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A microfluidic platform for trapping, releasing and super-resolution imaging of single cells.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Zhou, Ying 
Wohlfahrt, Kai J 
Lee, Steven F 

Abstract

A multi-layer device, combining hydrodynamic trapping with microfluidic valving techniques, has been developed for on-chip manipulation and imaging of single cells and particles. Such a device contains a flow layer with trapping channels to capture single particles or cells and a control layer with valve channels to selectively control the trap and release processes. Particles and cells have been successfully trapped and released using the proposed device. The device enables the trapping of single particles with a trapping efficiency of greater than 95%, and allows for single particles and cells to be trapped, released and manipulated by simply controlling corresponding valves. Moreover, the trap and release processes are found to be compatible with biological samples like cells. Our device allows stable immobilisation of large numbers of single cells in a few minutes, significantly easing the experiment setup for single-cell characterisation and offering a stable platform for both single-molecule and super-resolution imaging. Proof-of-concept super- resolution imaging experiments with mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) have been conducted by exploiting super-resolution photoactivated localisation microscopy (PALM). Cells and nuclei were stably trapped and imaged. Centromeres of ∼200 nm size could be identified with a localisation precision of <15 nm.

Description

Keywords

Embryonic stem cells, Hydrodynamic trapping, Particle manipulation, Single cell analysis, Super-resolution imaging

Journal Title

Sens Actuators B Chem

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0925-4005

Volume Title

232

Publisher

Elsevier BV
Sponsorship
The Royal Society (uf120277)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/K013726/1)
Medical Research Council (MR/M010082/1)
Wellcome Trust (082010/Z/07/Z)
European Commission (277899)
Funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Grant BB/K013726/1) is gratefully acknowledged. The authors also thank the Royal Society for the University Research Fellowship of Dr. Steven F. Lee (UF120277).
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