Integration of marker-free selection of single cells at a wireless electrode array with parallel fluidic isolation and electrical lysisElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Materials and methods, details of experimental procedures, and supplementary results of fluid exchange, lysis, and fluidic isolation steps. See DOI: 10.1039/c8sc04804e

• Main Authors: Li, Min, Anand, Robbyn K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2041-6520; 2041-6539
• DOI: 10.1039/c8sc04804e

We present integration of selective single-cell capture at an array of wireless electrodes (bipolar electrodes, BPEs) with transfer into chambers, reagent exchange, fluidic isolation and rapid electrical lysis in a single platform, thus minimizing sample loss and manual intervention steps. The whole process is achieved simply by exchanging the solution in a single inlet reservoir and by adjusting the applied voltage at a pair of driving electrodes, thus making this approach particularly well-suited for a broad range of research and clinical applications. Further, the use of BPEs allows the array to be scalable to increase throughput. Specific innovations reported here include the incorporation of a leak channel to balance competing flow paths, the use of 'split BPEs' to create a distinct recapture and electrical lysis point within the reaction chamber, and the dual purposing of an ionic liquid as an immiscible phase to seal the chambers and as a conductive medium to permit electrical lysis at the split BPEs. We present integration of selective single-cell capture at an array of wireless electrodes (bipolar electrodes, BPEs) with transfer into chambers, reagent exchange, fluidic isolation and rapid electrical lysis in a single platform, thus minimizing sample loss and manual intervention steps.