title: Impact of microfluidic processing on bacterial ribonucleic acid expression.
abstract: Bacterial transcriptomics is widely used to investigate gene regulation, bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics, host-pathogen interactions, and pathogenesis. Transcriptomics is crucially dependent on suitable methods to isolate and detect bacterial RNA. Microfluidics offer ways of creating integrated point-of-care systems, analysing a sample from preparation, and RNA isolation to detection. A critical requirement for on-chip diagnostics to deliver on their promise is that mRNA expression is not altered via microfluidic sample processing. This article investigates the impact of the use of microfluidics upon RNA expression of bacteria isolated from blood, a key step towards proving the suitability of such systems for further development.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infection and Pathway Medicine, University of Edinburgh , Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Senthil Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Gandi
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University , Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Maïwenn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kersaudy-Kerhoas
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sensors, Signals and Systems, Heriot-Watt University , Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Marc P Y
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2441-1598
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Desmulliez
authors.affiliation: Division of Infection and Pathway Medicine, University of Edinburgh , Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bachmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University , Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bridle