Jonathan Briones

@merlninstitute.com

Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering (cBITE)
Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine (MERLN)

Jonathan Briones


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https://researchid.co/jbriones

RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS

Multidisciplinary, Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, Biophysics
10

Scopus Publications

545

Scholar Citations

14

Scholar h-index

18

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

  • The combination of hexagonal microfluidic devices and cell-based reporter cells allows detection of cytokine-producing cells at the single-cell level
    Jonathan C. Briones, Yuga Okui, Wilfred V. Espulgar, JeongHoon Park, Eri Itotagawa, et al.
    Sensors and Actuators B Chemical, 2023
  • Development of Nano–Micro Fused LSPR Chip for In Situ Single-Cell Secretion Analysis
    Yuhei Terada, Ain Obara, Jonathan Campos Briones, Xi Luo, Wilfred Villariza Espulgar, et al.
    Micromachines, 2023
    Single-cell analysis has become increasingly important in uncovering cell heterogeneity, which has great implications in medicine and biology for a deep understanding of cell characteristics. Owing to its significance, it is vital to create novel devices that can reveal special or unique cells. In this work, we developed a single-cell secretion detection chip consisting of microwells that can trap single cells. Each well is surrounded by Au nanopillars capable of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) measurement. Using microfabrication and nanofabrication techniques, Au nanopillar and microwell structures were fabricated on a COP film. The Au nanopillar was modified with IL-6 antibodies for the direct detection of single-cell secreted IL-6 via LSPR absorbance peak shift. Specific IL-6 detection was successfully demonstrated using a null and IL-6 oversecreting Jurkat cell. A high single-cell trapping efficiency of over 80% was also achieved. Overall, the development of this single-cell secretion detection chip with a simple LSPR measurement setup represents a significant development in the field of cell biology and immunology, providing researchers with a powerful tool for studying individual cells and their secreted cytokines, and is useful for point-of-care testing (POCT) diagnostics.
  • Linking antigen specific T-cell dynamics in a microfluidic chip to single cell transcription patterns
    Hiroki Ide, Taiki Aoshi, Masato Saito, Wilfred Villariza Espulgar, Jonathan Campos Briones, et al.
    Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2023
  • A High-Throughput Single-Cell Assay on a Valve-Based Microfluidic Platform Applied to Protein Quantification, Immune Response Monitoring, and Drug Discovery
    Jonathan C. Briones, Wilfred V. Espulgar, Shohei Koyama, Hyota Takamatsu, Masato Saito, et al.
    Methods in Molecular Biology, 2023
  • A design and optimization of a high throughput valve based microfluidic device for single cell compartmentalization and analysis
    Jonathan Briones, Wilfred Espulgar, Shohei Koyama, Hyota Takamatsu, Eiichi Tamiya, et al.
    Scientific Reports, 2021
    The need for high throughput single cell screening platforms has been increasing with advancements in genomics and proteomics to identify heterogeneity, unique cell subsets or super mutants from thousands of cells within a population. For real-time monitoring of enzyme kinetics and protein expression profiling, valve-based microfluidics or pneumatic valving that can compartmentalize single cells is advantageous by providing on-demand fluid exchange capability for several steps in assay protocol and on-chip culturing. However, this technique is throughput limited by the number of compartments in the array. Thus, one big challenge lies in increasing the number of microvalves to several thousand that can be actuated in the microfluidic device to confine enzymes and substrates in picoliter volumes. This work explores the design and optimizations done on a microfluidic platform to achieve high-throughput single cell compartmentalization as applied to single-cell enzymatic assay for protein expression quantification. Design modeling through COMSOL Multiphysics was utilized to determine the circular microvalve’s optimized parameters, which can close thousands of microchambers in an array at lower sealing pressure. Multiphysical modeling results demonstrated the relationships of geometry, valve dimensions, and sealing pressure, which were applied in the fabrication of a microfluidic device comprising of up to 5000 hydrodynamic traps and corresponding microvalves. Comparing the effects of geometry, actuation media and fabrication technique, a sealing pressure as low as 0.04 MPa was achieved. Applying to single cell enzymatic assay, variations in granzyme B activity in Jurkat and human PBMC cells were observed. Improvement in the microfluidic chip’s throughput is significant in single cell analysis applications, especially in drug discovery and treatment personalization.
  • The future of microfluidics in immune checkpoint blockade
    Jonathan Briones, Wilfred Espulgar, Shohei Koyama, Hyota Takamatsu, Eiichi Tamiya, et al.
    Cancer Gene Therapy, 2021
  • A microfluidic platform for single cell fluorometric granzyme B profiling
    Jonathan C. Briones, Wilfred V. Espulgar, Shohei Koyama, Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, JeongHoon Park, et al.
    Theranostics, 2020
    Granzyme B (GrB) is an essential cytotoxic effector in cancer immunotherapy as it can be a potential biomarker to predict the efficacy of immunotherapies including checkpoint inhibitors. Monitoring the Granzyme B activity in cells would help determine a patient's clinical response to treatment and lead to better treatment strategies by preventing administration of ineffective therapies and avoid adverse events resulting in a delay in subsequent treatment. Methods: A microfluidic device with hydrodynamic traps and pneumatic valving system was fabricated using photo and soft lithography. Single cell Granzyme B (GrB) activity was detected and measured fluorometrically using a commercial assay kit with a peptide substrate containing GrB recognition sequence (Ac-IEPD-AFC) and AFC (7-Amino-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin) label. Fluorescence was observed and measured using a confocal microscope with CSU-W1 scanner unit and CCD camera as well as an inverted microscope with photodetector. Model cells (NK-92, GrB-transduced Jurkat, and THP1 cells) and human PBMCs from healthy donor and lung cancer patients including an anti-PD-1 antibody treated patient were profiled of its GrB activity as proof of concept. Results: GrB expression from the model cells was found to be markedly different. NK-92 cells were found to have higher GrB activity than the GrB-transduced Jurkat cells. THP-1 was found to have relatively no significant activity. A marked increase in GrB expression was also observed in anti-PD-1 treated lung cancer patient sample in comparison to PBMC from a healthy donor. TCR+ Ig-G4+ PBMC cells were found to have high activity which signifies a clear response to PD-1 blockade. Conclusion: As proof of concept, we have shown the capability of a microfluidic platform to measure GrB production through a single cell enzymatic activity assay. Our platform might be a promising tool for evaluating the sensitivity of immunotherapies and identifying specific T cell subset responsible for the anti-tumor response.
  • Single cell fluorometric granzyme B profiling of immunological cells as early immunotherapy response predictor
    23rd International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences Microtas 2019, 2019
  • A microfluidic platform for single cell fluorometric granzyme B measurement for granule mediated apoptosis profiling
    22nd International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences Microtas 2018, 2018
  • Magnetic-Field-Enhanced Morphology of Tin Oxide Nanomaterials for Gas Sensing Applications
    Jonathan C. Briones, Gwen Castillon, Michael P. Delmo, Gil Nonato C. Santos
    Journal of Nanomaterials, 2017
    We studied the effect of an external magnetic field (up to 0.31 T) on the growth of SnO2nanowires fabricated using the horizontal vapor phase growth (HPVG) technique. The morphology of the nanowires was characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the chemical composition was characterized by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. We found that the length of nanowires was significantly enhanced by the application of EMF. The aspect ratio, as well as the density of the fabricated nanowires, increased with increasing magnetic field intensity. Although the physics behind the morphology enhancement of the nanowires under magnetic field is still being investigated, nevertheless, we demonstrated that the magnetic field could be used as a key parameter to control the morphology of tin oxide nanomaterials grown via HPVG technique. The magnetically enhanced nanowires were used in the development of a gas sensor and were found to be sensitive to hydrogen sulfide gas and the headspace gas emitted by spoiling meat.

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Balanocochlis glans (Gastropoda: Thiaridae) as a New Intermediate Host of Centrocestus formosanus (Digenea: Heterophyidae) in the Philippines
    AM San Diego, JLJ Gacad, M Urabe, KXO Sanchez, JCA Briones, ...
    Acta Parasitologica 71 (1), 13 , 2026
    2026
  • Multi-Year Trends in Sardinella tawilis Capture Fisheries and Economics
    JCA Briones, MAB Cinco
    2026
  • Shifts in the feeding ecology of the endemic and Endangered Sardinella tawilis in Lake Taal, Philippines
    DA To, E Peralta, J de Leon, A Belen, LM Pineda, W Ali, MA Dollete, ...
    Endangered Species Research 57, 177-192 , 2025
    2025
  • Status of biodiversity and hydrological studies in Candaba, Pampanga, Philippines
    ZT SALUT, JCA BRIONES
    18th World Lake Conference: Governance, Resilience and Sustainability of … , 2025
    2025
  • TOWARDS CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE WORLD’S ONLY FRESHWATER SARDINELLA: SHIFTS IN THE FEEDING ECOLOGY OF THE ENDEMIC AND ENDANGERED SARDINELLA TAWILIS IN LAKE TAAL …
    D TO, EM PERALTA, JR DE LEON, AE BELEN, L PINEDA, WT ALI, ...
    ENDANGERED SPECIES RESEARCH , 2025
    2025
  • Fish otolith analysis in Southeast Asia: Expanding its taxonomic roots to more ecological targets
    JDA Calizo, RB Valenzuela, V Martinez, JC Briones
    The Philippine Journal of Fisheries 2, 185-201 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 2
  • Review of the Biodiversity and Limno-ecological Studies on Lake Taal: Updates from the Last 10 years.
    JR de Leon, LL Leyesa, MA Pilar, DA To, JCA Briones, RDS Papa
    Philippine Journal of Science 152 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 3
  • Helminthic parasites of invasive alien fish hosts in Marikina River system, Philippines: Revealing new parasite hosts and species records
    DAL To, GML Gomez, RTB Pavia Jr, A Choudhury, JCA Briones
    2023
  • A High-Throughput Single-Cell Assay on a Valve-Based Microfluidic Platform Applied to Protein Quantification, Immune Response Monitoring, and Drug Discovery
    ET Jonathan C. Briones, Wilfred V. Espulgar, Shohei Koyama, Hyota Takamatsu ...
    Methods in Molecular Biology 2689, 119-142 , 2023
    2023
  • The combination of hexagonal microfluidic devices and cell-based reporter cells allows detection of cytokine-producing cells at the single-cell level
    MS Jonathan C. Briones, Yuga Okui, Wilfred V. Espulgar, JeongHoon Park, Eri ...
    Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 5
  • Gut Helminth Assemblages of Glossogobius aureus (Family Gobiidae) in Lake Taal, Philippines
    V Vargas-Martinez, KXO Sanchez, DAL To, JCA Briones
    Comparative Parasitology 90 (1), 66-72 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 1
  • Linking antigen specific T-cell dynamics in a microfluidic chip to single cell transcription patterns
    ET Hiroki Ide, Taiki Aoshi, Masato Saito, Wilfred Villariza Espulgar ...
    Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 8
  • Review of the biodiversity and limno-ecological studies on Lake Taal [Batangas, Philippines]: updates from the last 10 years
    JR de Leon, LL Leyesa, DA To, JCA Briones, RDS Papa
    Philippine Journal of Science (Philippines) 152 (6a) , 2023
    2023
  • Helminthic parasites of invasive alien fish hosts in Marikina River system, Philippines: Revealing new parasite hosts and species records
    A Choudhury, DAL To, GML Gomez, RTB Pavia Jr, JCA Briones
    2023
  • Invasiveness risk assessment of non-native freshwater fish species (Order: Siluriformes) for Lake Taal, Philippines
    DAL To, GML Gomez, DRY Ramos, CDV Palillo, NKC Go, AS Gilles Jr, ...
    Philippine Journal of Science 151 (3), 833-841 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 14
  • Low levels of Trichinella spp. antibodies detected in domestic pigs at selected slaughterhouses with farm-based exposure assessment in Bulacan, Philippines
    RD Lagrimas, RMC Gonzales, JCA Briones
    Veterinary parasitology 297, 109308 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 4
  • The future of microfluidics in immune checkpoint blockade
    J Briones, W Espulgar, S Koyama, H Takamatsu, E Tamiya, M Saito
    Cancer Gene Therapy 28 (9), 895-910 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 14
  • Monitoring T-cell Exhaustion and Immune Response at Single Cell Resolution
    J Briones, W Espulgar, S Koyama, H Takamatsu, E Tamiya, M Saito
    JSAP Annual Meetings Extended Abstracts The 82nd JSAP Autumn Meeting 2021 … , 2021
    2021
  • A design and optimization of a high throughput valve based microfluidic device for single cell compartmentalization and analysis
    J Briones, W Espulgar, S Koyama, H Takamatsu, E Tamiya, M Saito
    Scientific Reports 11 (12995) , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 37
  • Aeromonas veronii and Plesiomonas shigelloides (Gammaproteobacteria) isolated from Glossogobius aureus (Gobiidae) in Lake Sampaloc, Laguna, Philippines
    J Gacad, J Briones
    Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology 14 (1) , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 2

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Salud ocupacional y teletrabajo
    M Gareca, R Verdugo, JL Briones, A Vera
    Cienc Trab 9 (25), 85 , 2007
    2007
    Citations: 84
  • Desequilibrio esfuerzo-recompensa y estado de ma-lestar mental en trabajadores de servicios de salud en Chile
    C Canepa, J Briones, C Pérez, A Vera, A Juárez
    Cien Trab 10 (30), 157-60 , 2008
    2008
    Citations: 62
  • A design and optimization of a high throughput valve based microfluidic device for single cell compartmentalization and analysis
    J Briones, W Espulgar, S Koyama, H Takamatsu, E Tamiya, M Saito
    Scientific Reports 11 (12995) , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 37
  • Long-Term Changes in the Diet of Gymnogobius isaza from Lake Biwa, Japan: Effects of Body Size and Environmental Prey Availability
    JC Briones, CH Tsai, T Nakazawa, Y Sakai, RDS Papa, C Hsieh, N Okuda
    PLoS One 7 (12), e53167 , 2012
    2012
    Citations: 36
  • Small Maar lakes of Luzon Island, Philippines: their limnological status and implications on the management of tropical lakes–a review.
    MU Mendoza, JCA Briones, M Itoh, KSAR Padilla, JI Aguilar, N Okuda, ...
    Philippine Journal of Science 148 (3) , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 34
  • Nutrient loadings and deforestation decrease benthic macroinvertebrate diversity in an urbanised tropical stream system
    EM Peralta, LS Batucan Jr, IBB De Jesus, EMC Triño, Y Uehara, T Ishida, ...
    Limnologica 80, 125744 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 33
  • A Microfluidic Platform for Single Cell Fluorometric Granzyme B Profiling
    JC Briones, WV Espulgar, S Koyama, H Yoshikawa, JH Park, Y Naito, ...
    Theranostics 10 (1), 123-132 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 26
  • Stream Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages Reveal the Importance of a Recently Established Freshwater Protected Area in a Tropical Watershed1
    EM Peralta, AE Belen, GR Buenaventura, FGG Cantre, KGR Espiritu, ...
    Pacific Science 73 (3), 305-320 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 23
  • Climate and human-induced changes to lake ecosystems: what we can learn from monitoring zooplankton ecology
    RD Papa, JC Briones
    Journal of Environmental Science and Management 17 (1) , 2014
    2014
    Citations: 22
  • Magnetic-field-enhanced Morphology of Tin oxide Nanomaterials for Gas Sensing Applications
    JC Briones, G Castillon, MP Delmo, GNC Santos
    Journal of Nanomaterials 2017 , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 20
  • Fish diversity and trophic interactions in Lake Sampaloc (Luzon Is., Philippines).
    JCA Briones, RDS Papa, GA Cauyan, N Mendoza, N Okuda
    2016
    Citations: 20
  • Research Note. The first report of three acanthocephalan parasite species isolated from Philippine fishes
    JCA Briones, RDS Papa, GA Cauyan, M Urabe
    Helminthologia 52 (4), 384 , 2015
    2015
    Citations: 20
  • Food habits and distribution of the Lake Taal sea snake (Hydrophis semperi Garman 1881) and the sympatric Little File Snake (Acrochordus granulatus Schneider 1799) in Lake Taal …
    VOS Garcia, RDS Papa, JCA Briones, N Mendoza, N Okuda, AC Diesmos
    Asian Herpetological Research 5 (4), 255-262 , 2014
    2014
    Citations: 17
  • Initial assessment of parasite load in Clarias batrachus, Glossogobius giuris and Oreochromis niloticus in Lake Taal (Philippines)
    G Cauyan, JC Briones, E De Leon, JA Gonong, EO Pasumbal, MC Pelayo, ...
    Philippine Science Letters 6 (1), 21-28 , 2013
    2013
    Citations: 15
  • Invasiveness risk assessment of non-native freshwater fish species (Order: Siluriformes) for Lake Taal, Philippines
    DAL To, GML Gomez, DRY Ramos, CDV Palillo, NKC Go, AS Gilles Jr, ...
    Philippine Journal of Science 151 (3), 833-841 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 14
  • The future of microfluidics in immune checkpoint blockade
    J Briones, W Espulgar, S Koyama, H Takamatsu, E Tamiya, M Saito
    Cancer Gene Therapy 28 (9), 895-910 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 14
  • The history of freshwater research in the Philippines with notes on its origins in the University of Santo Tomas and present-day contributions
    RDS Papa, JCA Briones
    Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology 11 (1), 16-28 , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 11
  • Dietary habits and distribution of some fish species in the Pansipit River-Lake Taal Connection, Luzon Island, Philippines
    M Mendoza, K Legaspi, M Acojido, A Cabais, JL de Guzman, A Favila, ...
    Journal of Environmental Science and Management 18 (2) , 2015
    2015
    Citations: 10
  • Linking antigen specific T-cell dynamics in a microfluidic chip to single cell transcription patterns
    ET Hiroki Ide, Taiki Aoshi, Masato Saito, Wilfred Villariza Espulgar ...
    Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 8
  • Interferencia trabajo-familia y presentismo laboral: Una comparación entre trabajadores del sector productivo y del sector servicio
    A Vera, M Hirmas, C Carrasco, J Vanegas, C Canepa, J Briones, J García
    Memorias sobre Foro de las Américas en Investigación sobre factores … , 2008
    2008
    Citations: 8