A B S T R A C TThe global risk of viral disease outbreaks emphasizes the need for rapid, accurate, and sensitive detection techniques to speed up diagnostics allowing early intervention. An emerging field of microfluidics also known as the lab-on-a-chip (LOC) or micro total analysis system includes a wide range of diagnostic devices. This review briefly covers both conventional and microfluidics-based techniques for rapid viral detection. We first describe conventional detection methods such as cell culturing, immunofluorescence or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), or reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). These methods often have limited speed, sensitivity, or specificity and are performed with typically bulky equipment. Here, we discuss some of the LOC technologies that can overcome these demerits, highlighting the latest advances in LOC devices for viral disease diagnosis. We also discuss the fabrication of LOC systems to produce devices for performing either individual steps or virus detection in samples with the sample to answer method. The complete system consists of sample preparation, and ELISA and RT-PCR for viral-antibody and nucleic acid detection, respectively. Finally, we formulate our opinions on these areas for the future development of LOC systems for viral diagnostics.

a b s t r a c tNucleic acid amplification for the detection of infectious diseases, food pathogens, or assessment of genetic disorders require a laboratory setting with specialized equipment and technical expertise. Isothermal deoxyribonucleic acid amplification methods, such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), exhibit characteristics ideal for point-of-care (POC) applications, since their instrumentation is simpler in comparison with the standard method of polymerase chain reaction. Other key advantages of LAMP are robustness and the production of pyrophosphate in the presence of the target gene, enabling to detect the reaction products using the naked eye. Polymerase inhibitors, presented in clinical samples, do not affect the amplification process, making LAMP suitable for a simple sample-to-answer diagnostic systems with simplified sample preparation. In this review, we discuss the trends in miniaturized LAMP techniques, such as microfluidic, paper-based, and digital with their advantages and disadvantages, especially for POC applications alongside our opinion of the future development of miniaturized LAMP.

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Selenium nanoparticle modified surfaces attract increasing attention in the field of tissue engineering. Selenium exhibits strong anticancer, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and it maintains relatively low off-target cytotoxicity. In our paper, we present the fabrication, characterization and cytocompatibility of titanium oxide (TiO2) nanotube surface decorated with various surface densities of chemically synthesized selenium nanoparticles. To evaluate antibacterial and anti-cancer properties of such nanostructured surface, gram negative bacteria E. coli, cancerous osteoblast like MG-63 cells and non-cancerous fibroblast NIH/3T3 were cultured on designed surfaces. Our results suggested that selenium nanoparticles improved antibacterial properties of titanium dioxide nanotubes and confirmed the anticancer activity towards MG-63 cells, with increasing surface density of nanoparticles. Further, the selenium decorated TiO2 nanotubes suggested deteriorating effect on the cell adhesion and viability of non-cancerous NIH/3T3 cells. Thus, we demonstrated that selenium nanoparticles decorated TiO2 nanotubes synthesized using sodium selenite and glutathione can be used to control bacterial infections and prevent the growth of cancerous cells. However, the higher surface density of nanoparticles adsorbed on the surface was found to be cytotoxic for non-cancerous NIH/3T3 cells and thus it might complicate the integration of biomaterial into the host tissue. Therefore, an optimal surface density of selenium nanoparticles must be found to effectively kill bacteria and cancer cells, while remaining favorable for normal cells.

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Biodegradable alpha-tricalcium phosphate/iron (α-TCP/Fe) composites are promising candidates for the fabrication of temporal osteosynthesis devices. Similar to biodegradable metals, these composites can avoid implant removal after bone fracture healing, particularly in young patients. In this work, α-TCP/Fe composites are studied for the first time in a wide range of compositions, showing not only higher degradation rate in vitro than pure components, but also good cytocompatibility and mechanical properties controllable with the Fe content. Ceramic matrix composites show high specific strength and low elastic modulus, thus better fulfilling the requirements for bone fractures fixation. A significant advance over previous works on the topic is the use of pulsed electric current assisted sintering together with α-TCP, convenient to improve the mechanical performance and degradation rate, respectively.