Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 19, 2026
09:51
A Microfluidic Platform for High-throughput Single-cell Isolation and Culture
Published on: June 16, 2016
12.2K
Multiphasic droplet microfluidics platform for controlled bacteria and mammalian cell co-culture
Ibraheem Alshareedah1, Anand Kumar1
1Microbial and Biome Sciences, Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA. akumar@lanl.gov.
Lab on a Chip
|March 17, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel microfluidic platform for co-culturing mammalian cells and bacteria in multiphasic droplets. This innovation enables high-throughput screening of host-microbe interactions, overcoming previous limitations in microfluidic systems.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Microfluidics
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Microfluidic systems offer miniaturized, high-throughput biological assays.
- Co-culturing mammalian cells and bacteria presents challenges due to differing growth needs and spatial control limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a microfluidic platform for direct and indirect co-culture of mammalian and bacterial cells.
- To enable scalable and versatile screening of host-microbe interactions.
Main Methods:
- Generation of multiphasic core-shell droplets using photopolymerizable hydrogels and polymer phase separation.
- Creation of distinct liquid (bacterial growth) and hydrogel (mammalian cell culture) compartments within droplets.
- Demonstration of droplet architectures for direct physical contact or complete separation of cell types.
Main Results:
- Developed stable, customizable multiphasic droplets supporting co-culture for over 24 hours.
- Achieved successful co-culture with both direct and indirect physical interactions between mammalian and bacterial cells.
- Confirmed compatibility with fluorescence-based cell sorting.
Conclusions:
- The multiphasic droplet microfluidic platform offers a scalable solution for complex co-culture experiments.
- This technology facilitates high-throughput screening of host-microbe interactions.
- The platform addresses key challenges in co-culturing diverse cell types within microfluidic devices.
