title: High throughput system for magnetic manipulation of cells, polymers, and biomaterials.
abstract: In the past decade, high throughput screening (HTS) has changed the way biochemical assays are performed, but manipulation and mechanical measurement of micro- and nanoscale systems have not benefited from this trend. Techniques using microbeads (particles approximately 0.1-10 mum) show promise for enabling high throughput mechanical measurements of microscopic systems. We demonstrate instrumentation to magnetically drive microbeads in a biocompatible, multiwell magnetic force system. It is based on commercial HTS standards and is scalable to 96 wells. Cells can be cultured in this magnetic high throughput system (MHTS). The MHTS can apply independently controlled forces to 16 specimen wells. Force calibrations demonstrate forces in excess of 1 nN, predicted force saturation as a function of pole material, and powerlaw dependence of F approximately r(-2.7+/-0.1). We employ this system to measure the stiffness of SR2+ Drosophila cells. MHTS technology is a key step toward a high throughput screening system for micro- and nanoscale biophysical experiments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 141 Phillips Hall, CB #3255, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Richard Chasen
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Spero
authors.forename: Leandra
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vicci
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cribb
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bober
authors.forename: Vinay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Swaminathan
authors.forename: E Timothy
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Stephen L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Superfine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002138:Calibration; D002477:Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004330:Drosophila / Q000166:cytology; D004867:Equipment Design; D008280:Magnetics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D008863:Microspheres; D008904:Miniaturization; D055585:Physical Phenomena; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011108:Polymers