Combinatorial microfluidic devices for cell biology

Cell responses to signaling factors are complex and non-linear, depending on concentration, onset and duration of exposure, and interactions with other factors. Present methods for exposing cells to soluble factors are resource-intensive and/or have low throughput. To improve combinatorial testing of single cells in culture, we are developing a novel strategy to deliver combinations of reagents to large numbers of single cells simultaneously. The core device is a passive microfluidic combinatorial mixer, which generates combinations of compounds in a large number of known concentrations from a few inputs. Device prototypes are demonstrated in laminated Mylar. Cell islands are created using protein patterns defined by holes in an elastomeric stencil