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

将人工马达集成到微流控装置中，实现多功能药剂输送，是控制化学反应的新思路。两种创新方法的协同作用，即自主人工电机和芯片实验室系统，类似于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分析，依靠人工Janus马达积极参与微流控芯片。我们的活动将导致实现小型化芯片，其中所有步骤，通常在传统生物处理中手动执行，将由远程控制的智能人工机器执行。在免疫分析过程中，特别开发的Janus马达将在流体通道中以受控的方式运输生物物种。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马达（单个粒子而不是它们的集合）和使用单一参数进行生物测定的定量分析。尽管有几个在液体环境中检测生物分子或细胞的演示，但实现一个基于微流体的平台，携带人工马达进行多路和多参数生化分析仍然遥不可及。我们专注于利用抗体作为受体，实现基于Janus马达的潜在危险致病细胞（即大肠杆菌和金黄色葡萄球菌）检测的生物测定。这包括在微流控芯片中集成功能性Janus马达以及含有细胞/蛋白质的培养基，并测量(a)荧光/比色信号作为膜蛋白和抗体之间生物识别的响应，以及(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进行化学反应，并避免了在程序中需要流体注入和洗涤步骤。这将有助于大大缩短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。该装置的设计涉及多个具有不同功能的反应室的制造，代表了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.