130 research outputs found

    Demonstration of nanoimprinted hyperlens array for high-throughput sub-diffraction imaging

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    11124Nsciescopu

    A microfluidic concentrator array for quantitative predation assays of predatory microbes

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    We present a microfabricated concentrator array device that makes it possible to quantify the predation rate of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, a predatory microbe, toward its prey, Escherichia coli str. MG1655. The device can accumulate both prey and predator microbes sequentially within a series of concentrator arrays using the motility of the microbes and microfabricated arrowhead-shaped ratchet structures. Since the device can constrain both prey and predator cells within 200 pL chambers at a desired range of cell densities, it was demonstrated that the device cannot only enhance the possibility of studying predation processes/cycles directly at a single cell level but can also quantify the predation rates indirectly by measuring the time-dependent fluorescent intensity signals from the prey. Furthermore, the device can produce a wide range of initial prey to predator density ratios within various concentrator arrays through the use of microfluidic mixer structures on a single array chip, which allows us to study many different conditions with a single set of cultures, and quantitatively characterize the predation behaviour/rate. Lastly, we note that this novel concentrator array device can be a very powerful tool facilitating studies of microbial predations and microbe-microbe interaction and may be broadly used in other microbial biotechnological applications.close6

    All-dielectric metasurface imaging platform applicable to laser scanning microscopy with enhanced axial resolution and wavelength selection

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    Metasurfaces composed of artificially fabricated nano-sized structures have shown extraordinary potential for the precise control of light. Here, we demonstrate for the first time, a metasurface application to reduce the axial size of the point spread function in laser scanning microscopy. The all-dielectric metasurface has wavelength selectivity over the whole visible range, and confinement of the excitation point spread function of the electromagnetic field. These two unique features allow the metasurface to be applied to laser scanning microscope systems. Numerical and experimental demonstrations of the proposed all-dielectric metasurface are reported, showing sharp implicit spectral filtering in the visible range and enhanced axial confinement by observing actin filaments in NIH3T3 cells. We believe that our approach can provide a useful insight on the practicality of using metasurfaces as an imaging platform. (C) 2019 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement11Ysciescopu
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