Biomaterial Database

Microfluidic Formation of Membrane-Free Aqueous Coacervate Droplets in Water. 2015

Dirk van Swaay, and T-Y Dora Tang, and Stephen Mann, and Andrew de Mello

Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 10, 8093 Zurich (Switzerland).

We report on the formation of coacervate droplets from poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) with either adenosine triphosphate or carboxymethyl-dextran using a microfluidic flow-focusing system. The formed droplets exhibit improved stability and narrower size distributions for both coacervate compositions when compared to the conventional vortex dispersion techniques. We also demonstrate the use of two parallel flow-focusing channels for the simultaneous formation and co-location of two distinct populations of coacervate droplets containing different DNA oligonucleotides, and that the populations can coexist in close proximity up to 48 h without detectable exchange of genetic information. Our results show that the observed improvements in droplet stability and size distribution may be scaled with ease. In addition, the ability to encapsulate different materials into coacervate droplets using a microfluidic channel structure allows for their use as cell-mimicking compartments.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010316	Particle Size	Relating to the size of solids.	Particle Sizes,Size, Particle,Sizes, Particle
D011095	Polyethylenes	Synthetic thermoplastics that are tough, flexible, inert, and resistant to chemicals and electrical current. They are often used as biocompatible materials for prostheses and implants.	Ethylene Polymers,Ethene Homopolymers,Homopolymers, Ethene,Polymers, Ethylene
D003911	Dextrans	A group of glucose polymers made by certain bacteria. Dextrans are used therapeutically as plasma volume expanders and anticoagulants. They are also commonly used in biological experimentation and in industry for a wide variety of purposes.	Dextran,Dextran 40,Dextran 40000,Dextran 70,Dextran 75,Dextran 80,Dextran B-1355,Dextran B-1355-S,Dextran B1355,Dextran B512,Dextran Derivatives,Dextran M 70,Dextran T 70,Dextran T-40,Dextran T-500,Hemodex,Hyskon,Infukoll,Macrodex,Polyglucin,Promit,Rheodextran,Rheoisodex,Rheomacrodex,Rheopolyglucin,Rondex,Saviosol,Dextran B 1355,Dextran B 1355 S,Dextran T 40,Dextran T 500
D004247	DNA	A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).	DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D004867	Equipment Design	Methods and patterns of fabricating machines and related hardware.	Design, Equipment,Device Design,Medical Device Design,Design, Medical Device,Designs, Medical Device,Device Design, Medical,Device Designs, Medical,Medical Device Designs,Design, Device,Designs, Device,Designs, Equipment,Device Designs,Equipment Designs
D000069497	Origin of Life	The process by which life began.	Prebiotic Chemical Evolution,Genesis of Life,Chemical Evolution, Prebiotic,Evolution, Prebiotic Chemical,Life Genesis,Life Origin,Life Origins,Prebiotic Chemical Evolutions
D000255	Adenosine Triphosphate	An adenine nucleotide containing three phosphate groups esterified to the sugar moiety. In addition to its crucial roles in metabolism adenosine triphosphate is a neurotransmitter.	ATP,Adenosine Triphosphate, Calcium Salt,Adenosine Triphosphate, Chromium Salt,Adenosine Triphosphate, Magnesium Salt,Adenosine Triphosphate, Manganese Salt,Adenylpyrophosphate,CaATP,CrATP,Manganese Adenosine Triphosphate,MgATP,MnATP,ATP-MgCl2,Adenosine Triphosphate, Chromium Ammonium Salt,Adenosine Triphosphate, Magnesium Chloride,Atriphos,Chromium Adenosine Triphosphate,Cr(H2O)4 ATP,Magnesium Adenosine Triphosphate,Striadyne,ATP MgCl2
D000644	Quaternary Ammonium Compounds	Derivatives of ammonium compounds, NH4+ Y-, in which all four of the hydrogens bonded to nitrogen have been replaced with hydrocarbyl groups. These are distinguished from IMINES which are RN	Quaternary Ammonium Compound,Ammonium Compound, Quaternary,Ammonium Compounds, Quaternary,Compound, Quaternary Ammonium
D014867	Water	A clear, odorless, tasteless liquid that is essential for most animal and plant life and is an excellent solvent for many substances. The chemical formula is hydrogen oxide (H2O). (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	Hydrogen Oxide
D046210	Microfluidic Analytical Techniques	Methods utilizing the principles of MICROFLUIDICS for sample handling, reagent mixing, and separation and detection of specific components in fluids.	Microfluidic Analysis,Analyses, Microfluidic,Analysis, Microfluidic,Analytical Technique, Microfluidic,Analytical Techniques, Microfluidic,Microfluidic Analyses,Microfluidic Analytical Technique,Technique, Microfluidic Analytical,Techniques, Microfluidic Analytical