Bio & Nano Lab
Micro/nano-scale biotools for cell transfection and analysis are being developed to achieve cell-specific experimental capabilities and localized cell-tool interfaces. This allows for minimal perturbation to cells and unprecedented spatial resolution, which is essential for fundamental cell studies.
The ability to precisely deliver molecules into single cells is of great interest to biotechnology researchers for advancing applications in therapeutics, diagnostics, and drug delivery toward the promise of personalized medicine. The use of bulk electroporation techniques for cell transfection has increased significantly in the last decade, but the technique is nonspecific and requires high voltage, resulting in variable efficiency and low cell viability. Our lab is interested in developing a new biotool for cell analysis and manipulation.
Bionanotechnology
Selected papers
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W. Kang, R. McNaughton, and H. Espinosa, In Vitro Micro- and Nano-scale Technologies for Delivery into Adherent Cells, 34 (8), 665–678, Trends in Biotechnology, 2016, (Highlighted in BRIC.org, IF: 12.1).
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​​S. Nathamgari, B. Dong, F. Zhou, W. Kang, J. Giraldo-Vela, T. McGuire, R. McNaughton, C. Sun, J. Kessler, H. Espinosa, Isolating single cells in a neurosphere assay using inertial microfluidics, 15 (24), 4591-4597, Lab on a Chip, 2015 (Highlighted in Science Daily, nanowerk, Biology News Net, Science Newsline, EurekAlert, Phys.org, IF: 5.8).
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​​J. Giraldo-Vela, W. Kang, R. McNaughton, A. Chen, A. Tsourkas, and H. Espinosa, Single Cell Detection of mRNA Expression Using Nanofountain Probe Electroporated Molecular Beacons, 11 (20), 2386-2391, Small, 2015, (Featured as the cover article, IF: 8.4).
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​​W. Kang, J. Giraldo-Vela, S. Nathamgari, T. McGuire, R. McNaughton, J. Kessler, and H. Espinosa, Transfection of Postmitotic Neurons Using a Microfluidic Localized Electroporation Device, 14(23), 4486-4495, Lab on a Chip, 2014, (Featured as the inside back cover, Highlighted in ScienceDaily, EurekAlert, Phys.Org, etc, IF: 5.8).
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W. Kang, F. Yavari, M. Minary-Jolandan, J. Giraldo-Vela, A. Safi, R. McNaughton, V. Parpoil, H. Espinosa, Nanofountain Probe Electroporation (NFP-E) of Single Cells, 13(6), 2448-2457, Nano Letters, 2013, (Best Poster Award, Highlighted in ScienceDaily, Bio-Medicine, Technology Network, FierceDrugDelivery, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, etc, IF 14.9).