; 90% in the Biofilm Infection Simulator System (BISS) platform. Likewise, in microfluidic platform, electrochemical analysis revealed 85–90% biofilm inhibition &amp; reduction on MBIC &amp; MBEC doses, respectively. The correlation of microscopic images with electrochemical data revealed complementarity, introducing a novel approach for monitoring microbial biofilms. This study introduces a novel approach to monitoring and treating biofilms, offering promising insights for anti-biofilm drug development.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":706,"journal":{"name":"Microfluidics and Nanofluidics","volume":"29 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study of the biocompatibility of polymeric resins processed by 3D printing for applications in manufacturing of devices for short term 3D cultures","authors":"João Paulo de Jesus Vieira,&nbsp;Saulo Soares da Silva,&nbsp;Ilva de Fátima Souza,&nbsp;Marcelo Bráulio Pedras,&nbsp;Bethânia Alves de Avelar Freitas,&nbsp;Libardo Andrés González Torres","doi":"10.1007/s10404-025-02809-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10404-025-02809-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The biocompatibility of materials and processes used in the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) culture devices is crucial for the success of some relevant studies. In this context, 3D printing emerges as a promising technology to be used. This study evaluated three resins as candidates for the production of 3D culture devices: PriZma 3D Bio Splint (resin 1), 3D Prime Premium Cristal (resin 2), and Quanton Spin Skin Opaca (resin 3). Cubic samples of 2 mm and 3 mm were fabricated using a DLP 3D printer, followed by post-processing and sterilization. Biocompatibility was assessed using immortalized BSC-40 cells cultured in 96-well plates using MTT colorimetric assay to estimate cellular viability. A material is considered biocompatible if cell viability is above 70%. Resins 1 and 3 demonstrated high biocompatibility, with cell viability exceeding 80% and no significant differences between sample sizes. In contrast, the cell viability of resin 2 ranged from 60 to 66%. Based on these results, simplified devices for 3D cultures were produced with resin 1, due to its characteristics, particularly its transparency, which facilitates culture protocols and microscopic observations. After 4 days of culture, cells exhibited a three-dimensional morphology with long cellular projections and high viability when evaluated by fluorescence microscopy. We conclude that resins 1 is suitable for device fabrication, while resin 2 and 3 are not recommended because of the low biocompatibility and the opacity. respectively. The chosen materials show great potential for the production of devices for short term 3D cell cultures, an expanding and highly relevant area of scientific research.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":706,"journal":{"name":"Microfluidics and Nanofluidics","volume":"29 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144125521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An integrated centrifugal microfluidic system for automatic nanozyme ELISA lateral flow immunoassay at point-of-care testing","authors":"Yingyi Huang,&nbsp;Lei Wang,&nbsp;Jiaxi Zhou,&nbsp;Guijun Miao,&nbsp;Lulu Zhang,&nbsp;Michael G. Mauk,&nbsp;Lizeng Gao,&nbsp;Xianbo Qiu","doi":"10.1007/s10404-025-02812-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10404-025-02812-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The accurate and rapid detection of H1N1 viral specific protein is crucial for effective disease control and management. Traditional diagnostic methods based on ELISA immunoassay often require complex manual operations, long incubation times, and lack the integration needed for automated, high-throughput analysis. There is an urgent demand for a portable, sensitive, integrated, and fully automated diagnostic platform to address these challenges in medical diagnostics. We developed an automated diagnostic system that integrates nanozyme-based detection within a centrifugal microfluidic device for rapid H1N1 viral specific protein detection. The system utilizes nanozymes for signal amplification, leveraging nanozymes to reduce assay times. A high-resolution image sensor and image processing algorithm enable precise interrogation of test results, demonstrating significant improvements in sensitivity. The compact centrifugal microfluidic device automates the sequential delivery of samples, reagents, and nanozyme probes, seamlessly implements mixing, incubation, and liquid transfer. The system achieves a 50-fold sensitivity improvement over the conventional method based on colloidal gold lateral flow strips, with a test time of only 15 min. This work develops a fully automated, integrated diagnostic platform by combining nanozyme-enhanced immunoassay with automatic centrifugal microfluidics. The platform eliminates manual intervention, achieving high sensitivity and rapid detection of infectious disease viral specific protein. Its compact and integrated design makes it a versatile tool for point-of-care diagnostics.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":706,"journal":{"name":"Microfluidics and Nanofluidics","volume":"29 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144091101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gold nanoparticles green production using diethyl carbonate as continuum phase in a dripping regime microfluidic reactor","authors":"Mohsen Khorsand,&nbsp;Cavus Falamaki,&nbsp;Leila Zargarzadeh","doi":"10.1007/s10404-025-02811-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10404-025-02811-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A dripping-regime segmented-flow microfluidic reactor for the continuous production of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) was designed based on computational fluid dynamics calculations. A flow-focusing junction was applied. Diethyl carbonate (DEC) was used as a green material for the continuous phase. The dispersed aqueous phase consisted of HAuCl₄, NaBH₄, and PVA. Experimental dispersed phase droplet diameter as a function of Capillary number (Ca) corroborated with the CFD calculations. The effect of Ca (0.0013,0.0025 and 0.0050) and pH (1,3 and 11) on HAuCl₄ conversion and Au NPs particle size distribution (PSD) was investigated. Based on nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), average particle diameters as small as 1.73 nm with a sharp distribution (standard deviation of 0.27 nm) could be achieved. The apparent pseudo-first-order reduction reaction rate constant was found proportional to the average vorticity within the droplets. Particle growth was not dominated by coalescence processes. No leaching of Au³⁺ by DEC was detected.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":706,"journal":{"name":"Microfluidics and Nanofluidics","volume":"29 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144073553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainable and optimized fabrication of microfluidic devices for electrochemical detection and monitoring of microbial biofilms","authors":"Anmol Kulshrestha,&nbsp;Pratima Gupta,&nbsp;Sanjay S. Negi","doi":"10.1007/s10404-025-02804-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10404-025-02804-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In healthcare and industry, infections caused by biofilms and unwanted buildup in the environment are big problems, making it important to have affordable and easy-to-use monitoring tools. The study aims to create an affordable and eco-friendly electrochemical microfluidic device that can easily check biofilm growth without needing invasive methods, making it simpler and cheaper than traditional biosensors. The fabrication of the microfluidic device involved a resource-efficient approach, utilizing 3-D printed molds made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene material, followed by polydimethylsiloxane casting to form the channels. Screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) were integrated into the device, and acetone washing was used for channel formation. The device performed testing with one bacterial strain (<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>), one fungal strain (<i>Candida albicans</i>), and two real samples (clinical blood and wastewater) employing impedance methods. Additionally, the study simulated real-world conditions by utilizing clinical and wastewater samples to monitor biofilm growth. Biofilm development in the microfluidic device exhibited a sigmoidal growth pattern, with impedance increases of ~ 74.4% for <i>S. aureus</i>, 73.78% for <i>C. albicans</i>, and 82.7% and 87.34% for clinical and wastewater samples, respectively. High-resolution SEM imaging confirmed the presence of biofilms on the surface of the SPEs. The dynamic range of the device was found to be 1291.57–1811.25 ohms, with a limit of detection of 0.208 CFU/mL and a sensitivity of 10.83 µA/CFU/mL. The device's sustainable fabrication process and reliable performance make it a practical option for researchers with limited resources, offering a valuable alternative to traditional biofilm study methods.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":706,"journal":{"name":"Microfluidics and Nanofluidics","volume":"29 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143949683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"On the viscous flow through a porous-walled pipe: asymptotic MHD effects","authors":"Mustafa Turkyilmazoglu,&nbsp;Abdulaziz Alotaibi","doi":"10.1007/s10404-025-02808-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10404-025-02808-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study explores the filtration problem of Newtonian, incompressible, and viscous two-dimensional fluid flow through a permeable-walled tube. The generated pressure-driven flow incorporates Darcy’s law at the circular pipe wall. We then apply a transverse magnetic field of uniform strength to control the fluid filtration. Subsequently, we analytically examine the potential impacts of the magnetic field on the magnetohydrodynamic behavior of the fluid particles and the axial pressure field using perturbation analysis. Our results delineate the characteristics of the Lorentz force on the flow and pressure field within the porous-walled pipe. Notably, the magnetically affected pressure changes sign at a specific downstream location within the pipe, while the axial velocity flattens with increasing Hartman number at the inlet. Although the inlet regime is under the well-recognized damping dominance of the magnetic field, the filtration process downstream is accelerated with the assist of it.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":706,"journal":{"name":"Microfluidics and Nanofluidics","volume":"29 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143944386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Current advances in biocompatibility assessment for MEMS in biomedical applications","authors":"Ahmad Razin Zainal Abidin,&nbsp;Nor Syafirah Zambry,&nbsp;Fatimah Ibrahim,&nbsp;Nurshamimi Nor Rashid,&nbsp;Nurul Fauzani Jamaluddin,&nbsp;Wan Safwani Wan Kamarul Zaman","doi":"10.1007/s10404-025-02806-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10404-025-02806-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have significantly advanced biomedical applications, enabling precise control in cell culture, tissue engineering, and drug delivery by creating highly controlled microenvironments that mimic biological systems. Traditional approaches to diagnostics and tissue fabrication face challenges in precision and scalability, driving interest in MEMS-based biosensors and microfluidic devices. These technologies offer high-throughput analysis and cellular manipulation, essential for developing complex three-dimensional (3D) tissue constructs. This paper reviews advancements in MEMS biocompatibility assessment over the past 14 years (2011–2024), focusing on material selection and device design to meet regulatory and performance standards. It also evaluates in vitro and in vivo testing methods, addressing unique challenges posed by MEMS-specific characteristics such as micro-scale structures and mixed materials. Finally, this paper highlights future directions for enhancing biocompatibility, safety, and performance, paving the way for the integration of MEMS into clinical applications to address critical challenges in biomedical fields.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":706,"journal":{"name":"Microfluidics and Nanofluidics","volume":"29 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143919229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pore-scale method for instantaneous assessment of total permeability including the pore geometry effect in microfluidic porous networks through the use of an analogous electrical circuit","authors":"Najeeb Anjum Soomro","doi":"10.1007/s10404-025-02805-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10404-025-02805-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Permeability estimation is crucial for providing fundamental information isrequired to establish production and injection rates. Several experimental and numerical approaches have been developed to evaluate the permeability of rock reservoirs at large scales (core-, reservoir-, and field- scales). However, the evaluation of the permeability at the micro-scale has remained a challenge due to the small length scale, variety and complexity of the porous structure of the microfluidic devices. Increasing usage of microfluidic devices in the petroleum field to visualize the pore events and evaluate enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques necessitates characterization of permeability at the pore scale. Herein, by the combination of an integrated microfluidic set-up and the analogous electrical circuit, we upgraded the conventional methods to provide an accurate, reproducible, and practical on-chip approach to the real-time absolute permeability of pore networks. Based on the designed fluidic set-up, a sequential flow rate stepping scheme was optimized and used to estimate the permeability of the porous networks after thoroughly saturating them with a fluorescein solution that was driven to the system by a pressure controller. The permeability of the micromodels was obtained by applying Darcy’s law for laminar flow after estimating the differential pressure across the whole system and the pore networks by measuring the equivalent flow resistances of the fluidic circuit. The method is highly accurate, sensitive, and effectively predicts the absolute permeability of the micromodels. The use of a pressure controller and pressure sensors affords the potential of parallelization of the microfluidic set-up and delivers high throughput compared to the previous proposed techniques. The validation of the approach was based on its independence of the porous medium geology and by providing convergent results between the experimental and computed permeability in the microfluidic devices. Moreover, this approach will help in delivering qualitative and quantitative data to understand capillary phenomena and dominant mechanisms of different chemical EOR processes at the pore scale. </p></div>","PeriodicalId":706,"journal":{"name":"Microfluidics and Nanofluidics","volume":"29 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143913778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microfluidic device integrated with a porous membrane for quantitative chemotaxis assay of plant-parasitic nematodes","authors":"Jing Li,&nbsp;Sinichiro Sawa,&nbsp;Isaku Kanno,&nbsp;Hirotaka Hida","doi":"10.1007/s10404-025-02807-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10404-025-02807-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Plant-parasitic root-knot nematodes (RKNs) cause significant damage to plant crops by inhibiting nutrient absorption in host plants through infection. Chemotaxis is an important factor in controlling RKNs behavior as well as in understanding the mechanisms of parasitic behavior of RKNs on plants. Thus, studies on RKN chemotaxis are important for developing more environmentally friendly strategies to manage RKN infestations instead of current control methods using environmentally harmful pesticides. To better understand the chemotactic behavior of RKNs, we developed an easy-to-use microfluidic device consisting of two-layer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannel chips and a porous hydrophilic polycarbonate membrane. The porous membrane acts both as a filter in introducing agarose gel containing nematodes to the observation chamber and as a diffuser to generate chemical concentration gradients in chemotaxis assays. We demonstrated the chemical concentration gradient was formed within 5 min in the gel-filled chamber using fluorescence substance. Using this device, we analyzed the correlation between nematode activity (chemotactic behavior and mobility) and the concentration gradients of several chemicals including KNO₃, cadaverine, and putrescine (1, 10 and 100 mM). Finally, we confirmed the repellent effect of KNO₃ and the attractive effect of cadaverine and putrescine on the RKN, <i>Meloidogyne incognita</i>, which was cultured on tomatoes, within 10 min after injecting the chemicals and quantitatively identified the correlation between nematode activity and chemical environmental conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":706,"journal":{"name":"Microfluidics and Nanofluidics","volume":"29 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10404-025-02807-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143919258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Observing boundary layer effects on slurry electrode charging in a microfluidic electrochemical flow capacitor","authors":"Brandon Stacks,&nbsp;Haoxiang Luo,&nbsp;Deyu Li","doi":"10.1007/s10404-025-02803-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10404-025-02803-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Flowable slurry electrodes play important roles in a few promising technologies for energy and water systems including electrochemical flow capacitors (EFCs) and capacitive deionization. The electrochemical performance of slurry electrodes depends on the hydrodynamic behavior of the porous particles in the slurry that serve as individual capacitors, whose dynamic interactions with the stationary electrodes and between each other are essential for spreading charges to the bulk of the slurry. So far, it has been difficult to directly observe the slurry flow and particle interactions because of the opacity of the activated carbon, a typical particle material in slurries. We previously reported a microfluidic electrochemical flow capacitor (µ-EFC), which is made of transparent materials and allows for simultaneous electrochemical characterization and optical observation of slurry electrodes under continuous flow conditions. However, the placement of the stationary Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) electrodes at the top and bottom of the µ-EFC renders it challenging to directly observe the particle dynamics in the boundary layer of the ITO electrode. Here we report on inclusion of three-dimensional (3D) gold electrodes in the µ-EFC channels, which allows for better visualization of the particle behavior in the boundary layer of stationary electrodes. The results show unique particle behaviors as they flow along and interact with the 3D electrodes of different lengths, which have important implications to the electrochemical performance of slurry electrodes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":706,"journal":{"name":"Microfluidics and Nanofluidics","volume":"29 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143856525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}