Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 22, 2026

A Microfluidic Platform for High-throughput Single-cell Isolation and Culture
Published on: June 16, 2016
Multimodal microfluidic platform for controlled culture and analysis of unicellular organisms
Tao Geng1, Chuck R Smallwood1, Erin L Bredeweg1
1Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland, Washington 99354, USA.
Abstract:
Modern live-cell imaging approaches permit real-time visualization of biological processes, yet limitations exist for unicellular organism isolation, culturing, and long-term imaging that preclude fully understanding how cells sense and respond to environmental perturbations and the link between single-cell variability and whole-population dynamics. Here, we present a microfluidic platform that provides fine control over the local environment with the capacity to replace media components at any experimental time point, and provides both perfused and compartmentalized cultivation conditions depending on the valve configuration. The functionality and flexibility of the platform were validated using both bacteria and yeast having different sizes, motility, and growth media. The demonstrated ability to track the growth and dynamics of both motile and non-motile prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms emphasizes the versatility of the devices, which should enable studies in bioenergy and environmental research.

