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Article

Microfabricated System for Parallel Single-Cell Capillary Electrophoresis

Supporting Info

Nigel R. Munce,^† Jianzhao Li,^‡ Peter R. Herman,^‡ and Lothar Lilge*^†^§

Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2M9

Anal. Chem., 2004, 76 (17), pp 4983–4989

DOI: 10.1021/ac0496906

Publication Date (Web): July 28, 2004

†

Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto.

‡

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, 10 King's College Road, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S 3G4.

Corresponding author. E-mail: llilge@uhnres.utoronto.ca.

Ontario Cancer Institute, University Health Network, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5G 2M9.

Abstract

Performing single-cell electrophoresis separations using multiple parallel microchannels offers the possibility of both increasing throughput and eliminating cross-contamination between different separations. The instrumentation for such a system requires spatial and temporal control of both single-cell selection and lysis. To address these problems, a compact platform is presented for single-cell capillary electrophoresis in parallel microchannels that combines optical tweezers for cell selection and electromechanical lysis. Calcein-labeled acute myloid leukemia (AML) cells were selected from an on-chip reservoir and transported by optical tweezers to one of four parallel microfluidic channels. Each channel entrance was manufactured by F₂-laser ablation to form a 20- to 10-μm tapered lysis reservoir, creating an injector geometry effective in confining the cellular contents during mechanical shearing of the cell at the 10-μm capillary entrance. The contents of individual cells were simultaneously injected into parallel channels resulting in electrophoretic separation as recorded by laser-induced fluorescence of the labeled cellular contents.

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