A solution to the biophysical fractionation of extracellular vesicles: Acoustic Nanoscale Separation via Wave-pillar Excitation Resonance (ANSWER)

Jinxin Zhang, Chuyi Chen, Ryan Becker, Joseph Rufo, Shujie Yang, John Mai, Peiran Zhang, Yuyang Gu, Zeyu Wang, Zhehan Ma, Jianping Xia, Nanjing Hao, Zhenhua Tian, David T.W. Wong, Yoel Sadovsky, Luke P. Lee, Tony Jun Huang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

High-precision isolation of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) from biofluids is essential toward developing next-generation liquid biopsies and regenerative therapies. However, current methods of sEV separation require specialized equipment and time-consuming protocols and have difficulties producing highly pure subpopulations of sEVs. Here, we present Acoustic Nanoscale Separation via Wave-pillar Excitation Resonance (ANSWER), which allows single-step, rapid (<10 min), high-purity (>96% small exosomes, >80% exomeres) fractionation of sEV subpopulations from biofluids without the need for any sample preprocessing. Particles are iteratively deflected in a size-selective manner via an excitation resonance. This previously unidentified phenomenon generates patterns of virtual, tunable, pillar-like acoustic field in a fluid using surface acoustic waves. Highly precise sEV fractionation without the need for sample preprocessing or complex nanofabrication methods has been demonstrated using ANSWER, showing potential as a powerful tool that will enable more in-depth studies into the complexity, heterogeneity, and functionality of sEV subpopulations.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbereade0640
JournalScience Advances
Volume8
Issue number47
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2022

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