Issue 22, 2016

The microfluidic lighthouse: an omnidirectional gradient generator

Abstract

Studies of chemotactic cell migration rely heavily on various assay systems designed to evaluate the ability of cells to move in response to attractant molecules. In particular, the development of microfluidics-based devices in recent years has made it possible to spatially distribute attractant molecules in graded profiles that are sufficiently stable and precise to test theoretical predictions regarding the accuracy and efficiency of chemotaxis and the underlying mechanism of stimulus perception. However, because the gradient is fixed in a direction orthogonal to the laminar flow and thus the chamber geometry, conventional devices are limited for the study of cell re-orientation to gradients that move or change directions. Here, we describe the development of a simple radially symmetric microfluidics device that can deliver laminar flow in 360°. A stimulant introduced either from the central inlet or by photo uncaging is focused into the laminar flow in a direction determined by the relative rate of regulated flow from multiple side channels. Schemes for flow regulation and an extended duplexed device were designed to generate and move gradients in desired orientations and speed, and then tested to steer cell migration of Dictyostelium and neutrophil-like HL60 cells. The device provided a high degree of freedom in the positioning and orientation of attractant gradients, and thus may serve as a versatile platform for studying cell migration, re-orientation, and steering.

Graphical abstract: The microfluidic lighthouse: an omnidirectional gradient generator

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 Jul 2016
Accepted
05 Oct 2016
First published
05 Oct 2016
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Lab Chip, 2016,16, 4382-4394

The microfluidic lighthouse: an omnidirectional gradient generator

A. Nakajima, M. Ishida, T. Fujimori, Y. Wakamoto and S. Sawai, Lab Chip, 2016, 16, 4382 DOI: 10.1039/C6LC00898D

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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