(1) Nano-BioChip for Gene Manipulation:
1. Nanodevice for High throughput and Precise Gene Delivery
We design and develop nano-electroporation (NEP) techniques for high-throughput and precisely delivery of gene / drugs into living cells at single-cell resolution. We have demonstrated the unique performance of NEP techniques, including single cell dose control, uniformity, promising efficiency and cell viability (e.g. Microsytem and Nanoengineering, 2020; Trends in Biotechnology, 2019; Small, 2016; Nanoscale, 2016).
2. Lab-on-Chip for cell manipulation and study
Lab-on-Chip system for cell study primarily require capture / move cells or biomolecules towards designated regions. We designed Magnetic Tweezers (Small, 2016), Dielectrophoresis (DEP) (Lab Chip,2015) and Open Microfluidics (Small, 2016; Small, 2014) for cell loading, localization andsorting on the chip integrated with nanoelectroporation techniques, which have demonstrated the unique performance of these techniques in high-through manipulating cells while massive parallel delivery of biomolecules into living cells with high uniformity, cell safety and dosage control.
3. On-chip intracellular probing
We designed high-throughput intracellular probing(IP) nano-chip for DNA / mRNA interrogation in living cells. The extracted information facilitates to analyze gene editing (MINE, 2020) cancer stem cell heterogeneity (Nano Letters, 2016), Gene Mutation (Nano Letters, 2021), mRNA dose effects (Small, 2016), plasmids expression (Lab Chip, 2015), (Molecular Therapy, 2016), (Small, 2014), and cell reprogramming dynamics (Nanoscale, 2016).
4. Organ and In vivo devices for gene editing and tracking
We directly transfected the reprogramming DNAs into skin cells and efficiently reprogramming skin cells into blood vessel endothelium, which boost the blood flow in wound region in deeper layer, showing a new way for skin reprogramming and wound healing bysimple touch (Nature Nanotechnology, 2017). We currently develop flexible transfection nano-devices which can easily and friendly patch on- body / -organ for local gene transfection (Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2018; Trends In Biotechnology, 2019; Under Review 2021). The ultimate goal is to achieve efficient and precise in vivo gene delivery and therapy, regenerative medicine, cancer detectionby simple patient-touch bioelectronic medicine.
(2) Nano-BioChip for Gene Detection:
5. MicroChip for nucleic acid diagnosis
We recently are designing clinical-oriented platform and devices for rapid diagnosis of infections, like SARS-CoV-2 (Research 2020; Biosensors Bioelectronics, 2021), TBs, and other pathogens, by innovating the microdevices with high-throughput, low cost and scalable advantages.
6. Single-cell nanosensors
We designed cell tension nano-sensors based on self-assembled molecular beacons, which can recognize the receptors on the cell membrane and transduce cellular force into fluorescence signals. The system provides a new route for early cancer prognosis by identifying the heterogeneities of cellular forces (Biosensors Bioelectronics, 2020; Under Review 2021).
7. Wearable Microdevices for non-invasive biochemcial detection
We developed flexible, integrated sensing system for real-time, non-invasive monitoring of important physiological parameters from skin and intestitial fluids, including glucose, lactic acid, Na+, K+, Ca 2+, pH (Under Review 2021; Under Review (2), 2021).