Microfluidic device for super‐fast evaluation of membrane protein nanoparticle formation. (1st October 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wu, H.‐J.; Basta, T.; Morphew, M.; Rees, D.C.; Stowell, M.H.B.; Lee, Y.C.
• Is Part Of: Micro & nano letters. Volume 8:Number 10(2013)
• Page Start: 672
• Page End: 675
• Publication Date: 2013-10-01
• Subjects: biochemistry -- biodiffusion -- biomedical equipment -- biomembrane transport -- bioMEMS -- crystallisation -- lab‐on‐a‐chip -- lipid bilayers -- microorganisms -- molecular biophysics -- molecular configurations -- nanofabrication -- nanoparticles -- proteins -- nanomedicine; microfluidic device -- bi‐layer lipids -- cell membrane -- inter‐cell communication -- ionic‐molecular transport -- biological bilayer lipid environment -- reconstitution‐crystallisation process -- virus‐like nanoparticles -- drug design -- drug delivery -- protein materials -- microelectromechanical system -- lab‐on‐a‐chip -- membrane protein lipid nanoparticle formation -- convection‐diffusion phenomena -- microfluidic channel -- syringe pump -- pharmacology; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanostructures -- Periodicals; Microtechnology -- Periodicals; 620.5
• DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2013.0216
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1750-0443

Abstract

Abstract : Membrane proteins embedded in bilayer lipids of cell membrane have unique functions including inter‐cell communication and ionic/molecular transport. To understand the structure and function of the membrane protein embedded in a native biological bilayer lipid environment is a major research area in biology. A reconstitution/crystallisation process of membrane proteins and lipids can form virus‐like nanoparticles, and have important potential applications in drug design and drug delivery. Earlier studies used a standard dialysis process that is inherently low‐throughput, time consuming (days to weeks) and costly in protein materials. In this reported work a new microfluidic device is demonstrated to rapidly form membrane protein lipid nanoparticles in an extremely short period (seconds). The reconstitution process occurs using a continuous flow dominated by convection‐diffusion phenomena in the microfluidic channel, which can form protein/lipid nanoparticles using only nanolitres or picolitres of protein sample. Moreover, a controllable syringe pump is used to test a combination of conditions, rather than using inefficient hand pipetting. Therefore this novel microfluidic device has an ability to rapidly form uniform membrane protein/lipid nanoparticles, and the authors believe that this new method will make a transformative impact on commercial applications in a variety of areas from biology to pharmacology.