Massively parallel microbubble nano-assembly
Abstract Microbubbles are an important tool due to their unique mechanical, acoustic, and dynamical properties. Yet, it remains challenging to generate microbubbles quickly in a parallel, biocompatible, and controlled manner. Here, we present an opto-electrochemical method that combines precise ligh...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62070-9 |
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| author | Hyungmok Joh Bin Lian Shaw-iong Hsueh Zhichao Ma Keng-Jung Lee Si-Yang Zheng Peer Fischer Donglei Emma Fan |
| author_facet | Hyungmok Joh Bin Lian Shaw-iong Hsueh Zhichao Ma Keng-Jung Lee Si-Yang Zheng Peer Fischer Donglei Emma Fan |
| author_sort | Hyungmok Joh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Microbubbles are an important tool due to their unique mechanical, acoustic, and dynamical properties. Yet, it remains challenging to generate microbubbles quickly in a parallel, biocompatible, and controlled manner. Here, we present an opto-electrochemical method that combines precise light-based projection with low-energy electrolysis, realizing defined microbubble patterns that in turn trigger assembly processes. The size of the bubbles can be controlled from a few to over hundred micrometers with a spatial accuracy of ~2 μm. The minimum required light intensity is only ~0.1 W/cm2, several orders of magnitude lower compared to other light-enabled methods. We demonstrate the assembly of prescribed patterns of 40-nm nanocrystals, 200 nm extracellular vesicles, polymer nanospheres, and live bacteria. We show how nanosensor-bacterial-cell arrays can be formed for spectroscopic profiling of metabolites and antibiotic response of bacterial assemblies. The combination of a photoconductor with electrochemical techniques enables low-energy, low-temperature bubble generation, advantageous for large-scale, one-shot patterning of diverse particles in a biocompatible manner. The microbubble-platform is highly versatile and promises new opportunities in nanorobotics, nanomanufacturing, high-throughput bioassays, single cell omics, bioseparation, and drug screening and discovery. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-082b9c6818fb4c648d5a6c29cdb813ff |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-082b9c6818fb4c648d5a6c29cdb813ff2025-08-20T03:43:11ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-62070-9Massively parallel microbubble nano-assemblyHyungmok Joh0Bin Lian1Shaw-iong Hsueh2Zhichao Ma3Keng-Jung Lee4Si-Yang Zheng5Peer Fischer6Donglei Emma Fan7Materials Science and Engineering Program, Texas Materials Institute, The University of Texas at AustinMaterials Science and Engineering Program, Texas Materials Institute, The University of Texas at AustinChandra Family Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at AustinMax Planck Institute for Intelligent SystemsBiomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon UniversityBiomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon UniversityMax Planck Institute for Medical ResearchMaterials Science and Engineering Program, Texas Materials Institute, The University of Texas at AustinAbstract Microbubbles are an important tool due to their unique mechanical, acoustic, and dynamical properties. Yet, it remains challenging to generate microbubbles quickly in a parallel, biocompatible, and controlled manner. Here, we present an opto-electrochemical method that combines precise light-based projection with low-energy electrolysis, realizing defined microbubble patterns that in turn trigger assembly processes. The size of the bubbles can be controlled from a few to over hundred micrometers with a spatial accuracy of ~2 μm. The minimum required light intensity is only ~0.1 W/cm2, several orders of magnitude lower compared to other light-enabled methods. We demonstrate the assembly of prescribed patterns of 40-nm nanocrystals, 200 nm extracellular vesicles, polymer nanospheres, and live bacteria. We show how nanosensor-bacterial-cell arrays can be formed for spectroscopic profiling of metabolites and antibiotic response of bacterial assemblies. The combination of a photoconductor with electrochemical techniques enables low-energy, low-temperature bubble generation, advantageous for large-scale, one-shot patterning of diverse particles in a biocompatible manner. The microbubble-platform is highly versatile and promises new opportunities in nanorobotics, nanomanufacturing, high-throughput bioassays, single cell omics, bioseparation, and drug screening and discovery.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62070-9 |
| spellingShingle | Hyungmok Joh Bin Lian Shaw-iong Hsueh Zhichao Ma Keng-Jung Lee Si-Yang Zheng Peer Fischer Donglei Emma Fan Massively parallel microbubble nano-assembly Nature Communications |
| title | Massively parallel microbubble nano-assembly |
| title_full | Massively parallel microbubble nano-assembly |
| title_fullStr | Massively parallel microbubble nano-assembly |
| title_full_unstemmed | Massively parallel microbubble nano-assembly |
| title_short | Massively parallel microbubble nano-assembly |
| title_sort | massively parallel microbubble nano assembly |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62070-9 |
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