Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026
15:41
A Microfluidic Chip for the Versatile Chemical Analysis of Single Cells
Published on: October 15, 2013
Integrated microfluidic cell culture and lysis on a chip
J Tanner Nevill1, Ryan Cooper, Megan Dueck
1Biomolecular Nanotechnology Center, Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center, Department of Bioengineering, University of California, UCSF/UCB Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Lab on a Chip
|November 22, 2007
Summary
This study introduces an automated microfluidic platform for cell culture and lysis, simplifying cell analysis by eliminating manual steps and reagents. The system uses electrochemical lysis to release cellular contents for analysis.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Analytical Chemistry
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Current cell analysis methods often involve multiple reagents and manual procedures, increasing complexity and potential for error.
- Integrated systems for cell culture and lysis can streamline workflows in biological research and diagnostics.
- Electrochemical methods offer a reagent-free approach for cell lysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize an integrated microfluidic platform for automated cell culture and lysis.
- To demonstrate the platform's capability to culture various cell lines and perform on-demand cell lysis.
- To assess the integrity of released cellular components (proteins and DNA) after electrochemical lysis.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication and characterization of an integrated microfluidic device combining on-chip cell culture and electrochemical lysis.
- Culturing of HeLa, MCF-7, Jurkat, and CHO-K1 cell lines for up to five days.
- On-demand cell lysis via in-situ hydroxide ion generation, followed by analysis of released proteins and DNA.
Main Results:
- The microfluidic platform successfully cultured multiple cell lines for extended periods.
- Electrochemical lysis effectively released intracellular contents, including protein (GFP) and DNA (Hoescht-stained).
- Immunodetection of p53 and assessment of HRP enzymatic activity confirmed protein integrity post-lysis.
Conclusions:
- The integrated microfluidic platform provides an automated, reagent-free solution for cell culture and lysis.
- This technology simplifies cell analysis workflows, improving efficiency and reproducibility.
- The platform preserves the integrity of released biomolecules for downstream analysis.
