title: Droplet-based microfluidic platforms for the encapsulation and screening of Mammalian cells and multicellular organisms.
abstract: High-throughput, cell-based assays require small sample volumes to reduce assay costs and to allow for rapid sample manipulation. However, further miniaturization of conventional microtiter plate technology is problematic due to evaporation and capillary action. To overcome these limitations, we describe droplet-based microfluidic platforms in which cells are grown in aqueous microcompartments separated by an inert perfluorocarbon carrier oil. Synthesis of biocompatible surfactants and identification of gas-permeable storage systems allowed human cells, and even a multicellular organism (C. elegans), to survive and proliferate within the microcompartments for several days. Microcompartments containing single cells could be reinjected into a microfluidic device after incubation to measure expression of a reporter gene. This should open the way for high-throughput, cell-based screening that can use >1000-fold smaller assay volumes and has approximately 500x higher throughput than conventional microtiter plate assays.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Jenifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clausell-Tormos
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lieber
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Baret
authors.forename: Abdeslam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Harrak
authors.forename: Oliver J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frenz
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blouwolff
authors.forename: Katherine J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Humphry
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Köster
authors.forename: Honey
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holtze
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Weitz
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.forename: Christoph A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Merten
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology*; D004655:Emulsions; D006801:Humans; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008904:Miniaturization
chemical_list: D004655:Emulsions