Issue 11, 2009

An integrated cell culture lab on a chip: modular microdevices for cultivation of mammalian cells and delivery into microfluidic microdroplets

Abstract

We present a modular system of microfluidic PDMS devices designed to incorporate the steps necessary for cell biological assays based on mammalian tissue culture ‘on-chip’. The methods described herein include the on-chip immobilization and culturing of cells as well as their manipulation by transfection. Assessment of cell viability by flow cytrometry suggests low attrition rates (<3%) and excellent growth properties in the device for up to 7 days for CHO-K1 cells. To demonstrate that key procedures from the repertoire of cell biology are possible in this format, transfection of a reporter gene (encoding green fluorescent protein) was carried out. The modular design enables efficient detachment and recollection of cells and allows assessment of the success of transfection achieved on-chip. The transfection levels (20%) are comparable to standard large scale procedures and more than 500 cells could be transfected. Finally, cells are transferred into microfluidic microdoplets, where in principle a wide range of subsequent assays can be carried out at the single cell level in droplet compartments. The procedures developed for this modular device layout further demonstrate that commonly used methods in cell biology involving mammalian cells can be reliably scaled down to allow single cell investigations in picolitre volumes.

Graphical abstract: An integrated cell culture lab on a chip: modular microdevices for cultivation of mammalian cells and delivery into microfluidic microdroplets

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
08 déc. 2008
Accepted
20 févr. 2009
First published
11 mars 2009

Lab Chip, 2009,9, 1576-1582

An integrated cell culture lab on a chip: modular microdevices for cultivation of mammalian cells and delivery into microfluidic microdroplets

H. Hufnagel , A. Huebner, C. Gülch, K. Güse, C. Abell and F. Hollfelder, Lab Chip, 2009, 9, 1576 DOI: 10.1039/B821695A

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