Microfluidic Platforms for Biological Investigations

用于生物学研究的微流控平台

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-06140
• 负责人: Rezai, Pouya
• 金额: $ 2.33万
• 依托单位: York University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=740742
• 关键词: Microfluidic; Platforms; Biological; Investigations

This research program will generate new knowledge on mechanics of liquids interactions with physical and biological specimens at microscale dimensions. Particularly, it seeks to explore the flow-induced focusing of rigid microparticles, flexible micro-objects, and flexible microdroplets inside liquids with various properties in microchannels. The gained fundamental knowledge supports collaborations to develop microfluidic devices and Lab-on-Chips for important health and safety applications, such as point-of-need food and water testing, field-based environmental and safety monitoring, neurodegenerative disease studies, and high-throughput drug screening. Use of rigid microparticles and methods to sort them are on the rise in biosensing, therapeutic, and drug delivery applications. We will investigate the effects of (a) fluid viscosity and density, (b) particle size and shape, and (c) channel design and size on particle focusing. We will work with synthetic two-phase fluids mimicking blood, complex water and beverages in curved channels similar to real-life scenarios like arteries and veins. Flexible particles are common in multiphase microfluidics, but their migration and focusing in non-straight channels is not well-understood. We will use small-scale embryos and larvae of established biological disease model organisms (worm, fruit fly) as realistic non-spherical flexible microparticle models. We will develop microdevices for measurement of their mechanical properties, while exploring the use of chemicals and electric signal to modulate their deformability. The effects of organisms' shape and flexibility on focusing in curved channels will be studied. Fundamental understanding of hydrodynamics of flexible biological objects with elliptical, cylindrical and rod-shaped geometries in microfluidics will be obtained. Multi-material droplets are ubiquitous in applications like food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, but their versatile production with precise micrometric size and material properties is yet to be achieved. We will fabricate a modular setup in which droplet generation units will be mounted onto precision-printed configurable fixtures. We will use the system to generate double-emulsion water-in-oil-in-water droplets with core-shell and drop-in-drop configurations. We will determine the effects of fluid properties, channel design and flow rate on droplet size, shell thickness and droplet configuration, and determine droplet generation regimes and configurations. Comprehensive guidelines for double-emulsion droplet generation will be provided. This program will train 10 undergraduate and 8 post-graduate students in 5yr. They will gain skills in experimental research including design and fabrication of microfluidic devices and applying them to solve engineering problems in the field of multi-phase microflows. Moreover, trainees will gain soft skills in dissemination of research findings via writing papers and giving talks at conferences.

这项研究计划将产生新的知识，在微观尺度上的物理和生物标本的液体相互作用的力学。特别是，它旨在探索流动诱导的刚性微粒，柔性微物体，和柔性微液滴内的液体与微通道中的各种属性的聚焦。获得的基础知识支持合作开发微流体设备和芯片实验室，用于重要的健康和安全应用，如食品和水的需求点测试，基于现场的环境和安全监测，神经退行性疾病研究和高通量药物筛选。刚性微粒的使用和分选它们的方法在生物传感、治疗和药物递送应用中正在增加。我们将研究（a）流体粘度和密度、（B）颗粒尺寸和形状以及（c）通道设计和尺寸对颗粒聚焦的影响。我们将在弯曲的通道中模拟血液、复杂的水和饮料的合成两相流体，类似于动脉和静脉等现实生活中的场景。柔性颗粒在多相微流体中很常见，但它们在非直通道中的迁移和聚焦还没有得到很好的理解。我们将使用已建立的生物疾病模型生物（蠕虫，果蝇）的小规模胚胎和幼虫作为现实的非球形柔性微粒模型。我们将开发用于测量其机械性能的微器件，同时探索使用化学品和电信号来调节其变形性。将研究生物体的形状和柔性对弯曲通道中聚焦的影响。本课程将对微流体中具有椭圆形、圆柱形和杆状几何形状的柔性生物物体的流体动力学有基本的了解。多材料液滴在食品、化妆品和药品等应用中无处不在，但其具有精确微米尺寸和材料特性的通用生产尚未实现。我们将制作一个模块化的设置，其中液滴生成单元将安装到精密印刷的可配置夹具。我们将使用该系统来产生具有核-壳和滴-滴配置的双乳液水-油-水液滴。我们将确定流体性质，通道设计和流速对液滴尺寸，壳厚度和液滴配置的影响，并确定液滴生成机制和配置。将提供双乳液液滴生成的综合指南。该项目将在5年内培养10名本科生和8名研究生。他们将获得实验研究技能，包括微流体装置的设计和制造，并将其应用于解决多相微流领域的工程问题。此外，学员将通过撰写论文和在会议上发表演讲，获得传播研究成果的软技能。