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SIZE BASED NANOPARTICLE SEPARATION USING DIELECTROPHORETIC FOCUSING FOR FEMTOSECOND NANOCRYSTALLOGRAPHY OF MEMBRANE
Bahige Abdallah1, Tzu-Chiao Chao1, Petra Fromme1
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
Micro Total Analysis Systems : Proceedings of the ... [Mu] TAS International Conference on Miniaturized Chemical and Biochemical Analysis Systems. [Mu] TAS (Conference)
|December 9, 2014
Summary
We developed a microfluidic device using dielectrophoresis (DEP) and electrokinesis (EK) to separate photosystem I crystals by size. This method shows high sorting efficiency, offering a promising solution for protein crystal separation.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Microfluidics
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Separating protein crystals, such as photosystem I, by size is crucial for structural and functional studies.
- Existing methods for protein crystal separation can be inefficient or damaging.
- Microfluidic devices offer precise control over particle manipulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a microfluidic method for separating photosystem I crystals based on size.
- To investigate the combined effects of dielectrophoresis (DEP) and electrokinesis (EK) for particle sorting.
- To demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed device for high-efficiency protein crystal separation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a microfluidic device integrating dielectrophoresis (DEP) and electrokinesis (EK).
- Employed a model system of polystyrene beads of two distinct sizes to simulate protein crystals.
- Analyzed experimental data using particle counting and fluorescence intensity measurements.
- Performed numerical simulations to validate experimental findings.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated successful separation of polystyrene beads based on size using DEP and EK.
- Achieved high sorting efficiency, confirmed by both experimental data and numerical simulations.
- Showed strong agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The proposed microfluidic device effectively sorts particles by size using DEP and EK.
- This method presents a promising and efficient solution for photosystem I crystal separation.
- The findings support the application of this technique in protein crystallography and structural biology.
