Micro fluidic biosensor array for parallelized cell adhesion analysis during pathogenic infection

In this contribution we present a novel disposable micro fluidic biosensor array for parallelized monitoring of cell adhesion during pathogenic infection. The biosensor array consists of 4 bioreactor chips and a flow distribution network. Thus, 4 biological experiments, can be run in parallel. Each bioreactor chip contains 4 quartz crystal resonators (QCRs) with randomly spread cells on top which are stimulated identically. Insofar, the array enables the analysis of the cellular response dependent on cell distribution. Injection molding technology was applied for the fabrication of low cost and disposable micro fluidic devices. Sensor signals are monitored with a miniaturized impedance analyzer combined with a novel sensor interface electronics for 16 QCRs. Light microscope pictures can be acquired in parallel. The array was used for the analysis of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells (MDCK-II). Results show significant variations in sensor signals, respectively cellular response, that can be attributed to different cell distributions on the sensor surface.