Acoustofluidic Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter.

Selective isolation of cell subpopulations with defined biological characteristics is crucial for many biological studies and clinical applications. In this work, we present the development of an acoustofluidic fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) device that simultaneously performs on-demand, high-throughput, high-resolution cell detection and sorting, integrated onto a single chip. Our acoustofluidic FACS device uses the "microfluidic drifting" technique to precisely focus cells/particles three dimensionally and achieves a flow of single-file particles/cells as they pass through a laser interrogation region. We then utilize short bursts (150 µs) of standing surface acoustic waves (SSAW) triggered by an electronic feedback system to sort fluorescently labeled particles/cells with desired biological properties. We have demonstrated continuous isolation of fluorescently labeled HeLa cells from unlabeled cells at a throughput of ∼1200 events/s with a purity reaching 92.3 ± 3.39%. Furthermore, 99.18% postsort cell viability indicates that our acoustofluidic sorting technique maintains a high integrity of cells. Therefore, our integrated acoustofluidic FACS device is demonstrated to achieve two-way cell sorting with high purity, biocompatibility, and biosafety. We believe that our device has significant potential for use as a low-cost, high-performance, portable, and user-friendly FACS instrument.

Erratum for Byukusenge et al., "Complete Genome Sequences of Four Bovine Coronavirus Isolates from Pennsylvania".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1128/genomeA.00467-18.].

Complete Genome Sequences of Three Related Avian Avulavirus 1 Isolates from Poultry Farmers in Pakistan.

Avian avulavirus 1 infects multiple avian hosts, and rare reports of human infection have been noted throughout the last century. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of three isolates of avulavirus 1 collected from poultry farmers in Pakistan exhibiting mild respiratory signs.

Complete Genome Sequences of Four Bovine Coronavirus Isolates from Pennsylvania.

We report four full-genome sequences of bovine coronavirus (BCoV) isolates from dairy calves in Pennsylvania obtained in 2016 and 2017. BCoV is a pathogen of great importance to cattle health, and this is the first report of full-genome sequences of BCoV from PA cattle.

Immunological analyses of whole blood via "microfluidic drifting" based flow cytometric chip.

Cost-effective, high-performance diagnostic instruments are vital to providing the society with accessible, affordable, and high-quality healthcare. Here we present an integrated, "microfluidic drifting" based flow cytometry chip as a potential inexpensive, fast, and reliable diagnostic tool. It is capable of analyzing human blood for cell counting and diagnosis of diseases. Our device achieves a throughput of ~3754 events/s. Calibration with Flow-Check calibration beads indicated good congruency with a commercially available benchtop flow cytometer. Moreover, subjection to a stringent 8-peak rainbow calibration particle test demonstrated its ability to perform high-resolution immunological studies with separation resolution of 4.28 between the two dimmest fluorescent populations. Counting accuracy at different polystyrene bead concentrations showed strong correlation (r=0.9991) with hemocytometer results. Finally, reliable quantification of CD4+ cells in healthy human blood via staining with monoclonal antibodies was demonstrated. These results demonstrate the potential of our microfluidic flow cytometry chip as an inexpensive yet high-performance point-of-care device for mobile medicine.