This study developed a microfluidic platform for replicating and detecting DNA in real time by integrating a laser and a microfluidic device composed of polydimethylsiloxane. The design of the microchannels consisted of a laser-heating area and a detection area. An infrared laser was used as the heating source for DNA replication, and the laser power was adjusted to heat the solutions directly. In addition, strong biotin–avidin binding was used to capture and detect the replicated products. The biotin on one end was bound to avidin and anchored to the surface of the microchannels, whereas the biotin on the other end was bound to the quantum dots (Qdots). The results showed that the fluorescent intensity of the Qdots bound to the replicated products in the detection area increased with the number of thermal cycles created by the laser. When the number of thermal cycles was ≥10, the fluorescent intensity of the Qdots was directly detectable on the surface of the microchannels. The proposed method is more sensitive than detection methods entailing gel electrophoresis.
The cytoskeleton comprises microtubules, actin microfilaments, and intermediate filaments. The cytoskeleton plays a role in the mechanical function of cell adhesion, motility, and migration. Currently, cancer cell mechanics is an important topic of understanding cancer progression. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is one of the techniques used to determine the mechanical properties of cells. In this study, AFM was used to measure the force curves of U937 cancer cells treated with two types of anticancer drugs (colchicine and taxol), and alterations in the Young's modulus were subsequently investigated. The study results indicate that the force curve trend was dissimilar among the three types of cells (cells in the control group and in two types of anticancer drugs). In addition, when using the AFM to analyze the influence of drugs on the mechanical properties of cells, applying a small loading force from the AFM tip (small cell indentation depth) produced more accurate results. At a small cell indentation depth, the Young's modulus order was E colchicine
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