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Updated: Sep 1, 2025
08:09
Visualizing Cytoplasmic Flow During Single-cell Wound Healing in Stentor coeruleus
Published on: December 19, 2013
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Hydrodynamic dissection of Stentor coeruleus in a microfluidic cross junction
Rajorshi Paul1, Kevin S Zhang1, Myra Kurosu Jalil1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. sindy@stanford.edu.
Lab on a Chip
|August 16, 2022
Summary
A novel hydrodynamic cell splitter can non-invasively bisect large protozoa, Stentor coeruleus, for regeneration studies. Smaller fragments and increased stress reduce survival, highlighting factors crucial for Stentor cell repair.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Stentor coeruleus, a large single-celled protozoan, is a key model organism for studying wound healing and regeneration.
- Microdissection of Stentor cells is challenging due to their substantial size (up to 2 mm).
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a high-throughput, non-contact method for splitting Stentor cells.
- To investigate the impact of fragment size and hydrodynamic stress on Stentor cell viability and repair.
Main Methods:
- A microfluidic cross junction was engineered as a hydrodynamic cell splitter.
- The device achieves asymmetric splitting of Stentor cells using controlled flow fields.
- Cell fragment viability was assessed over 5 days post-splitting.
Main Results:
- The hydrodynamic splitter operates at a high throughput of approximately 500 cells per minute.
- Asymmetric flow enables the generation of cell fragments significantly smaller than the original cell size.
- Reduced 5-day survival rates were observed for smaller fragments and those subjected to higher hydrodynamic stress.
Conclusions:
- Cell fragment size, composition, and mechanical stress are critical factors influencing long-term Stentor cell repair.
- The hydrodynamic splitter is a valuable tool for investigating immediate post-splitting phenomena, such as plasma membrane wound closure in Stentor.
