Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 27, 2026
10:13
Microfluidic Platform for Measuring Neutrophil Chemotaxis from Unprocessed Whole Blood
Published on: June 3, 2014
11.8K
Microfluidic arenas for war games between neutrophils and microbes
Felix Ellett1, Fatemeh Jalali, Anika L Marand
1BioMEMS Resource Center, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Shriners Burns Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA. dirimia@mgh.harvard.edu.
Lab on a Chip
|March 14, 2019
Summary
This study introduces a microfluidic assay to measure neutrophil antimicrobial activity at the single-cell level. The assay reveals altered neutrophil function in intensive care patients, including those with sepsis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Neutrophil antimicrobial activity is crucial for host defense.
- Existing assays for neutrophil function lack single-cell resolution or kinetic data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a microfluidic assay for quantifying neutrophil migration and microbial killing at single-cell resolution.
- To assess neutrophil antimicrobial function in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.
Main Methods:
- A microfluidic device was used to co-culture isolated human neutrophils with live Staphylococcus aureus.
- Neutrophil migration, phagocytosis, and microbial killing were assessed at high spatial and temporal resolution.
- The assay provides a binary outcome (infection cleared or endured) and single-cell characterization.
Main Results:
- The assay successfully measured neutrophil antimicrobial functions against live bacteria.
- Altered neutrophil antimicrobial activity was observed in ICU patients, including those with sepsis.
- The study provides insights into neutrophil-pathogen interactions at the single-cell level.
Conclusions:
- The developed microfluidic assay offers a novel method to study neutrophil antimicrobial activity.
- This assay can identify functional deficits in neutrophils from critically ill patients.
- Understanding these interactions is vital for combating infections in vulnerable populations.
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