title: Optimization of flow assisted entrapment of pollen grains in a microfluidic platform for tip growth analysis.
abstract: A biocompatible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) biomicrofluidic platform is designed, fabricated and tested to study protuberance growth of single plant cells in a micro-vitro environment. The design consists of an inlet to introduce the cell suspension into the chip, three outlets to conduct the medium or cells out of the chip, a main distribution chamber and eight microchannels connected to the main chamber to guide the growth of tip growing plant cells. The test cells used here were pollen grains which produce cylindrical protrusions called pollen tubes. The goal was to adjust the design of the microfluidic network with the aim to enhance the uniformly distributed positioning of pollen grains at the entrances of the microchannels and to provide identical fluid flow conditions for growing pollen tubes along each microchannel. Computational fluid analysis and experimental testing were carried out to estimate the trapping efficiencies of the different designs.
authors.affiliation: Optical-Bio Microsystem Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3G 1M8.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanati Nezhad
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghanbari
authors.forename: Carlos G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Agudelo
authors.forename: Mahsa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naghavi
authors.forename: Muthukumaran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Packirisamy
authors.forename: Rama B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geitmann
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D028244:Camellia; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D004867:Equipment Design; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000379:methods; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011058:Pollen / Q000254:growth & development*; D053205:Pollen Tube / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; C013830:baysilon