title: Oil microsealing: a robust micro-compartmentalization method for on-chip chemical and biological assays.
abstract: A simple and robust method to compartmentalize aqueous solutions into an array of independent microchambers is presented. The array of microchambers fabricated in poly(dimethylsiloxane) are filled with the sample solution through a microfluidic channel and then sealed with oil to isolate the microchambers from each other. A water reservoir close to the microchambers allows the maintainance and incubation of sub-nanoliter solutions (e.g., at 37 °C) within the chambers for hours without any problem of evaporation. Once assembled, the device is self-sustainable and can be used for different application purposes. As a demonstration, the device configuration is shown to be suitable for spatiotemporal control of the inner solution conditions by light stimulation through a photomask. This method was applied for the generation of regular EmGFP (emerald green fluorescent protein) expression arrays, selective photobleaching, photopatterning of calcium concentration, and cell culture in independent microchambers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry Ecole Normale Supérieure 24 rue Lhomond, F-75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Fanny
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barbaud
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cinque
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baigl
mesh_terms: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009821:Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D040081:Protein Array Analysis
chemical_list: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D009821:Oils; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins