Acoustofluidic coating of particles and cells

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microfluidics
• Acoustics

Background:

• Current microfluidic coating methods often require magnetic labeling and complex particle manipulation.
• On-chip coating technologies are crucial for diverse applications in medicine, chemistry, and engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a label-free, biocompatible, and efficient method for coating microparticles and cells using acoustofluidics.
• To demonstrate the application of tilted-angle standing surface acoustic waves (taSSAWs) for particle and cell coating.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of tilted-angle standing surface acoustic waves (taSSAWs) in microfluidic channels with multiple inlets.
• Utilizing acoustic radiation force to migrate particles and cells through laminar streams of coating chemicals.
• Characterization of coated particles and cells using fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy.

Main Results:

• Successful coating of polystyrene microparticles and HeLa cells was achieved without magnetic labeling.
• The acoustofluidic method demonstrated effective particle and cell migration and coating.
• Characterization confirmed the integrity and coating of the treated particles and cells.

Conclusions:

• The developed acoustofluidic coating method is label-free, biocompatible, and simple to implement.
• This technique offers a promising platform for on-chip manufacturing of functionalized particles and cells.
• Acoustofluidics provides an alternative to traditional methods for microparticle and cell surface modification.