Manipulation of biological cells using a microelectromagnet matrix

Noninvasive manipulation of biological cells inside a microfluidic channel was demonstrated using a microelectromagnet matrix. The matrix consists of two layers of straight Au wires, aligned perpendicular to each other, that are covered by insulating layers. By adjusting the current in each independent wire, the microelectromagnet matrix can create versatile magnetic field patterns to control the motion of individual cells in fluid. Single or multiple yeast cells attached to magnetic beads were trapped, continuously moved and rotated, and a viable cell was separated from nonviable cells for cell sorting.

[1]  Mala L. Radhakrishnan,et al.  Manipulation of magnetic microbeads in suspension using micromagnetic systems fabricated with soft lithography , 2001 .

[2]  Hakho Lee,et al.  Microelectromagnets for the control of magnetic nanoparticles , 2001 .

[3]  Denis Wirtz,et al.  Magnetic tweezers for DNA micromanipulation , 2000 .

[4]  Andreas Radbruch,et al.  Chapter 23 High-Gradient Magnetic Cell Sorting , 1994 .

[5]  Urs O. Häfeli,et al.  Scientific and clinical applications of magnetic carriers , 1997 .

[6]  N. Sharon,et al.  Lectins: cell-agglutinating and sugar-specific proteins. , 1972, Science.

[7]  A. Vasella,et al.  Aggregation of yeast cells: direct measurement of discrete lectin-carbohydrate interactions. , 2003, Microbiology.

[8]  C. Ahn,et al.  An on-chip magnetic bead separator using spiral electromagnets with semi-encapsulated permalloy. , 2001, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[9]  Donald E Ingber,et al.  Mechanical properties of individual focal adhesions probed with a magnetic microneedle. , 2004, Biochemical and biophysical research communications.

[10]  S. Bhatia,et al.  Tissue Engineering at the Micro-Scale , 1999 .

[11]  Charlie Gosse,et al.  Magnetic tweezers: micromanipulation and force measurement at the molecular level. , 2002, Biophysical journal.

[12]  E. Hornes,et al.  Monodisperse magnetic polymer particles. New biochemical and biomedical applications. , 1993, Blood purification.

[13]  Leon W.M.M. Terstappen,et al.  Optical tracking and detection of immunomagnetically selected and aligned cells , 1999, Nature Biotechnology.

[14]  Francis Crick,et al.  The physical properties of cytoplasm: A study by means of the magnetic particle method Part I. Experimental , 1950 .