Microrail-assisted liposome trapping and aligning in microfluidic channels

Liposome assemblies with a specific shape are potential cell tissue models for studying intercellular communication. Microfluidic channels that can trap liposomes have been constructed to achieve efficient and high-throughput manipulation and observation of liposomes. However, the trapping and alignment of multiple liposomes in a specific space are still challenging because the liposomes are soft and easily ruptured. In this study, we focused on a microrail-assisted technique for manipulating water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions. In this technique, w/o emulsions are trapped under the microrails through a surface energy gradient. First, we investigated whether the microrail channel can be applied for liposome trapping and alignment and found that the numerical simulations showed that drag forces in the direction of the microrail acted on the liposomes, thereby moving the liposomes from the main channel to the microrail. Next, we designed a microrail device based on the simulation results and trapped liposomes using the device. Resultantly, 24.7 ± 8.5 liposomes were aligned under the microrail within an hour, and the microrail was filled with liposomes for 3 hours. Finally, we prepared the microrail devices with y-shaped and ring-shaped microrails and demonstrated the construction of liposome assemblies with specific shapes, not only the straight shape. Our results indicate that the microrail-assisted technique is a valuable method for manipulating liposomes because it has the potential to provide various-shaped liposome assemblies. We believe the microrail channel will be a powerful tool for constructing liposome-based cell-cell interaction models.