In traditional cell studies, cells are often studied in larger populations, where measurements can only reflect the average of the responses of multiple cells. However, this approach can lead to misunderstandings because it masks important information about cells and their statistical properties. In contrast, single-cell analysis methods offer the possibility to extract detailed information about inherent cell-to-cell variation in large populations, providing a deeper understanding of cellular dynamics and providing high-level modeling and systems biology solutions. Quality statistics. Microfluidic separation and capture of single cells and cell clusters has shown great potential in advancing medical and biological research. The use of microfluidic devices can realize the study of intercellular interactions and signal transduction, the study of tumor cell heterogeneity and the study of drug response.

Many microfluidic devices have been developed to provide a controlled environment in which individual cells can be captured, fixed, cultured, exposed to selected stimuli, and examined by time-lapse microscopy specific intracellular events. For example, techniques using gravity have been reported to capture cells in microwell arrays. Although the throughput of such devices is high and many cells can be captured in an array-based format, precise geometry optimization is required when designing the microwells for high capture efficiency. In this method, cells are not actively immobilized within the trap, and subsequent chemical washing steps may remove cells from the bottom of the microwell. Dielectrophoresis, physical barrier array methods can also be combined with microfluidic technology for cell fixation and for controlled whole cell analysis.

Fig. 1 Polygonal micropost cell trapping arrays.

Our Hydrodynamic Traps

Creative Bioarray can confine individual cells to specific microstructures inside microfluidic channels through hydrodynamics. Our hydrodynamic capture has high throughput compared to traditional methods. We can provide many types of microstructures for optimal single cell capture.

We offer a microfluidic device for monitoring cell dynamics, which is designed with three traps by adjusting the round, vertical, and sharp by-pass structures to achieve a capture efficiency of 90%, and most captured cells can Surviving for 10 hours, the platform was able to monitor apoptosis over time and study apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic drugs. Furthermore, we developed a multilayer microfluidic trap. The device contains a control layer with valved channels to control the release of cells. And we designed a single-cell migration platform combined with a single-cell capture protocol to specifically track and characterize the chemotaxis of each cell over time. Using these platforms we can assist you in tracking cellular chemotaxis to identify molecular differences between highly chemotactic and non-chemotactic populations of cancer cells and assess their impact on tumor cell migration.

We are committed to providing you with the possibility to extract detailed information about inherent cell-to-cell variation in large populations through cell patterning, and to provide high-quality statistical data for modeling and systems biology solutions to help you gain a deeper understanding of cells dynamics.

Our Advantages

• High cell capture efficiency
• High efficiency in releasing captured cells
• Track intracellular events over time
• Provides high-throughput single-cell data with numerous statistical correlations

Related Services

• Single-cell Patterning
• Patterned Cell Culture Inside Microfluidic Devices
• Cell Migration Guided by Cell Patterning
• Cell Patterning for Controlling Cell–cell Interactions

References:

1. Luan Q, et al. Microfluidic systems for hydrodynamic trapping of cells and clusters. Biomicrofluidics. 2020, 14(3):031502.
2. Iliescu C, et al. Cell patterning using a dielectrophoretic–hydrodynamic trap. Microfluid Nanofluid .2015,19:363–373.
3. Banaeiyan AA, et al. Hydrodynamic Cell Trapping for High Throughput Single-Cell Applications. Micromachines. 2013, 4(4):414-430.