Microfluidics: Biological Applications
Encapsulation of bacterial cells within alginate microparticles
To transition towards 3D cell culturing methods, we employed the in house 3D glass-PDMS hybrid microfluidic device for generation of cell-laden microbeads. By incorporating electric field, we precisely controlled the size of cell encapsulated particles. We encapsulated E.coli cells into alginate microbeads while still maintaining cell viability of up to 90 %. We thus demonstrated that our 3D encapsulation system supported the growth of bacterial cells and provided an excellent microenvironment for cell culture.
Curcumin loaded alginate microfibers for effective eradication of bacterial biofilms
A major health issue globally is the multidrug resistant biofilm infections. We fabricated micro-fibrous alginate scaffolds derived using a hybrid PDMS-Glass microfluidic device for the efficacious and cost-effective controlled release of curcumin to treat biofilms in the presence of blue light. The alginate microfibers carrying the encapsulated curcumin when irradiated with blue light combined therapy (blue light + curcumin) increased the efficacy of curcumin against the drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). In the presence of blue light, the curcumin loaded alginate microfibers showed good eradication activity against biofilms.
Encapsulation of cancer cells within microparticles and microcapsules
Nanoparticle encapsulated microfibers as vehicles for targeted drug delivery