Insulator-based dielectrophoretic single particle and single cancer cell trapping

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Microfluidics
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Precise trapping of individual cells is crucial for single-cell studies, enabling targeted stimulation and analysis.
• Microfluidic platforms offer advanced capabilities for cell manipulation and high-throughput screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate microfluidic devices for individual cell trapping using direct current insulator-based dielectrophoresis (DC iDEP).
• To demonstrate both negative and positive iDEP traps for trapping polystyrene particles and MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
• To ensure cell viability during the trapping process for downstream applications.

Main Methods:

• Design of negative and positive DC iDEP traps with insulating posts at microchannel intersections.
• Numerical simulations to predict electric field distributions and particle pathlines.
• Experimental trapping of 10 μm polystyrene particles and MCF-7 cells, and optimization of cell culture medium.

Main Results:

• An effective single particle trap design was demonstrated using negative dielectrophoresis for polystyrene particles.
• The trapping voltage showed an inverse relationship with buffer conductivity, highlighting electrokinetic effects.
• Proof-of-principle for trapping single MCF-7 breast cancer cells in a positive iDEP trap was achieved.
• Cell viability was maintained for over 1 hour under optimized medium conditions.

Conclusions:

• Successfully designed and validated DC iDEP traps for precise single cell manipulation on a lab-on-a-chip platform.
• The developed traps are suitable for integration into various microchip operations for advanced single cell analysis.
• This technology facilitates individual cell stimulation and subsequent downstream analysis, advancing cell biology research.