Name: a gradient-generating microfluidic device for cell biology
Uploaded: 2007-08-30T00:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Gradient-generating Microfluidic Device for Cell Biology at JoVE.com

<p class="jove_title">A. Microfabrication of the gradient-generating microfluidic device</p>
<ol>
<li>The Si wafer is treated with reactive oxygen plasma (5 min at 30W, Harrick Scientific, NY).</li>
<li>Negative photoresist (SU-8 50, Microchem, MA) is spin-coated at 1000 rpm for 1 min on a Si wafer.</li>
<li>The wafer is soft baked at 65&deg;C for 10 min and subsequently at 95&deg;C for 30 min on a hotplate.</li>
<li>The wafer is exposed to UV light (200W) for 3 min through a transparency mask with a minimum feature size of 30 &micro;m.</li>
<l...

<ol>
	<li>Jeon, N. L., Baskaran, H., Dertinger, S. K. W., Whitesides, G. M., Van de Water, L., Toner, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Neutrophil+chemotaxis+in+linear+and+complex+gradients+of+interleukin-8+formed+in+a+microfabricated+device.">Neutrophil chemotaxis in linear and complex gradients of interleukin-8 formed in a microfabricated device.</a> <em style='font-style: italic'>Nat. Biotechnol</em>. <b>20</b>, 826-830 (2002).</li><li>Lin, F., Nguyen, C. M., Wang, S. J., Saadi, W., Gross, S. P., Jeon, N. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effective+neutrophil+chemotaxis+is+strongly+influenced+by+mean+IL-8+concentration.">Effective neutrophil chemotaxis is strongly influenced by mean IL-8 concentration.</a> <em style='font-style: italic'>Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun</em>. <b>319</b>, 576-581 (2004).</li><li>Chung, B. G., Flanagan, L. A., Rhee, S. W., Schwartz, P. H., Lee, A. P., Monuki, E. S., Jeon, N. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Human+neural+stem+cell+growth+and+differentiation+in+a+gradient-generating+microfluidic+device.">Human neural stem cell growth and differentiation in a gradient-generating microfluidic device.</a> <em style='font-style: italic'>Lab Chip</em>. <b>5</b>, 401-406 (2005).</li><li>Saadi, W., Wang, S. J., Lin, F., Jeon, N. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+parallel-gradient+microfluidic+chamber+for+quantitative+analysis+of+breast+cancer+cell+chemotaxis.">A parallel-gradient microfluidic chamber for quantitative analysis of breast cancer cell chemotaxis.</a> <em style='font-style: italic'>Biomed. Microdevices</em>. <b>8</b>, 109-118 (2007).</li><li>Chung, B. G., Park, J. W., Hu, J. S., Huang, C., Monuki, E. S., Jeon, N. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+hybrid+microfluidic-vacuum+device+for+interfacing+with+conventional+cell+culture+platform.">A hybrid microfluidic-vacuum device for interfacing with conventional cell culture platform.</a> <em style='font-style: italic'>BMC Biotechnol</em>. <b>7</b>, (2007).</li></ol>

<p class="jove_content">Cells exposed to stable concentration gradients of EGF in a microfluidic device migrated toward higher concentrations.  The directional orientation of cell migration, chemotactic index, motility of migrating cells were investigated by cell tracking analysis.  Therefore, this gradient-generating microfluidic platform could be useful for studying cancer metastasis, embryogenesis, and axon guidance.</p>

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		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>Dextran-FITC</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
<td>FD10S </td>
<td>Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) conjugated-dextran (10kD)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>hr-EGF</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>13247-051 </td>
<td>human recombinant Epidermal growth factor </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PDMS</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>K.R. Anderson Co. Inc.</td>
<td>2065622  </td>
<td>Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), Dow Corning Sylgard 184 (8.6 lb)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Negative photoresist </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Microchem</td>
<td>SU-8 50</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Si wafer</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>silicone wafer, 4 inch</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Petri dishes</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Polyethylene tubing </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Becton Dickinon</td>
<td>PE 20</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>PBS</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Fibronectin</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>NIH 3T3 </td>
<td>cell-line</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>fibroblast cells</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Inverted microscope</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Nikon </td>
<td>TE 2000</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>		</tbody>
		</table>
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a gradient-generating microfluidic device for cell biology

 The fabrication and operation of a gradient-generating microfluidic device for studying cellular behavior is described.  A microfluidic platform is an enabling experimental tool, because it can precisely manipulate fluid flows, enable high-throughput experiments, and generate stable soluble concentration gradients.  Compared to conventional gradient generators, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based  microfluidic devices can generate stable concentration gradients of growth factors with well-defined profiles.  Here, we developed simple gradient-generating microfluidic devices with three separate inlets.  Three microchannels combined into one microchannel to generate concentration gradients.  The stability and shape of growth factor gradients were confirmed by fluorescein isothyiocyanate (FITC)-dextran with a molecular weight similar to epidermal growth factor (EGF).  Using this microfluidic device, we demonstrated that fibroblasts exposed to concentration gradients of EGF migrated toward higher concentrations.  The directional orientation of cell migration and motility of migrating cells were quantitatively assessed by cell tracking analysis.  Thus, this gradient-generating microfluidic device might be useful for studying and analyzing the behavior of migrating cells.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Gradient-generating Microfluidic Device for Cell Biology at JoVE.com

A Gradient-generating Microfluidic Device for Cell Biology

<p class="jove_content">We describe a protocol for the microfabrication of the gradient-generating microfluidic device that can generate spatial and temporal gradients in well-defined microenvironment.  In this approach, the gradient-generating microfluidic device can be used to study directed cell migration, embryogenesis, wound healing, and cancer metastasis.</p>

 The fabrication and operation of a gradient-generating microfluidic device for studying cellular behavior is described.  A microfluidic platform is an ...

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