A prototype microfluidic chip using fluorescent yeast for detection of toxic compounds.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Biotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Traditional toxicity screening methods are often costly and lack design flexibility.
• Microfluidic systems offer advantages in reduced reagent consumption and precise control.
• Genotoxicity assessment is crucial for environmental safety and regulatory compliance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a microfluidic chip for high-throughput environmental toxicity screening.
• To utilize Saccharomyces cerevisiae with fluorescent markers for sensitive toxicity detection.
• To demonstrate the utility of the microfluidic system for identifying genotoxic compounds.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a multi-channel microfluidic chip designed to retain yeast cells.
• Culturing and exposure of recombinant yeast (GreenScreentrade mark) to toxic compounds.
• Detection and quantification of green fluorescent protein (GFP) emission using an inverted microscope.

Main Results:

• The microfluidic chip successfully retained yeast cells for compound exposure.
• Significant increase in fluorescent intensity per area was observed upon exposure to methyl-methanesulfonate, a known genotoxin.
• The system demonstrated sensitivity in detecting genotoxicity at the cellular level.

Conclusions:

• The developed microfluidic chip is an effective tool for cell-based screening of environmental toxicity.
• This technology offers a low-cost, flexible, and sensitive alternative for toxicity assessment.
• The system has potential applications in industrial chemical monitoring and environmental pollution characterization.