Development of an integrated chip for automatic tracking and positioning manipulation for single cell lysis

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microfluidics
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Single cell analysis requires efficient and precise manipulation techniques.
• Existing cell lysis methods can be complex and time-consuming.
• Microelectromechanical systems offer miniaturized solutions for biological sample processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a microchip for integrated single cell manipulation and lysis.
• To investigate the combined use of electroosmotic flow and dielectrophoresis for precise cell positioning.
• To optimize AC power parameters for efficient cell lysis on-chip.

Main Methods:

• Microelectromechanical fabrication process for chip design.
• Integration of electroosmotic flow and dielectrophoresis for cell manipulation.
• Application of varying AC power frequencies and voltages for cell lysis.
• Utilized human histiocytic lymphoma U937 cells for testing.

Main Results:

• Achieved 100% cell lysis at a specific area using 15 V AC at 1 MHz.
• Successfully manipulated single cells to a designated position for lysis.
• Demonstrated an overall success rate of 80% for cell tracking, positioning, and lysis.
• Recorded an average cell driving speed of 17.74 μm/s.

Conclusions:

• The integrated microchip effectively manipulates and lyses single cells with high efficiency.
• This technique simplifies pre-treatment procedures for biomolecular detection and DNA extraction.
• The developed platform shows significant potential for advancing biotechnological sample analysis.