Direct 3d printing for functional modules and their assembly into an integrated microfluidic device.

Background: Abalones are large marine snails in the family Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis belonging to the class Gastropoda of the phylum Mollusca. The family Haliotidae contains only one genus, Haliotis, and this single genus is known to contain several species of abalone. With 18 additional subspecies, the most comprehensive treatment of Haliotidae considers 56 species valid [1]. Abalone is an economically important fishery and aquaculture animal that is considered a highly prized seafood delicacy. The total global supply of abalone has increased 5-fold since the 1970s and farm production increased explosively from 50 mt to 103 464 mt in the past 40 years. Additionally, researchers have recently focused on abalone given their reported tumor suppression effect. However, despite the valuable features of this marine animal, no genomic information is available for the Haliotidae family and related research is still limited. To construct the H. discus hannai genome, a total of 580-G base pairs using Illumina and Pacbio platforms were generated with 322-fold coverage based on the 1.8-Gb estimated genome size of H. discus hannai using flow cytometry. The final genome assembly consisted of 1.86 Gb with 35 450 scaffolds (>2 kb). GC content level was 40.51%, and the N50 length of assembled scaffolds was 211 kb. We identified 29 449 genes using Evidence Modeler based on the gene information from ab initio prediction, protein homology with known genes, and transcriptome evidence of RNA-seq. Here we present the first Haliotidae genome, H. discus hannai, with sequencing data, assembly, and gene annotation information. This will be helpful for resolving the lack of genomic information in the Haliotidae family as well as providing more opportunities for understanding gastropod evolution.

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A localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based optical biosensor in connection with a multispot copper-capped nanoparticle array (MC-NPA) chip was proposed and developed. The copper (Cu) films, used as a shell, formed a "cap-like" layer on the top of the silica nanoparticles, used as a core, in an orderly fashion, to form the surface called a "Cu-capped nanoparticle array chip". The plasmonic properties of this nanostructure type were initially investigated while controlling the shell thickness of the deposited Cu. Also, we quantified the sensitivity of MC-NPA chip to changes in bulk refractive index (RI). As a result of its LSPR properties, the MC-NPA chip displayed a sensitivity of 67.8 nm per RI unit, and the wavelength shift of the LSPR spectrum peak was sensitive to the RI of the surrounding bulk medium, such as the biomolecular layers. Using MC-NPA chips, multiplex sensing of target DNAs from reference bacteria and clinical samples was possible in a quantitative manner with a detection limit of 10 fM (50 zmol). The optical biosensor developed in this study represents a unique approach to performing LSPR that utilizes a simple and cost-effective optical setup with disposable chips.

In the present study, a rapid, sensitive and quantitative detection of influenza A virus targeting hemagglutinin (HA) was developed using hybrid structure of quantum dots (QDs) and nanoporous gold leaf (NPGL). NPGL film was prepared by dealloying bimetallic film where its surface morphology and roughness were fairly controlled. Anti-influenza A virus HA antibody (ab66189) was bound with NPGL and amine (-NH2) terminated QDs. These biofunctionalized NPGL and QDs formed a complex with the influenza virus A/Beijing/262/95 (H1N1) and the photoluminescence (PL) intensities of QDs were linearly correlated with the concentrations of the virus up to 1ng/mL while no PL was observed in the absence of the virus, or in bovine serum albumin (BSA, 1µg/mL) alone. In addition, it was demonstrated that this assay detected successfully influenza virus A/Yokohama/110/2009 (H3N2) that is isolated from a clinical sample, at a concentration of ca. 50 plaque forming units (PFU)/mL. This detection limit is 2-order more sensitive than a commercially available rapid influenza diagnostic test. From these results, the proposed assay may offer a new strategy to monitor influenza virus for public health.

Genetic variation was surveyed at the mitochondrial control region (766bp) to test for the presence of genetic stock structure in the small yellow croaker, Larimichthys polyactis from the Yellow and East China Seas. Individuals of the small yellow croaker could not be distinguished on the basis of its location, as demonstrated using the neighborjoining (NJ) method, unweighted pair-group method, arithmetic average (UPGMA) and the minimum spanning network (MSN). Analysis of molecular variance revealed no significant differences among collections of the small yellow croaker taken from the four locations (two locations each in Korea and China). Neutrality tests and a mismatch distribution analysis indicated that this species has recently expanded. Our findings suggest either that the small yellow croaker has a high migration capability that enables it to overcome the effects of genetic drift, or that this species expanded relatively recently and has not yet had sufficient time to differentiate.

BackgroundWhales have captivated the human imagination for millennia. These incredible cetaceans are the only mammals that have adapted to life in the open oceans and have been a source of human food, fuel and tools around the globe. The transition from land to water has led to various aquatic specializations related to hairless skin and ability to regulate their body temperature in cold water.ResultsWe present four common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) genomes with depth of ×13 ~ ×17 coverage and perform resequencing technology without a reference sequence. Our results indicated the time to the most recent common ancestors of common minke whales to be about 2.3574 (95% HPD, 1.1521 – 3.9212) million years ago. Further, we found that genes associated with epilation and tooth-development showed signatures of positive selection, supporting the morphological uniqueness of whales.ConclusionsThis whole-genome sequencing offers a chance to better understand the evolutionary journey of one of the largest mammals on earth.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1213-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.