Compartmentalized microchannel array for high-throughput analysis of single cell polarized growth and dynamics

Here, interrogating polarized growth is technologically challenging due to extensive cellular branching and uncontrollable environmental conditions in conventional assays. Here we present a robust and high-performance microfluidic system that enables observations of polarized growth with enhanced te...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2015-11, Vol.5 (16111)
Main Authors: Geng, Tao, Bredeweg, Erin L., Szymanski, Craig J., Liu, Bingwen, Baker, Scott E., Orr, Galya, Evans, James E., Kelly, Ryan T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
cell
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory
fungal biology
high-throughput
lab-on-a-chip
microchannel
microfluidic
Neurospora crassa
polarized growth
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Summary:Here, interrogating polarized growth is technologically challenging due to extensive cellular branching and uncontrollable environmental conditions in conventional assays. Here we present a robust and high-performance microfluidic system that enables observations of polarized growth with enhanced temporal and spatial control over prolonged periods. The system has built-in tunability and versatility to accommodate a variety of science applications requiring precisely controlled environments. Using the model filamentous fungus, Neurospora crassa, this microfluidic system enabled direct visualization and analysis of cellular heterogeneity in a clonal fungal cell population, nuclear distribution and dynamics at the subhyphal level, and quantitative dynamics of gene expression with single hyphal compartment resolution in response to carbon source starvation and exchange experiments. Although the microfluidic device is demonstrated on filamentous fungi, our technology is immediately extensible to a wide array of other biosystems that exhibit similar polarized cell growth with applications ranging from bioenergy production to human health.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322