High-throughput cell and spheroid mechanics in virtual fluidic channels

Nat Commun. 2020 May 4;11(1):2190. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-15813-9.

Abstract

Microfluidics by soft lithography has proven to be of key importance for biophysics and life science research. While being based on replicating structures of a master mold using benchtop devices, design modifications are time consuming and require sophisticated cleanroom equipment. Here, we introduce virtual fluidic channels as a flexible and robust alternative to microfluidic devices made by soft lithography. Virtual channels are liquid-bound fluidic systems that can be created in glass cuvettes and tailored in three dimensions within seconds for rheological studies on a wide size range of biological samples. We demonstrate that the liquid-liquid interface imposes a hydrodynamic stress on confined samples, and the resulting strain can be used to calculate rheological parameters from simple linear models. In proof-of-principle experiments, we perform high-throughput rheology inside a flow cytometer cuvette and show the Young's modulus of isolated cells exceeds the one of the corresponding tissue by one order of magnitude.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Dimethylpolysiloxanes / chemistry*
  • Elastic Modulus / physiology*
  • Equipment Design
  • Flow Cytometry
  • HEK293 Cells
  • HL-60 Cells
  • Humans
  • Hydrodynamics
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / instrumentation
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / methods*
  • Microfluidics / instrumentation
  • Microfluidics / methods*
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry*
  • Rheology
  • Spheroids, Cellular

Substances

  • Dimethylpolysiloxanes
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • baysilon