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Parallel temperature-dependent microrheological measurements in a microfluidic chip
Lilian Lam Josephson1, William J Galush2, Eric M Furst1
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware , Newark, Delaware 19716, USA.
Biomicrofluidics
|July 5, 2016
Summary
Microfluidic stickers enable rapid microrheology measurements of monoclonal antibody (mAb) solutions. This innovative approach significantly increases throughput for temperature-concentration viscosity analysis, offering a substantial improvement over traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Accurate characterization of monoclonal antibody (mAb) solutions is crucial for biopharmaceutical development.
- Traditional rheometry methods for measuring solution properties can be time-consuming and require large sample volumes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel microfluidic system for high-throughput microrheology measurements of mAb solutions.
- To enable precise temperature control and in situ measurements for viscosity determination.
Main Methods:
- Utilized microfluidic stickers as a sample environment for microrheology.
- Implemented and validated a Peltier-based microscope stage for temperature control (0.9–40°C).
- Employed a sucrose solution standard for in situ temperature calibration via the Stokes-Einstein-Sutherland relation.
Main Results:
- Successfully measured microrheology of mAb solutions using the microfluidic sticker platform.
- Achieved high-throughput analysis, enabling up to 72 temperature-concentration viscosity measurements per day.
- Demonstrated the system's capability to control temperature and mitigate environmental factors like condensation.
Conclusions:
- Microfluidic stickers combined with microrheology offer a powerful tool for characterizing mAb solutions.
- This method significantly enhances throughput for viscosity measurements compared to conventional rheometry.
- The validated system provides a robust platform for biophysical characterization under controlled conditions.
