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High diversity droplet microfluidic libraries generated with a commercial liquid spotter
Jesse Q Zhang1,2, Christian A Siltanen1,3, Ata Dolatmoradi1
1Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Scientific Reports
|February 24, 2021
Summary
This study presents an automated method for generating diverse droplet libraries using a commercial array spotter, simplifying microfluidic applications. This innovation makes high-throughput screening and combinatorial chemistry more accessible without requiring microfluidic expertise.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Chemical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Droplet libraries are crucial for microfluidics applications like combinatorial synthesis and DNA-encoded libraries.
- Current methods for generating these libraries are often time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an automated, efficient, and user-friendly method for generating high-diversity droplet libraries.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of using a commercial array spotter for automated droplet generation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a commercial array spotter for automated emulsification of multiple reagents into discrete droplets.
- Characterized droplet uniformity and compared it to traditional microfluidic methods.
- Quantified the time and reagent diversity achievable with the automated approach.
Main Results:
- Successfully automated the generation of a 2 mL emulsion containing 192 distinct reagents in approximately 4 hours.
- Achieved droplet uniformity comparable to microfluidic techniques.
- Demonstrated the spotter's capability for high-diversity droplet library generation with minimal user intervention.
Conclusions:
- The automated array spotter provides a practical and efficient solution for generating droplet libraries, overcoming limitations of manual methods.
- This approach enhances the feasibility of combinatorial applications in droplet microfluidics.
- The instrument serves as an accessible automated droplet generator, broadening access to droplet-based reactions.
