A new method improves nanoscale particle separation and purification

GeneCellNano researchers in the microfluidics research group led by Professor Caglar Elbuken at the University of Oulu have developed a new method that significantly improves the separation and purification of nanoscale particles.

In the new method, the researchers combined two physical phenomena: lift generated by electrophoretic slip and the lateral forces that arise in a viscoelastic fluid. In the slip phenomenon, an electric field does not pull the particle directly but sets the surrounding fluid in motion. A viscoelastic fluid behaves partly like a conventional liquid and partly like an elastic material, resulting in lateral forces that do not emerge in water-based solutions.

The method could be applied in the future in blood sample analysis, cancer research, studies of cellular communication and nanomedicine more broadly. Separating nanosized particles has been a persistent challenge in biotechnology, and efficient purification methods are essential for both diagnostics and basic research.

The findings were published in Analytical Chemistry:

Seyedamirhosein Abdorahimzadeh, Zikrullah Bölükkaya, Éva Bozó, Artem Zhyvolozhnyi, Anatoliy Samoylenko, Feby W. Pratiwi, Henrikki Liimatainen, Seppo J. Vainio, and Caglar Elbuken. Microfluidic Electro-Viscoelastic Separation of Submicron Particles and Extracellular Vesicles. Analytical Chemistry, February 6, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c06727

For the full press release, see: https://www.oulu.fi/en/news/new-method-boosts-control-and-separation-tiny-particles-promising-tool-for-medical-research

Lehdistötiedote suomeksi: https://www.oulu.fi/fi/uutiset/uusi-menetelma-tehostaa-hyvin-pienten-hiukkasten-hallintaa-ja-erottelua-lupaava-tyokalu