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Issue 12, 2009
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Microfluidic culture of single human embryonic stem cell colonies

Luis Gerardo Villa-Diaz,a  Yu-suke Torisawa,b  Tomoyuki Uchida,b  Jun Ding,a  Naiara Correa Nogueira-de-Souza,a  Kathy Sue O'Shea,c  Shuichi Takayama*bd  and  Gary Daniel Smith*aefg 
Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

a Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
E-mail: smithgd@umich.edu

b Departments of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
E-mail: takayama@umich.edu

c Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA

d Departments of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA

e Departments of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA

f Departments of Molecular and Integrated Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA

g Departments of Reproductive Sciences Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA

Abstract

We have developed a miniaturized microfluidic culture system that allows experimentation on individual human embryonic stem cell (hESC) colonies in dynamic (flow applied) or static (without flow) conditions. The system consists of three inlet channels that converge into a cell-culture channel and provides the capability to spatially and temporally deliver specific treatments by using patterned laminar fluid flow to different parts of a single hESC colony. We show that microfluidic culture for 96 h with or without flow results in similar maintenance of hESC self-renewal, the capability to differentiate into three germ cell lineages, and to maintain a normal karyotype, as in standard culture dishes. Localized delivery of a fluorescent nucleic acid dye was achieved with laminar flow, producing staining only in nuclei of exposed cells. Likewise, cells in desired regions of colonies could be removed with enzymatic treatment and collected for analysis. Re-coating the enzyme treated area of the channel with extracellular matrix led to re-growth of hESC colonies into this region. Our study demonstrates the culture of hESCs in a microfluidic device that can deliver specific treatments to desired regions of a single colony. This miniaturized culture system allows in situ treatment and analysis with the ability to obtain cell samples from part of a colony without micromanipulation and to perform sensitive molecular analysis while permitting further growth of the hESC colony.

Graphical abstract: Microfluidic culture of single human embryonic stem cell colonies

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Publication details

The article was received on 14 Nov 2008, accepted on 02 Mar 2009 and first published on 24 Mar 2009


Article type: Paper
DOI: 10.1039/B820380F
Citation: Lab Chip, 2009,9, 1749-1755
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    Microfluidic culture of single human embryonic stem cell colonies

    L. G. Villa-Diaz, Y. Torisawa, T. Uchida, J. Ding, N. C. Nogueira-de-Souza, K. S. O'Shea, S. Takayama and G. D. Smith, Lab Chip, 2009, 9, 1749
    DOI: 10.1039/B820380F

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