DOI: 10.1002/elps.201800365
The cover picture shows viscoelastic focusing of human red blood cells in parachute-shape orientation suspended in a polyethylene oxide solution (500 ppm, 5MDa in 1X PBS). Impedimetric detection of cells was achieved with very low signal variability thanks to the alignment of these non-spherical cells in a single, axially symmetric, orientation along the flow direction. For cytometry applications, weak polyelectrolyte viscoelastic solutions can be used to obtain the rheological properties required for viscoelastic focusing while allowing the ionic concentration optimization for impedimetric signal detection.

DOI: 10.1002/elps.201800334
The cover picture shows solute transport in a charged channel with reversible sorption on the wall. Top row: physical model of the problem. Top gray layer denotes the charged wall in contact with blue electrolyte solution with immersed yellow solute particles. Double-headed arrow means reversible sorption on the wall. Arrows with a label “U” sketches velocity profile and dashed line is the symmetric centerline of the channel. Rows below: simulated solute concentration with charge valency +2, +1, 0, −1, −2 labeled in front of each row. The colorbar on the right denotes the concentration scale.

DOI: 10.1002/elps.201800289
The cover picture shows a rapid, highly sensitive and specific aptasensor in one-pot single step format for lipopolysaccharides (LPS) detection. An interdigitated microelectrode (IDME) array modified with LPS-specific aptamer is used as the sensor. During detection, a special AC measuring signal is applied over the IDME digits. The AC signal serves two purposes simultaneously, attracting the target molecules towards the IDME via AC electrokinetic effects and capacitively monitoring topological changes at the IDME surface due to aptamer-LPS binding. The sensor can detect as low as 4.93 fg/mL LPS in 30 s.