Abstract:
A microfabricated device having at least one gas-entrapping feature formed therein in a configuration that entraps air bubbles upon wetting the feature with a solvent or solution is described. The device includes a sacrificial residue in contact with the gas-entrapping feature, the dissolution of which guides the wetting of the gas-entrapping feature.
Abstract:
An apparatus for collecting or culturing cells or cell colonies includes: a common substrate formed from a flexible resilient polymeric material and having a plurality of wells formed therein; and a plurality of rigid cell carriers releasably connected to said common substrate, with said carriers arranged in the form of an array, and with each of the carriers resiliently received in one of the wells. A method of collecting or culturing cells or cell colonies with such an apparatus is carried out by depositing a liquid media carrying cells on the apparatus so that said cells settle on or adhere to said the carriers; and then (c) releasing at least one selected carrier having said cells thereon by gradual application of release energy to each carrier from the cavity in which it is received (e.g., by pushing with a probe).
Abstract:
A method of making a live cell construct is carried out by: (a) providing a non-cellular support having a top surface and a bottom surface, (b) contacting live undifferentiated cells to the non-cellular support, and then (c) propagating a gastrointestinal epithelial cell monolayer on said top surface. In some embodiments, the live cells in the monolayer include: (i) undifferentiated cells (e.g., stem or progenitor cells); and (ii) optionally, but in some embodiments preferably, differentiated cells (e.g., enterocytes, Paneth cells, enteroendocrine cells, tuft cells, microcells, intra-epithelial lymphocytes, and/or goblet cells). Constructs formed by such methods and methods of using the same (e.g., in high through-put screening) are also described.
Abstract:
Selecting and propagating a cell colony of interest from among a plurality of cell colonies carried on a common substrate in culture is carried out by: (a) selecting a cell colony of interest from among the plurality of cell colonies; (b) isolating a cell subset from the cell colony of interest; (c) analyzing (for example, by a destructive analysis) the cell subset isolated from the cell colony of interest to confirm the presence or absence of a desired feature therein; and then (d) propagating the cell colony of interest when the desired feature is present in the cell subset. A micropallet apparatus may include: (a) a substrate; (b) a plurality of discrete arrays formed on the substrate, each of the arrays comprising a plurality of releasable pallets, and (c) a plurality of gap forming regions, wherein the gap forming regions surround the pallets and separate the pallets from one another.
Abstract:
A method for creating a removable barrier in a microfluidic apparatus is carried out by: (a) providing a microfluidic apparatus having at least a first chamber and a second chamber, each including at least an inlet, wherein the first and second chamber are separated from one another by a plurality of barrier elements, the plurality of barrier elements defining a barrier zone, (b) introducing a liquid sample into the apparatus through the inlet of the first or second chamber to create a retained continuous liquid phase in one chamber, a continuous gas phase in the other chamber, and a gas/liquid interface between the first and second chamber at the barrier zone, (c) releasing the interface from the barrier elements, and (d) advancing the liquid phase past the barrier zone into the gas chamber displacing the gas phase. In some embodiments the barrier elements are hydrophobic (for example, the barrier elements comprise a hydrophobic polymer. Devices such as chemotaxis devices incorporating such methods are also described.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed to a method of making a live cell construct or a support, comprising: (a) providing a non-cellular organic polymer support having a top surface, a bottom surface, and an intermediate portion there between, and (b) contacting a cross-linking agent to one surface of said support for a time sufficient to generate a gradient of cross-linking of said polymer in said intermediate portion. Also provided are live cell constructs, supports, and methods of use of the supports and live cell constructs.
Abstract:
An array of magnetic or paramagnetic micro-elements comprised of polysilsesquioxane is described having ultra-low-autofluorescence and other optical properties to improve microscopic imaging of cells or other objects present on the array. These materials are also amenable to chemical modification allowing surface attachment of affinity capture moieties or chemical reporters for selective binding or analysis of cells, macromolecules or other targets.
Abstract:
An apparatus for collecting or culturing cells or cell colonies has a common substrate and a plurality of cell carriers releasably connected to the common substrate. The carriers are arranged in the form of an array. The invention employs microcups as the cell carriers. The substrate is preferably free of barriers between the microcups, and in some embodiments the microcups have porous walls. Methods of using the apparatus are also described.