Abstract
The precise rotational manipulation of single cells or organisms is invaluable to many applications in biology, chemistry, physics and medicine. In this article, we describe an acoustic-based, on-chip manipulation method that can rotate single microparticles, cells and organisms. To achieve this, we trapped microbubbles within predefined sidewall microcavities inside a microchannel. In an acoustic field, trapped microbubbles were driven into oscillatory motion generating steady microvortices which were utilized to precisely rotate colloids, cells and entire organisms (that is, C. elegans). We have tested the capabilities of our method by analysing reproductive system pathologies and nervous system morphology in C. elegans. Using our device, we revealed the underlying abnormal cell fusion causing defective vulval morphology in mutant worms. Our acoustofluidic rotational manipulation (ARM) technique is an easy-to-use, compact, and biocompatible method, permitting rotation regardless of optical, magnetic or electrical properties of the sample under investigation.
Highlights
The precise rotational manipulation of single cells or organisms is invaluable to many applications in biology, chemistry, physics and medicine
We describe an acoustofluidic rotational manipulation (ARM) method, which utilizes steady acoustic microstreaming vortices created by the oscillatory motion of air microbubbles trapped in a microfluidic channel
Using ARM, we have demonstrated for the first time, on-chip rotation of C. elegans, a valuable and frequently used model organism for elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying human diseases[46]
Summary
The precise rotational manipulation of single cells or organisms is invaluable to many applications in biology, chemistry, physics and medicine. We describe an acoustic-based, on-chip manipulation method that can rotate single microparticles, cells and organisms. In an acoustic field, trapped microbubbles were driven into oscillatory motion generating steady microvortices which were utilized to precisely rotate colloids, cells and entire organisms (that is, C. elegans). We describe an acoustofluidic rotational manipulation (ARM) method, which utilizes steady acoustic microstreaming vortices created by the oscillatory motion of air microbubbles trapped in a microfluidic channel. Compared with optical, magnetic or electric field-based rotational manipulation methods, ARM is both extremely simple and practical. Precise rotation of multicellular organisms such as C. elegans can provide a powerful and versatile platform to perform efficient and rapid analysis of cell and tissue morphologies or positions in three dimensions. With the growing use of organism-on-chip tools for investigating microorganisms and cells, our method is anticipated to be an invaluable tool in biology, biophysics and medicine
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