A Versatile Method of Patterning Proteins and Cells

Summary

This report describes a simple, easy to perform technique, using low pressure vacuum, to fill microfluidic channels with cells and substrates for biological research.

Abstract

Substrate and cell patterning techniques are widely used in cell biology to study cell-to-cell and cell-to-substrate interactions. Conventional patterning techniques work well only with simple shapes, small areas and selected bio-materials. This article describes a method to distribute cell suspensions as well as substrate solutions into complex, long, closed (dead-end) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels using negative pressure. This method enables researchers to pattern multiple substrates including fibronectin, collagen, antibodies (Sal-1), poly-D-lysine (PDL), and laminin. Patterning of substrates allows one to indirectly pattern a variety of cells. We have tested C2C12 myoblasts, the PC12 neuronal cell line, embryonic rat cortical neurons, and amphibian retinal neurons. In addition, we demonstrate that this technique can directly pattern fibroblasts in microfluidic channels via brief application of a low vacuum on cell suspensions. The low vacuum does not significantly decrease cell viability as shown by cell viability assays. Modifications are discussed for application of the method to different cell and substrate types. This technique allows researchers to pattern cells and proteins in specific patterns without the need for exotic materials or equipment and can be done in any laboratory with a vacuum.

Introduction

In tissue engineering and biosensing, the ability to control the spatial organization of proteins and cells on a µm scale, has become increasingly important over the last four decades^1,2,3. Precise spatial organization of proteins and cells has allowed researchers to examine the interaction between cells and substrates containing similar or different types of cells, to guide cell growth, and to immobilize biomolecules for the fabrication of biosensors^4,5,6,

Protocol

NOTE: Please consult all relevant material safety data sheets (MSDS) before use. Some of the chemicals used in this protocol are toxic and carcinogenic. Please use all appropriate safety practices (fume hood, glovebox) and personal protective equipment (safety glasses, gloves, lab coat, full length pants, closed-toe shoes) when using toxic or acid/base materials.

1. Fabrication of Master Molds for Soft Lithography using Photolithography

1. Draw the layout of the microchannel using a computer-aided design (CAD) drawing tool.
2. Print the layout on a blank mask plate using laser mask writer.
3. Rinse a 4 inch silicon wa....

Results

This method allows the patterning of proteins and indirect patterning of cells using dead-end microfluidic channels with dimensions as small as 10 µm and equipment available in almost all biological laboratories once the master mold is made. This technique can be utilized with PDMS microfluidic channels created using traditional soft photolithography, or with PDMS microfluidic channels created with adhesive tape fabrication (Figure 1)^28,.......

Discussion

While conventional photolithography is a well-established technique for the creation of molds for soft lithography, the equipment, materials, and skills necessary to use conventional photolithography are not readily available to most laboratories. For laboratories without access to these resources, we have presented adhesive tape fabrication as a method of creating molds with relatively simple features for microfluidic devices. This method allows any laboratory to create and utilize microfluidic devices for research purp.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
CorelDRAW X4 CAD Drawing Tools	Corel Corporation, Canada	X4 Version 14.0.0.701	CAD tool used to draw the layout of the microfluidic device
Laser Printer HP	Hewlett Packard, CA	1739629	Used to print the layout of microfluidic device for adhesive tape technique
Bel-Art Dessicator	Fisher Scientific, MA	08-594-16B	Used to degass the PDMS mixture
Adhesive Scotch Tape	3M Product, MN	Tape 600	Used to fabricate adhesive tape Master
PDMS Sylgard 184	Dow Corning, MI	1064291	Casting polymer
Petri Dish	Fisher Scientific, MA	08-772-23	Used to keep the mold to cast with PDMS
Stainless steel Scalpel (#3) with blade (# 11)	Feather Safety Razor Co. Ltd. Japan	2976#11	Used to cut the PDMS
Tweezers	Ted Pella, CA	5627-07	Used to handle the PDMS cast during peeling
Glass slides	Fisher Scientific, MA	12-546-2	Used as surface to pattern the Substrate
Glass slides	Fisher Scientific, MA	12-544-4	Used as surface to pattern the Substrate
Rubber Roller	Dick Blick Art Materials, IL	40104-1004	Used to attach adhesive tape on glass without trapping air bubbles
Laser Mask Writer	Heidelberg Instruments, Germany	DWL66fs	Used to fabricate quartz mask used in photolithography fabrication process
EVG Mask Aligner (Photolithography UV exposure tool)	EV Group, Germany	EVG 620T(B)	Used to expose the photoresist to UV light
Spin Coater Headway	Headway Research Inc, TX	PWM32-PS-CB15PL	Used to spin coat the photoresist on silicon wafer
Photoresists SU-8 50	MicroChem, MA	Y131269	Negative photoresist used for mold fabrication
SU-8 Devloper	MicroChem, MA	Y020100	Photoresist developer
Tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-Tetrahydrooctyl-1-Trichlorosilane	UCT Specialties, PA	T2492-KG	Coat mold to avoid PDMS adhesion
Isopropanol	Sigma-Aldrich, MO	190764	Cleaning Solvent
Ethanol	Sigma-Aldrich, MO	24102	Sterilization Solvent
Poly-D-Lysine hydrobromide (PDL)	Sigma-Aldrich, MO	P0899-10MG	PDL solution is made at 0.1 mg/mL in Sodium Tetraborate Buffer
Laminin	Sigma-Aldrich, MO	L2020	Laminin aliquoted into 10 µL aliquots and diluted to 20 µg/µL in PBS prior to use
BSA	Fisher Scientific, MA	BP1605100	Cell culture
C2C12 Myoblast cell lline	ATCC, VA	CRL-1722	Used to demonstrate C2C12 patterning
PC12 Cell Line	ATCC, VA	CRL-1721	Used to demonstrate PC12 patterning
Collagen type 1, rat tail	BD Biosciences	40236	Cell culture
DMEM	GIBCO, MA	11965-084	Cell culture
Horse Serum, heat inactivated	Fisher Scientific, MA	26050-070	Cell culture
Phalloidin-tetramethylrhodamine B isothiocyanate (TRITC)	Sigma-Aldrich, MO	P1951	To label cells
Calcein-AM live dead cell Assay kit	Invitrogen, MA	L-3224	Cell viability Assay
Biopsy Hole Punch	Ted Pella, CA	15110-10	Punched hole in PDMS