Biocompatible surfactants for water-in-fluorocarbon emulsions

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Stabilizing water-in-fluorocarbon emulsions is crucial for compartmentalizing biological systems.
• Existing surfactants are limited, hindering high-throughput drop-based experiments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel class of fluorosurfactants.
• To demonstrate the utility of these surfactants in stabilizing emulsions for biological applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of block copolymers by coupling perfluorinated polyethers (PFPE) with polyethyleneglycol (PEG).
• Characterization of emulsion stability during drop formation, incubation, and microfluidic reinjection.
• Application testing for in vitro translation (IVT) and single-cell encapsulation/incubation.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized novel PFPE-PEG block copolymer fluorosurfactants.
• Demonstrated robust stabilization of water-in-fluorocarbon emulsions throughout experimental workflows.
• Validated the system for in vitro translation and single-cell studies.

Conclusions:

• The novel fluorosurfactants effectively stabilize water-in-fluorocarbon emulsions for biological applications.
• This system is compatible with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices.
• The developed surfactants are ideal for diverse high-throughput, drop-based applications.