Microswimmer Combing: Controlling Interfacial Dynamics for Open‐Surface Multifunctional Screening of Small Animals

Abstract

Image‐based screening of multicellular model organisms is critical for both investigating fundamental biology and drug development. Current microfluidic techniques for high‐throughput manipulation of small model organisms, although useful, are generally complicated to operate, which impedes their widespread adoption by biology laboratories. To address this challenge, this paper presents an ultrasimple and yet effective approach, “microswimmer combing,” to rapidly isolate live small animals on an open‐surface array. This approach exploits a dynamic contact line‐combing mechanism designed to handle highly active microswimmers. The isolation method is robust, and the device operation is simple for users without a priori experience. The versatile open‐surface device enables multiple screening applications, including high‐resolution imaging of multicellular organisms, on‐demand mutant selection, and multiplexed chemical screening. The simplicity and versatility of this method provide broad access to high‐throughput experimentation for biologists and open up new opportunities to study active microswimmers by different scientific communities.

Advances in Microfluidics: Technical Innovations and Applications in Diagnostics and Therapeutics

“…A one-step arraying technique, termed “microswimmer combing”, can further simplify the isolation of live small animals on an open surface. This approach exploits a dynamic contact line-combing mechanism on a surface with patterned wetting properties to distribute active microswimmers …”

“…This approach exploits a dynamic contact line-combing mechanism on a surface with patterned wetting properties to distribute active microswimmers. 158 Additional platforms are dedicated to the refined control of animals. Precise orientation of embryos and larvae are of interest for microinjection.…”

Microfluidic Devices: A Tool for Nanoparticle Synthesis and Performance Evaluation

“…38−40 Microfluidic chips also allow for the manipulation of these small animals with care and precision, eliminating their potential damage due to mishandling. 41 These in vivo models provide great opportunities for drug screening as well as efficacy and toxicity evaluation. Moreover, the integration of small organisms on a chip guarantees high control over the experimental conditions and enables data processing in parallel, generating high-throughput data.…”

“…These microphysiological devices are intended to mirror the functions of a specific tissue, organ, or physiopathological condition to serve as a model for in vitro studies. , Furthermore, the addition of three-dimensional (3D) structures (e.g., hydrogels and scaffolds) or cell aggregates (e.g., spheroids or organoids) allows for obtaining more elaborate models. , The 3D culture of cells and the application of a dynamic environment (e.g., perfusion, shear stress) better represent tissues’ nature and lead to more reliable outcomes than conventional two-dimensional (2D) static cell cultures . Finally, microfluidic chips can also be built to host small organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans worms, Drosophila melanogaster, and larvae of Danio rerio . − Microfluidic chips also allow for the manipulation of these small animals with care and precision, eliminating their potential damage due to mishandling . These in vivo models provide great opportunities for drug screening as well as efficacy and toxicity evaluation.…”

Rapid construct superhydrophobic microcracks on the open-surface platform for droplet manipulations

“…[1][2][3][4][5] By comparison, open-surface microfluidics mainly controls dispersed droplets on the open-surface device by adjusting surface structures and wettability. [6][7][8] In recent years, open-surface microfluidics has attracted much attention due to several advantages, such as reduced the consumption of reagents and samples; 9 a simplified integration processes and controlled system (i.e., no bonding is required); and most importantly, no channels exist, thereby avoiding trapped bubbles and eliminating the risk of the microchannel clogging. [10][11][12] Thus, opensurface microfluidics has great potential in point-of-care (POC) diagnostics and lab-on-a-chip (LOC) applications.…”