A Low-cost Microfluidic Approach for Single Cell Analysis of Rare Cells

Radfar, Payar

A Low-cost Microfluidic Approach for Single Cell Analysis of Rare Cells

Radfar, Payar

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Publication Type:: Thesis
Issue Date:: 2023

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Radfar, Payar
dc.date.accessioned	2024-04-03T03:27:48Z
dc.date.available	2024-04-03T03:27:48Z
dc.date.issued	2023
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/177461
dc.description	University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.description.abstract	Traditional biopsy methods, while detailed, are often invasive, causing discomfort and not always feasible for deep-seated tissues. Liquid biopsy, detecting rare cells in body fluids, offers a less invasive alternative for diagnosing and monitoring various conditions, including cancer and viral infections. However, the rarity of these cells in peripheral blood and the complexity of existing isolation and analysis techniques pose significant challenges. Addressing these challenges, the thesis presents capillary force-based, self-driving static droplet microfluidic devices for blood sample fractionation and single-cell isolation. These devices feature sub-nanolitre chambers for single-cell analysis in confined volumes. A workflow using common lab equipment was developed for single-cell molecular studies. The research also includes a detailed study on cell metabolism, particularly focusing on lactate production as a biomarker to distinguish cancer cells from normal blood cells, facilitated by the miniaturisation of the microfluidic devices. The methodology was validated using healthy human blood, preclinical mammary mouse models, and a MATLAB-based program for automated droplet analysis. Additionally, the thesis investigates lactate production's correlation with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) state of cells, potentially aiding in understanding patient disease states.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.format	Thesis (PhD)
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US.UTF-8
dc.relation	https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/177461/1/thesis.pdf
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	The author owns the copyright in this thesis including all reproduction and reuse rights for the work. The work may not be altered without the permission of the copyright owner. Attribution is essential when quoting or paraphrasing from this thesis.
dc.rights	© 2023 Payar Radfar
dc.rights	au.edu.uts.lib/cph
dc.title	A Low-cost Microfluidic Approach for Single Cell Analysis of Rare Cells	en_US.UTF-8
dc.type	Thesis
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*

Abstract:

Traditional biopsy methods, while detailed, are often invasive, causing discomfort and not always feasible for deep-seated tissues. Liquid biopsy, detecting rare cells in body fluids, offers a less invasive alternative for diagnosing and monitoring various conditions, including cancer and viral infections. However, the rarity of these cells in peripheral blood and the complexity of existing isolation and analysis techniques pose significant challenges. Addressing these challenges, the thesis presents capillary force-based, self-driving static droplet microfluidic devices for blood sample fractionation and single-cell isolation. These devices feature sub-nanolitre chambers for single-cell analysis in confined volumes. A workflow using common lab equipment was developed for single-cell molecular studies. The research also includes a detailed study on cell metabolism, particularly focusing on lactate production as a biomarker to distinguish cancer cells from normal blood cells, facilitated by the miniaturisation of the microfluidic devices. The methodology was validated using healthy human blood, preclinical mammary mouse models, and a MATLAB-based program for automated droplet analysis. Additionally, the thesis investigates lactate production's correlation with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) state of cells, potentially aiding in understanding patient disease states.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/177461