Lab-on-chip Systems Carrying Artificial Motors for Multiplexed and Multiparametric Biochemical Assays

将人工马达组装到微流体装置中用于多功能试剂递送代表了控制化学反应的新概念。两种创新方法的协同作用，即自主人工马达与芯片实验室系统，类似于一种通往高效和特定生化测试的新途径。该项目的最终目标是开发一种新的生物技术方法来进行免疫测定，依靠人工Janus马达积极参与微流体芯片。我们的活动将导致小型化芯片的实现，其中所有的步骤，通常在传统的生物处理中手动执行，将由远程控制的智能人工机器进行。在免疫分析过程中，专门开发的Janus马达将以受控的方式在流体通道中运输生物物种。这将使我们能够以逐步的方式进行生化反应。最近的演示依赖于使用有限数量的电机（单个粒子比他们的合奏）和使用单一参数的定量分析的生物测定。尽管在液体环境中检测生物分子或细胞的几个示范，但实现携带用于多重和多参数生化测定的人工马达的基于微流体的平台仍然遥不可及。我们专注于实现基于Janus马达的生物测定，用于检测潜在危险的致病细胞（即大肠杆菌和S。金黄色葡萄球菌）。这包括将功能性Janus马达与含有细胞/蛋白质的介质一起整合在微流体芯片中，以及测量（a）作为对膜蛋白和抗体之间的生物识别的响应的荧光/比色信号和（B）马达平均速度的统计分析。这种创新的方法能够在电机表面上进行化学反应，并避免在过程中需要流体注入和清洗步骤。这将有助于显著减少与制药和医疗领域相关的诊断时间，并将降低全面分析的成本。该设备的设计涉及制造具有不同功能的多个反应室，代表Janus电机的加载站，孵育室和检测窗口。

Incorporating artificial motors into microfluidic devices for multifunctional agent delivery represent a novel concept to control chemical reactions. Synergy of two innovative approaches, namely, autonomous artificial motors together with lab-on-chip systems resembles a new route towards highly efficient and specific biochemical tests. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop a novel biotechnological approach to perform immunoassays, relying on active involvement of artificial Janus motors into the microfluidic chip. Our activities will result in the realization of the miniaturized chip, where all the steps, typically performed manually in conventional bioprocessing, will be carried out by remotely controlled smart artificial machines. During the immunoassay procedure, specially developed Janus motors will transport biological species in a controlled way in fluidic channels. This will allow us to perform biochemical reactions in a stepwise manner. Recent demonstrations rely on the use of limited number of motors (single particles than their ensemble) and use of single parameter for the quantitative analysis of bioassays. Despite several demonstrations where the biological molecules or cells were detected in liquid environment, the realization of a microfluidic-based platform carrying artificial motors for multiplexed and multiparametric biochemical assays still remains out of reach. We focus on realization of Janus motors based bioassays for detection of potentially dangerous pathogenic cells (namely E.coli and S. aureus) using antibodies as receptors. This includes the integration of functional Janus motors in a microfluidic chip together with medium containing cells/proteins and measurements of (a) a fluorescent/colorimetric signal as a response to the biorecognition between membrane proteins and antibodies and (b) statistical analysis of the mean velocity of the motors. Such innovative approach enables to perform chemical reactions on the motor surface and to avoid the need of fluid injection and washing steps in the procedure. This will help to decrease dramatically the diagnostics time, relevant for pharmaceutical and medical fields, and will decrease the costs of the full analysis. The design of the device involves the fabrication of multiple reaction chambers with diverse functionalities, representing the loading stations for the Janus motors, incubation chambers and detection windows.