Cells surf through a microfluidic chip on fluid streamlines created by an oscillating plate
Wednesday, September 12, 2012 - 22:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Scientists who study tissue engineering and test new drugs often need to sort, rotate, move, and otherwise manipulate individual cells. They can do this by prodding the cells into place with a mechanical probe or coaxing them in the desired direction with acoustic waves, electric fields, or flowing fluids. Techniques that rely on direct physical contact can position individual cells with a high level of precision while non-contact techniques are often faster for sorting large numbers of cells. An international team of researchers has now developed a way to manipulate cells that combines some of the benefits of both contact and non-contact methods.