In the study of insect flight, adaptations to complex flight conditions such as wind and rain are poorly understood. Mosquitoes thrive in areas high humidity rainfall, which raindrops can weigh more than 50 times a mosquito. this combined experimental theoretical study, we here show that free-flying mosquitoes survive high-speed impact falling raindrops. High-speed videography those impacts reveals mechanism for survival: A mosquito's strong exoskeleton low mass renders it impervious drops....

Cell‐free protein synthesis (CFPS) is a powerful technology that allows for optimization of production without maintenance living system. Integrated within micro and nanofluidic architectures, CFPS can be optimized point‐of‐care use. Here, the development microfluidic bioreactor designed to facilitate single‐dose therapeutic protein, in small footprint device at point‐of‐care, described. This new design builds on use long, serpentine channel enhanced by integrating nanofabricated membrane...

In their daily lives, flying insects face a gauntlet of environmental challenges, from wind gusts to raindrop impacts. this combined experimental and theoretical study, we use high-speed videography film collisions upon both dynamically scaled spherical mimics. We identify three outcomes the collision based insect's mass characteristic size: drops push insect while remaining intact, coat insect, splash. present mathematical model that predicts impact force outcome consistent with those found...

Additive manufacturing has been a cornerstone of the product development pipeline for decades, playing an essential role in creation both functional and cosmetic prototypes. In recent years, prospects distributed open source have grown tremendously. This growth enabled by expanding library printable materials, low-cost printers, communities dedicated to platform development. The microfluidics community embraced this opportunity integrate 3D printing into suite strategies used create novel...

Protein based therapeutics are an important class of drugs, used to treat a variety medical conditions including cancer and autoimmune diseases. Requiring continuous cold storage, having limited shelf life, the ability produce such at point-of-care would open up new opportunities in distributing medicines treating patients more remote locations. Here, authors describe first steps development microfluidic platform that can be for protein synthesis. While biologic medicines, therapeutic...

We present a simple microfluidic technique to in-situ photopolymerize (by 365 nm ultraviolet) monodisperse oxidized methacrylated alginate (OMA) microgels using photoinitiator (VA-086). By this technique, we generated spherical OMA beads and discoid non-spherical with better shape consistency than ionic crosslinking methods do. found that high monomer concentration (8 w/v %), (1.5 absence of oxygen are critical factors cure microgels. This photopolymerizing method is an alternative current...

Abstract Spatial and temporal profiling of metabolites within between living systems is vital to understanding how chemical signaling shapes the composition function these complex systems. Measurement challenging because they are often not amenable extrinsic tags, diverse in nature, present with a broad range concentrations. Moreover, direct imaging by chemically informative tools can significantly compromise viability system interest or lack adequate resolution. Here, we nano-enabled...

We developed a workflow to produce potent gene-edited CAR T cells that combines microfluidic transfection and lentiviral transduction using healthy donor- patient-derived cells. an understanding on how biomechanics of impact mechanoporation.

New strategies for combining conventional photo- and soft-lithographic techniques with high-resolution patterning etching are needed in order to produce multiscale fluidic platforms that address the full range of functional scales seen complex biological chemical systems. The smallest resolution required an application often dictates fabrication method used. Micromachining micropowder blasting yield higher throughput, but lack fully systems at cellular molecular scales. In contrast, such as...

Mechanical properties of cells such as stiffness can act biomarkers to sort or detect cell functional viability. In this study, we report the use a microfluidic device high-sensitivity sensor that transduces biomechanics separation accurately Cell populations are flowed and deflected at number skew ridges deflection per ridge, cell–ridge interaction time, size all be used inputs determine state. The angle was evaluated optimize differences in translation between viable nonviable while...

Microfluidics can bring unique functionalities to cell processing, but the small channel dimensions often limit throughput for processing that prevents scaling necessary key applications. While be improved by increasing concentration or flow rate, an excessive number velocity of cells result in device failure. Designing parallel channels linearly increase number, microfluidic devices with multiple inlets and outlets, design architecture intractable numbers outlets. We demonstrate approach...

The separation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) into constituent cell types is a vital step to obtain immune for autologous therapies. ability separate PBMCs using label-free microfluidic techniques, based on differences in biomechanical properties, can have number benefits over other conventional including lower cost, ease use, and avoidance animal-derived labeling antibodies. Here, we report device that uses compressive diagonal ridges highly pure samples viable functional...

Multiscale fluidic reactors with integrated nanoporous membranes enable prolonged cell-free reactions for efficient therapeutic protein production as required point-of-care needs. S. T. Retterer and co-workers show on page 810 how the membrane permeability can be tuned to optimize exchange between a primary reaction channel, containing machinery, 'feeder' channel that supplies raw materials energy system. Improvements in both yield rates compared commercial systems are realized.

Abstract Opto-microfluidic methods have advantages for manufacturing complex shapes or structures of micro particles/hydrogels. Most these microfluidic devices are made polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by soft lithography because its flexibility designing and manufacturing. However, PDMS scatters ultraviolet (UV) light, which polymerizes the photocrosslinkable materials at undesirable locations clogs devices. A fluorescent dye has previously been employed to absorb scattered UV light shift...

Collisions with raindrops are one of many obstacles insects face during flight. In this fluid dynamics video, we present a series high-speed films impacts between mosquitoes and raindrops. We also drop upon insect mimics, which unsupported styrofoam balls the same mass as mosquitoes. High-speed videography particle tracking collision employed to determine position versus time. magnitude acceleration by considering momentum transfer impact duration. Experiments live indicate surprising...

In this paper, authors present a device and its fabrication process that shows limited elastic deformation or change in channel geometry, enables consistent mechanoporation to hard-to-transfect cells under high pressure. First, we demonstrate novel method make rigid microfluidic devices using directly castable epoxy materials without additional molding steps. Next, develop imaging chemical conjugation of fluorophores PDMS quantitatively characterize geometry. Using the image-based method,...