Fluorescence based miniaturized microfluidic and nanofluidic systems for biomedical applications.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Molecular Biology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Miniaturized microfluidic and nanofluidic systems with fluorescence detection have become crucial for biomedical research.
• Analyzing single bio-macromolecules like nucleic acids and proteins is essential for understanding cellular functions, disease mechanisms, and developing treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the applications of microfluidic and nanofluidic systems for single-molecule analysis of nucleic acids and proteins.
• To highlight advancements in areas such as miRNA isolation, DNA mapping, epigenetic analysis, and protein studies.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing microfluidic and nanofluidic platforms for the isolation and analysis of nucleic acids and proteins from minimal biological samples.
• Employing fluorescence spectroscopy for sensitive detection and characterization of single molecules.
• Developing microfluidic platforms for nanomaterial synthesis and biological applications.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the utility of these systems for diverse applications including single-cell microRNA isolation, DNA mapping and barcoding, and epigenetic analysis.
• Showcased applications in studying DNA-protein interactions, protein sensing, sequencing, and binding kinetics.
• Presented a microfluidic platform for creating aggregation-induced emission (AIE) nanomaterials for biological use.

Conclusions:

• Microfluidic and nanofluidic systems provide versatile and sensitive platforms for single-molecule analysis of biomacromolecules.
• These technologies are instrumental in advancing biological research, diagnostics, and therapeutic development.
• Recent developments include novel nanomaterials for enhanced biological applications.