RESUMEN
This study describes an inexpensive and nonconventional soft-embossing protocol to produce microfluidic devices in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The desirable microfluidic structure was photo-patterned in a poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) film deposited on glass substrate to produce a low-relief master. Then, this template was used to generate a high-relief pattern in stiffened PDMS by increasing of curing agent /monomer ratio (1:5) followed by thermal aging in a laboratory oven (200°C for 24 h). The stiffened PDMS masters were used to replicate microfluidic devices in PMMA based on soft embossing at 220-230°C and thermal sealing at 140°C. Both embossing and sealing stages were performed by using binder clips. The proposed protocol has ensured the replication of microfluidic devices in PMMA with great fidelity (>94%). Examples of MCE devices, droplet generator devices and spot test array were successfully demonstrated. For testing MCE devices, a mixture containing inorganic cations was selected as model and the achieved analytical performance did not reveal significant difference from commercial PMMA devices. Water droplets were successfully generated in an oil phase at rate of ca. 60 droplets/min (fixing the continuous phase flow rate at 100 µL/h) with size of ca. 322 ± 6 µm. Glucose colorimetric assay was performed on spot test devices and good detectability level (5 µmol/L) was achieved. The obtained results for two artificial serum samples revealed good agreement with the certified concentrations. Based on the fabrication simplicity and great analytical performance, the proposed soft-embossing protocol may emerge as promising approach for manufacturing PMMA devices.
Asunto(s)
Diseño de Equipo/métodos , Dispositivos Laboratorio en un Chip , Procedimientos Analíticos en Microchip/métodos , Polimetil Metacrilato/química , Glucemia/análisis , Colorimetría/instrumentación , Electroforesis/instrumentación , Calor , Límite de Detección , Modelos Lineales , Modelos Biológicos , Reproducibilidad de los ResultadosRESUMEN
Isolating endogenous SUMOylated proteins is a challenging task due to the high reversibility of this posttranslational modification. We have shown that SUMO traps are useful tools for the enrichment and isolation of proteins modified by SUMO in vitro and in vivo. To characterize the affinity and specificity of different SUMO chains for these traps, that are based on SUMO-interacting motifs, we have used real-time surface plasmon resonance (SPR), which allows a label-free analysis of protein/protein interactions. Here, a protocol to determine the affinities of multivalent SUMO traps for polySUMO chains or mono-SUMO molecules by SPR is presented.
Asunto(s)
Procesamiento Proteico-Postraduccional , Proteína SUMO-1/metabolismo , Proteínas Modificadoras Pequeñas Relacionadas con Ubiquitina/metabolismo , Resonancia por Plasmón de Superficie/métodos , Anticuerpos/química , Clonación Molecular , Escherichia coli/genética , Escherichia coli/metabolismo , Expresión Génica , Vectores Genéticos/química , Vectores Genéticos/metabolismo , Glutatión Transferasa/genética , Glutatión Transferasa/metabolismo , Humanos , Procedimientos Analíticos en Microchip , Unión Proteica , Dominios y Motivos de Interacción de Proteínas , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusión/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusión/metabolismo , Proteína SUMO-1/genética , Proteínas Modificadoras Pequeñas Relacionadas con Ubiquitina/genética , SumoilaciónRESUMEN
The interest in low-cost microfluidic platforms as well as emerging microfabrication techniques has increased considerably over the last years. Toner- and paper-based techniques have appeared as two of the most promising platforms for the production of disposable devices for on-chip applications. This review focuses on recent advances in the fabrication techniques and in the analytical/bioanalytical applications of toner and paper-based devices. The discussion is divided in two parts dealing with (i) toner and (ii) paper devices. Examples of miniaturized devices fabricated by using direct-printing or toner transfer masking in polyester-toner, glass, PDMS as well as conductive platforms as recordable compact disks and printed circuit board are presented. The construction and the use of paper-based devices for off-site diagnosis and bioassays are also described to cover this emerging platform for low-cost diagnostics.
Asunto(s)
Dispositivos Laboratorio en un Chip , Dispositivos Laboratorio en un Chip/tendencias , Microfluídica/instrumentación , Animales , Diseño de Equipo , Humanos , Dispositivos Laboratorio en un Chip/economía , Procedimientos Analíticos en Microchip/economía , Procedimientos Analíticos en Microchip/tendencias , Microfluídica/economía , Microfluídica/tendencias , PapelRESUMEN
This paper reports a method for the analysis of secondary metabolites stored in glandular trichomes, employing negative ion 'chip-based' nanospray tandem mass spectrometry. The analyses of glandular trichomes from Lychnophora ericoides, a plant endemic to the Brazilian 'cerrado' and used in traditional medicine as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent, led to the identification of five flavonoids (chrysin, pinocembrin, pinostrobin, pinobanksin and 3-O-acetylpinobanksin) by direct infusion of the extracts of glandular trichomes into the nanospray ionisation source. All the flavonoids have no oxidation at ring B, which resulted in a modification of the fragmentation pathways compared with that of the oxidised 3,4-dihydroflavonoids already described in the literature. The absence of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant di-C-glucosylflavone vicenin-2, or any other flavonoid glycosides, in the glandular trichomes was also demonstrated. The use of the 'chip-based' nanospray QqTOF apparatus is a new fast and useful tool for the identification of secondary metabolites stored in the glandular trichomes, which can be useful for chemotaxonomic studies based on metabolites from glandular trichomes.