An optofluidic platform based on liquid-gradient refractive index microlens for the isolation and quantification of extracellular vesicles

Project Information

MNSWLGM

Grant agreement ID: 791144

DOI

10.3030/791144

Project closed

EC signature date 11 December 2018

Start date 1 August 2019

End date 31 July 2021

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 187 419,60

EU contribution

€ 187 419,60

Coordinated by

EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH
Switzerland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MNSWLGM (An optofluidic platform based on liquid-gradient refractive index microlens for the isolation and quantification of extracellular vesicles)

Reporting period: 2019-08-01 to 2021-07-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) describe distinct populations of small (30-200 nm) and large (500 nm-2 μm) microvesicles actively or passively secrected by cells. Whilst, they are recognized as promising biomarkers for diseases diagnosis, prognosis and therapy, their purification, selective enrichment, and characterization remains immersely chanllenging. The overall objective of the current project is to develop an optofluidic plarform able to manipulate and characterize single EVs and facilitate their efficient purification and quantitation from biological sample. This platform can be applied to a wide range of biological matrices and addresses the most challenging technological bottleneck in EVs research.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

We have designed localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) based optofluidic chips for isolating nanoparticles, and the comprehensive finite-element method (FEM) simulation of stochastic Brownian motions of nanoobjects were presented with a model based on the low-profile microfluidic system. Their size-dependent optical forces and hydrodynamic forces in different hydrodynamic velocity fields were carefully tuned for isolating different nanoparticles.
We have constructed LSPR based optofluidic chip for isolating nanoparticles, and confirmed that the local plasmonic near-field is more effective to trap and separate the dielectric polystyrene beads smaller than 200 nm.
We have used viscoelastic microfluidics to separate 3 µm, 1 µm&500 nm and 100 nm particles from a mixture of particle flow with a high purity (>85%), and also separate extracellular vesicles (EVs) from a blood sample by optimizing this platform. The microfluidic flow cytometer combined with stroboscopic microscopy allowed for the analysis of EVs in real time.
We have published one core academic paper based on plasmonic near-field enhancement entitled “Plasmonic gold nanojets fabricated by a femtosecond laser irradiation”, and intended to publish other papers: high-throughput nanoparticle imaging and plasmofluidic-based near-field optical trappingof nanoparticles. We have also attended some conferences and meetings online including: Scholars International Conference on Frontiers in Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Scholars Webinar on: The Role of New Technologies Drug Discovery, Development and Lead Optimization.
No website has been developped for the project.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The proposed project focuses on the design of optofluidics for flow cytometry applications, and will be directly extended to the study of other optofluidic device and hence has a wide applicability. Our near-field optofluidic trapping technique provides insights into the dynamic trapping behavior of nanoobjects within an optofluidic system, which will empower the functionalities of the next-generation optofluidics sensors. The developed viscoelastic separation of EVs will be helpful in the study of their pathogenic roles and their potential use as biomarkers for early detection of cancers.
The integration of an active optical interface within a microfluidic platform ensures a reduced instrumental footprint. The increased functionality of this integrated platform will significantly improve disease diagnosis and human health.

EVs inside blood and urine