Cell-laden microfibers fabricated using μl cell-suspension.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microfluidics
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Conventional microfluidic methods for cell-laden microfiber fabrication demand large cell suspension volumes (>100 μl).
• Acquiring sufficient rare cells for high-density suspensions is costly and time-consuming.
• A need exists for microfluidic techniques that efficiently utilize small cell volumes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile microfluidic method for fabricating cell-laden microfibers from small-volume cell suspensions.
• To enable the use of rare or limited cell samples in microfiber fabrication.
• To reduce material and time consumption in cell-laden microfiber production.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a 3D-printed coaxial microfluidic device.
• Incorporated a 'luer-lock inlet' for deterministic loading of small cell suspension volumes (as low as 5 μl).
• Demonstrated fabrication of fibrous tissues with various cell types.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated cell-laden microfibers using only 5 μl of cell suspension with minimal sample loss.
• Formed fibrous tissues composed of diverse cell types.
• Confirmed that the fabrication process does not significantly affect encapsulated cell morphology or function.
• Showcased potential for quantitative assays on fiber-shaped tissues.

Conclusions:

• The developed microfluidic method efficiently produces cell-laden microfibers from small cell volumes.
• This approach significantly reduces the cost and time associated with rare cell research.
• The method preserves cell viability and function, enabling downstream applications like quantitative assays.