Professor Fujio Tsumori Fukuoka, Japan\u2014 Microfluidic technology has become increasingly important in many scientific fields such as regenerative medicine, microelectronics, and environmental science. However, conventional microfabrication techniques face limitations in scale and in the construction of complex networks. These hurdles are compounded when it comes to building more intricate 3D microfluidic networks.<\/p>\n Now, researchers from Kyushu University have developed a new and convenient technique for building such complex 3D microfluidic networks. Their tool? Plants and fungi. The team developed a \u2018soil\u2019 medium using nanoparticles of glass (silica) and a cellulose based binding agent, then allowed plants and fungi to grow roots into it. After the plants were removed, the glass was left with a complex 3D microfluidic network of micrometer-sized hollow holes where the roots once were.<\/p>\n The new method can also be utilized for observing and preserving 3D biological structures that are typically difficult to study in soil, opening new opportunities for research in plant and fungal biology. Their findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.<\/p>\n \u201cThe primary motivation for this research was to overcome the limitations of conventional microfabrication techniques in creating complex 3D microfluidic structures. The focus of our lab is biomimetics, where we try to solve engineering problems by looking to nature and artificially replicating such structures,\u201d explains Professor Fujio Tsumori of Kyushu University\u2019s Faculty of Engineering, who led the study. \u201cAnd what better example of microfluidics in nature than plant roots and fungal hyphae? So, we set out to develop a method that could harness the natural growth patterns of these organisms and create optimized microfluidic networks.\u201d<\/p>\n The researchers began by developing a \u2018soil\u2019 like mix for plants to grow in, but instead of dirt, they combined growth medium with glass nanoparticles smaller than 1 \u03bcm in diameter with hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose as a binding agent. They then seeded this \u2018soil\u2019 mixture and waited for the plants to take root. After confirming successful plant growth, the \u2018soil\u2019 was baked leaving only the glass with root cavities.<\/p>\n \u201cThe process is called sintering, which aggregates fine particles together into a more solid state. It is similar to powder metallurgy in the manufacturing of ceramics,\u201d continues Tsumori. \u201cIn this case it is the plant that does the molding.\u201d<\/p>\n Their method was able to replicate the intricate biological structures of a plant\u2019s main roots which can be up to 150 \u03bcm in diameter, and all the way down to it root hairs which can be about 8 \u03bcm in diameter. Tests with other organisms showed that the method can even replicate the root structure of fungi, called hyphae.<\/p>\n \u201cHyphae are even thinner and can be as small as 1-2 \u03bcm in diameter. That\u2019s thinner than a single strand of spider silk,\u201d says Tsumori.<\/p>\n The team hopes that their new bio-inspired microfluidic fabrication technique could be used in various fields of science and engineering, potentially leading to more efficient microreactors, advanced heat exchangers, and innovative tissue engineering scaffolds.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the biological sciences, this technique provides a unique tool for studying the intricate 3D structures of plant roots and fungal networks, which can advance our understanding of soil ecosystems,\u201d concludes Tsumori. \u201cBy bridging biological systems and engineering, our research has the potential to pave the way for new technologies and scientific discoveries.\u201d<\/p>\n Fujio Tsumori, Professor<\/a>
\nFaculty of Engineering<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nResearch-related inquiries<\/h4>\n
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