Temporally programmable cell culture environment using a membrane integrated microbioreactor

Abstract

We present a novel microfluidic device with a self-assembled particle membrane (SAPM) that not only enables the evaporation-driven concentration of microparcles including bacterial cells but also allows to continuously change the solution in the microchamber without disturbing the concentrated cells. We demonstrate that the device concentrate microparticles in the designated microchamber and compare the performance in the presence and absence of evaporation. In addition, we show that the chemical environment of the microchamber can be individually and temporally controlled. Therefore, the microfluidic device can be novel, temporally programmable, and high-throughput microbioreactors.