Publication

Microfluidic Patterning of Protein Gradients on Biomimetic Hydrogel Substrates

Matthias Lütolf, Steffen Cosson
2014
Book Chapters

Abstract

This protocol describes a versatile microfluidic method to generate tethered protein gradients of virtually any user-defined shape on biomimetic hydrogel substrates. It can be applied to test, in a microenvironment of physiologically relevant stiffness, how cells respond to graded biomolecular signals, for example to elucidate how morphogen proteins affect stem cell fate. The method is based on the use of microfluidic flow focusing to rapidly capture in a step-wise manner tagged biomolecules via affinity binding on the gel surface. The entire patterning process can be performed in

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/867293c1-fb19-4e8e-8abe-3f30c8f5cf4e

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Matthias Lütolf, Steffen Cosson
2014
Book Chapters

Abstract

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/867293c1-fb19-4e8e-8abe-3f30c8f5cf4e

About this result

Related concepts (22)

Microfluidics

Microfluidics refers to a system that manipulates a small amount of fluids ((10−9 to 10−18 liters) using small channels with sizes ten to hundreds micrometres. It is a multidisciplinary field that involves molecular analysis, biodefence, molecular biology, and microelectronics. It has practical applications in the design of systems that process low volumes of fluids to achieve multiplexing, automation, and high-throughput screening.

Embryonic stem cell

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage pre-implantation embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50–150 cells. Isolating the inner cell mass (embryoblast) using immunosurgery results in destruction of the blastocyst, a process which raises ethical issues, including whether or not embryos at the pre-implantation stage have the same moral considerations as embryos in the post-implantation stage of development.

Droplet-based microfluidics

Droplet-based microfluidics manipulate discrete volumes of fluids in immiscible phases with low Reynolds number and laminar flow regimes. Interest in droplet-based microfluidics systems has been growing substantially in past decades. Microdroplets offer the feasibility of handling miniature volumes (μl to fl) of fluids conveniently, provide better mixing, encapsulation, sorting, sensing and are suitable for high throughput experiments.

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