Virus removal from semen with a pinched flow fractionation microfluidic chip
T Hamacher1, J T W Berendsen1, J E van Dongen1
1BIOS Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology & Technical Medical Centre, Max Planck - University of Twente Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands. t.hamacher@utwente.nl.
Lab on a Chip
|October 19, 2021
Summary
A new microfluidic chip effectively removes viruses from boar semen using size-based separation. This technique improves semen quality and reduces disease spread in artificial insemination, with high spermatozoon recovery rates.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Science
- Biotechnology
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Artificial insemination in pigs necessitates semen testing to prevent disease transmission.
- Current screening methods (ELISA, PCR) are costly and labor-intensive.
- Existing physical virus removal methods suffer from low spermatozoon yield.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an efficient microfluidic chip for size-based separation of viruses from boar semen.
- To enhance semen quality and reduce disease risk in veterinary artificial insemination.
- To improve spermatozoon recovery yield compared to existing techniques.
Main Methods:
- Development of a microfluidic device utilizing pinched-flow fractionation for size separation.
- Optimization of flow parameters for effective virus and spermatozoon separation.
- Testing with a model virus (cowpea chlorotic mottle virus) spiked in porcine semen samples.
Main Results:
- The microfluidic chip successfully removed at least 84 ± 4% of model viruses from boar semen.
- Spermatozoa recovery yield was 86 ± 6%, a significant improvement over existing methods.
- Remaining viral contamination was attributed to virus adherence to spermatozoa, not separation failure.
Conclusions:
- Microfluidic pinched-flow fractionation offers a promising method for physical virus removal from boar semen.
- The developed chip enhances semen quality and safety for artificial insemination applications.
- This technology presents a substantial advancement in yield and efficiency for semen processing.
