Large-scale acoustic single cell trapping and selective releasing

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microfluidics
• Acoustic manipulation

Background:

• Precise single-cell isolation and manipulation are crucial for advanced biological analyses.
• Traditional methods face limitations in throughput, complexity, and cell viability.
• There is a need for scalable and non-invasive single-cell handling techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel acoustic microfluidic platform for large-scale, selective single-cell trapping and release.
• To demonstrate the platform's efficiency, biocompatibility, and versatility across different cell types and sizes.
• To provide a cost-effective and practical solution for single-cell manipulation in various research fields.

Main Methods:

• An acoustic microfluidic device was designed with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate containing spherical air cavities.
• Near-field acoustic potential gradients were employed to create individual cell trapping sites.
• Selective release of trapped cells was achieved using targeted near-infrared laser pulses.

Main Results:

• The platform demonstrated high efficiency in trapping and releasing both synthetic microparticles and biological cells.
• The method maintained high cell viability and proliferation rates post-manipulation.
• The device successfully handled a wide range of cell sizes (8-30 μm) over a 1 cm² area with 20,000 traps.

Conclusions:

• The acoustic microfluidic platform offers a scalable, cost-effective, and non-invasive solution for single-cell manipulation.
• This technology enables precise control over individual cells, crucial for genomics, proteomics, and other single-cell applications.
• The platform's robustness and versatility make it a promising tool for advancing single-cell research.