Funding was received from the Fischell Department of Bioengineering (KM), T32 GM080201 (MA), Vogel Endowed Summer Fellowship (MA), LAM Foundation (KM), and American Lung Association (KM).&#160;The authors wish to thank Michele Kaluzienski for help with editing.

This protocol was approved by the UMD Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Tissues from 7 to 9-week-old female C57BL/6J mice were used for these studies. The animals were obtained from a commercial source (see Table of Materials).
1. Manual dissociation
NOTE: This step is adapted from Maisel K. et al.7.
<ol>
	<li>Remove dissected tissue and place it in cold cell culture media with 5% fetal b...

Semi-Automated Mechanical-Enzymatic Tissue Dissociation for Single-Cell Analysis

<ol>
	<li>Wiegleb, G., Reinhardt, S., Dahl, A., Posnien, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tissue+dissociation+for+single-cell+and+single-nuclei+RNA+sequencing+for+low+amounts+of+input+material.">Tissue dissociation for single-cell and single-nuclei RNA sequencing for low amounts of input material.</a> Frontiers in Zoology. 19 (1), 27 (2022).</li><li>Weiskirchen, S., Tag, C. G., Sauer-Lehnen, S., Tacke, F., Weiskirchen, R., Ritti&#233;, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Isolation+and+culture+of+primary+murine+hepatic+stellate+cells.">Isolation and culture of primary murine hepatic stellate cells.</a> Fibrosis: Methods and Protocols. , 7113-7118 (2017).</li><li>Wang, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+isolation+and+characterization+of+endothelial+cells+from+juvenile+nasopharyngeal+angiofibroma.">The isolation and characterization of endothelial cells from juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma.</a> Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica. 48 (9), 856-858 (2016).</li><li>Burja, B., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=An+optimized+tissue+dissociation+protocol+for+single-cell+rna+sequencing+analysis+of+fresh+and+cultured+human+skin+biopsies.">An optimized tissue dissociation protocol for single-cell rna sequencing analysis of fresh and cultured human skin biopsies.</a> Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. 10, 102022 (2022).</li><li>McBeth, C., Gutermuth, A., Ochs, J., Sharon, A., Sauer-Budge, A. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Automated+tissue+dissociation+for+rapid+extraction+of+viable+cells.">Automated tissue dissociation for rapid extraction of viable cells.</a> Procedia CIRP. 65, 88-92 (2017).</li><li>Welch, E. C., Yu, H., Barabino, G., Tapinos, N., Tripathi, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Electric-field+facilitated+rapid+and+efficient+dissociation+of+tissues+into+viable+single+cells.">Electric-field facilitated rapid and efficient dissociation of tissues into viable single cells.</a> Scientific Reports. 12 (1), 10728 (2022).</li><li>Maisel, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pro-lymphangiogenic+VEGFR-3+signaling+modulates+memory+T+cell+responses+in+allergic+airway+inflammation.">Pro-lymphangiogenic VEGFR-3 signaling modulates memory T cell responses in allergic airway inflammation.</a> Mucosal Immunology. 14 (1), 144-151 (2021).</li><li>Karmakar, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+pilot+study+to+determine+the+utility+of+automated+tissue+dissociator+for+flowcytometry+based+evaluation+of+hematolymphoid+tumor+tissue+biopsies.">A pilot study to determine the utility of automated tissue dissociator for flowcytometry based evaluation of hematolymphoid tumor tissue biopsies.</a> Indian Journal of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. 38 (2), 403-410 (2022).</li><li>Montanari, M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Automated-mechanical+procedure+compared+to+gentle+enzymatic+tissue+dissociation+in+cell+function+studies.">Automated-mechanical procedure compared to gentle enzymatic tissue dissociation in cell function studies.</a> Biomolecules. 12 (5), 701 (2022).</li><li>Genova, A., Dix, O., Saefan, A., Thakur, M., Hassan, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Carpal+tunnel+syndrome:+a+review+of+literature.">Carpal tunnel syndrome: a review of literature.</a> Cureus. 12 (3), e7333 (2020).</li></ol>

This device was designed for easy assembly in the&#160;research setting to provide single-cell suspensions from whole tissues for subsequent single-cell analysis. The features, while basic, are sufficient to meet the needs of researchers in academic settings and beyond. A key benefit of using this device is its potential to improve the preparation of single-cell suspensions by reducing variability. Additionally, the ability to process 12+ samples simultaneously could enhance sample-to-sample consistency, which may be aff...

Single-cell analysis has rapidly become crucial for new biomedical discoveries, whether for applications such as flow cytometry, identifying different cell types, single-cell sequencing, or for identifying genomic or transcriptomic variations between cells1. Performing such cell isolations from tissues of interest&#160;requires mincing dissected tissues and pushing them through a fine cell strainer to filter out connective tissue from the desired cells (Figure 1A). Isolating adherent cell types, such as dendritic cells or macrophages, or cells from particularly fibrous tissues, requires additional mechanical or enzymatic separation steps2,3,4. This process is generally done manually, making it highly time-consuming and prone to user variability when assessing cell yields and sample viability. Therefore, it is crucial to introduce customizable options for automated tissue dissociation. While some attempts have been made to design such systems, the existing options are not always readily accessible, particularly in academic labs and lower-resource settings, largely due to the cost-prohibitive nature of these devices5. Furthermore, these devices are not always customizable to the individual needs of a research group6.
Here, a tissue dissociator device was designed to automate the digestion of whole tissues or tissue pieces into single-cell suspensions with the aid of digestive enzymes and mechanical disruption. This device can be easily assembled in the lab, placed into heating or cooling chambers for temperature regulation, customized for the required number of tissues to dissociate, and programmed with the desired dissociation protocols. The broad use of this device could significantly improve the reproducibility of cell extraction protocols and provide a time-saving alternative to manual dissociation.
The design allows for the simultaneous digestion of up to 12 tissues through an automated process. The device is composed of 12 individual motors wired in parallel and powered by a standard wall plug through an AC/DC adapter with an adjustable voltage dial to control the rotation/speed of the motors. The motors turn a hex bolt that fits snugly into the top of the C-tubes. The C-tubes are held in place by downward tension on an acrylic plate that latches on either side to the top plate where the motors are secured (Figure 1B). Because the motors are wired in parallel, their speed at any given voltage should not vary much, but the load (the number of C-tubes mounted on the device) will affect speed even when the voltage is kept constant. To measure rotations per minute (rpm), a tachometer has been incorporated using a hall effect sensor and a fixed magnet on one of the motor shafts (Supplementary Figure 1). The CAD files for building motor arrays are provided in Supplementary Coding File 1. Also included is a programmable switch to reverse the direction of rotation by reversing the positive/negative charges delivered to the motors. All of these features are integrated using coded software (Arduino IDE software, see Table of Materials) on an Arduino Nano (Supplementary Coding File 2). Using connected buttons and an LCD panel (Supplementary Figure 2), it is possible to create and run saved and custom protocols, automatically reverse the rotational direction at specified times of a protocol, adjust speed using the voltage (Supplementary Figure 3), and display the current motor speed and time left to complete a programmed protocol (Supplementary Figure 4).
For the present study, single-cell suspensions were prepared using both mechanical-enzymatic tissue dissociation with this device and manual-enzymatic tissue dissociation to determine differences, if any, in cells recovered for downstream applications. The cell preparations were evaluated based on total cell yields per tissue and&#160;percent cell viability. Flow&#160;cytometry was used to compare potential differences in surface marker expression. Data were analyzed using graphing and statistical analysis software. Unpaired Welch t-tests were used to compare pairs of samples or groups, with sample sizes n &#62; 4 mice representing 2 replicate experiments. Detailed instructions for the fabrication and assembly of this device can be found in Supplementary File 1. Materials needed for this protocol are listed in the Table of Materials.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>&#188; inch acrylic sheet&#160; 12&#34; x 24&#34;</td>
			<td>Acrylic Mega Store</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#189; inch acrylic sheet 12&#34; x 12&#34;</td>
			<td>SimbaLux</td>
			<td>SL-AS13-12x12</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>12 G stainless steel wire (for tension arms)</td>
			<td>Everbilt</td>
			<td>1000847413</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>16 G electrical wire (stranded)</td>
			<td>Best Connections</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2 x 3 mm magnet&#160;&#160;</td>
			<td>SU-CRO0587</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2-channel relay board (to reverse polarity of current to motors)</td>
			<td>AEDIKO</td>
			<td>AE06233</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>37 mm Diameter DC Motors (12 V, 200 rpm) x 12</td>
			<td>Greartisan</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Rated Torque: 2.2 Kg.cm 
			Reduction Ratio: 1:22 
			Rated Current: 0.1 A 
			D Shaped Output Shaft Size: 6 x 14mm (0.24&#34; x 0.55&#34;) (D x L) 
			Gearbox Size: 37 x 25 mm (1.46&#34; x 0.98&#34;) (D x L) 
			Motor Size: 36.2 x 33.3 mm (1.43&#34; x 1.31&#34;) (D x L) 
			Mounting Hole Size: M3 (not included)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>AC/C Power Adapter with variable voltage controller&#160;&#160; (5 Amps, 3-12 volts)</td>
			<td>Mo-gu</td>
			<td>J19091-2-MG-US</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>AC-DC 5 V 1 A Precision buck converter step down transformer</td>
			<td>Walfront</td>
			<td>1A</td>
			<td>(power adapter for powering Arduino Nano)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Arduino Nano&#160;&#160; (Lafvin)</td>
			<td>LAFVIN</td>
			<td>8541582500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Buttons&#160;</td>
			<td>Awpeye</td>
			<td>Push-button</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>C57BL6/J mice&#160;</td>
			<td>Jackson Laboratory</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Collagenase 4</td>
			<td>Worthington</td>
			<td>CLS4 LS004188</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Collagenase D</td>
			<td>Roche</td>
			<td>11088866001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMEM (Dulbecco&#39;s Modified Eagle Medium)</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>10-013-CV</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DNAse</td>
			<td>Roche</td>
			<td>11284932001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Double sided foam tape</td>
			<td>SANKA</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Double Sided prototyping circuit board</td>
			<td>deyue</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EDTA</td>
			<td>Sigma- Aldrich</td>
			<td>E7889</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Electrical solder and soldering iron</td>
			<td>LDK</td>
			<td>1002P</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Electrical Tape</td>
			<td>3M</td>
			<td>03429NA</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>FBS (Fetal Bovine Serum)</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>16140089</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>gentleMACS C Tubes</td>
			<td>Miltenyi</td>
			<td>130-093-237</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Graphpad Prism</td>
			<td>GraphPad, La Jolla, CA</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Graphing and statistical analysis software</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hall effect sensor Dimensions : 0.79 x 0.79x 0.39 inches</td>
			<td>SunFounder</td>
			<td>43237-2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hex Coupler 6 mm Bore Motor Brass x 2 x 12</td>
			<td>Uxcell</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hex head bolts (M4-.70 X 12 Hex Head Cap Screw) x 12</td>
			<td>FAS</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Jumper wires (for Arduino Nano)</td>
			<td>ELEGOO</td>
			<td>EL-CP-004</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LCD screen</td>
			<td>JANSANE</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>M3 Hex Socket Head Cap Screws x 12</td>
			<td>Shenzhen 
			Baishichuangyou 
			Technology co.Ltd</td>
			<td>310luosditaozhuang</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>M3 Stainless SteelMachine screws Flat Head Hex Socket Cap Screws (30 mm) x 36</td>
			<td>Still Awake</td>
			<td>a52400001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Quick disconnect terminal connectors</td>
			<td>IEUYO</td>
			<td>22010064</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Red Blood Cell Lysis Buffer (10x)</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>46232</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Terminal adapter shield Expansion board for Arduino Nano&#160; 12&#34; x 24&#34;</td>
			<td>Shenzhen 
			Weiyapuhua 
			Technology</td>
			<td>60-026-3</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

mechanical dissociation of tissues for single cell analysis using a motorized device

Being able to isolate and prepare single cells for the analysis of tissue samples has rapidly become crucial for new biomedical discoveries and research. Manual protocols for single-cell isolations are highly time-consuming and prone to user variability. Automated mechanical protocols are able to reduce processing time and sample variability but aren't easily accessible or cost-effective in lower-resourced research settings. The device described here was designed for semi-automated tissue dissociation using commercially available materials as a low-cost alternative for academic laboratories. Instructions to fabricate, assemble, and operate the device design have been provided. The dissociation protocol reliably produces single-cell suspensions with comparable cell yields and sample viability to manual preparations across multiple mouse tissues. The protocol provides the ability to process up to 12 tissue samples simultaneously per device, making studies requiring large sample sizes more manageable. The accompanying software also allows for customization of the device protocol to accommodate varying tissues and experimental constraints.

Author Spotlight: Advancements in Nanoparticle Technology for Drug Delivery and Immunotherapy

Mechanical Dissociation of Tissues for Single Cell Analysis Using a Motorized Device

Our lab develops nanoparticles as tools to study biological barriers and to overcome these barriers at mucosal surfaces to improve drug delivery and immunotherapy. One of the most notable developments is the COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer, BioNTech, and Moderna that use lipid nanoparticle formulations to deliver mRNA for vaccination. There are a lot of ongoing efforts to improve immunotherapies like vaccines and cancer treatments using nanoparticles, as these formulations could improve target delivery to immune cells and reduce the systemic side effects of immunotherapies.Single cell analysis is an essential component of immunology in biomedical research, one of the most common techniques being flow cytometry. Performing such cell isolations from tissues of interest requires reliable tissue dissociation. Making laboratory research more accessible without compromising quality and accuracy can be challenging.Automating processes makes technical and labor intensive steps easier to learn and allows trainees to gain experience doing more sophisticated analyses without affecting the reliability of results. The main advantage of this protocol and the accompanying device design is its customizability and cost effectiveness. The ability to process up to 12 tissues simultaneously reduces processing times.This low cost alternative makes this technology more accessible in lower resourced research settings.

This semi-automated mechanical protocol can replicate results from experiments in which cells were processed manually. Cell suspensions prepared using this device and by manual dissociation show comparable cell yields and sample viability across mouse lung, kidney, and heart tissues (Figure 2A,B). Populations of immune cells, such as T cells and dendritic cells, were not significantly affected by a difference in isolation protocol (Figure 2C). S...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Mechanical Dissociation of Tissues for Single Cell Analysis Using a Motorized Device at JoVE.com

A general protocol for the combined enzymatic and semi-automated mechanical dissociation of tissues to generate single-cell suspensions for downstream analyses, such as flow cytometry, is provided. Instructions for the fabrication, assembly, and operation of the low-cost mechanical device developed for this protocol are included.

Being able to isolate and prepare single cells for the analysis of tissue samples has rapidly become crucial for new biomedical discoveries and research. ...