title: Kit-On-A-Lid-Assays for accessible self-contained cell assays.
abstract: Microscale methods for cell-based assays typically rely on macroscopic reagent handling and fluidic loading protocols that are technically challenging and do not scale with the number of assays favorably. Here, we demonstrate a microfluidic platform technology called "Kit-On-A-Lid-Assay" (KOALA), that enables the creation of self-contained microfluidic cell-based assays, integrating all the steps required to perform cell-based assays. The KOALA platform allows the pre-packaging of reagents, cryopreservation of cell suspensions, thawing of cell suspensions, culture of cells, and operation of whole cell-based assays. The operation of the KOALA platform is user-friendly and consists of bringing together a lid containing the microchannels, and a base containing the pre-packaged reagents, thereby causing fluidic exchange in all the channels simultaneously. We demonstrate that the KOALA cell-based assays can be simply operated from start to finish without any external laboratory equipment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Berthier
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Guckenberger
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cavnar
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huttenlocher
authors.forename: Nancy P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Beebe
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004867:Equipment Design; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D007120:Immunochemistry; D051379:Mice; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods