Use of Microfluidic Technology for Cell Separation

The cell is the basic functional unit within a tissue or an organ. Methods that can be used to probe the cell, so as to understand, or even manipulate its interrelated processes, pathways, and/or overall functioning, are of great scientific and commercial value. Research efforts in molecular biology, biochemistry, and biotechnology over the last two decades have created high demand for efficient, cost-effective, cell enrichment, isolation, and handling methods. Cell studies can be performed on continuously growing cell lines, many of which are commercially available, in tissue culture, or on cells obtained from intact tissues or isolated from blood [1-3].