Bacterial Cell-to-cell Communication Assays in A Micro-fabricated Concentrator Array Device

Abstract

We present a microfluidic device for monitoring cell-to-cell communication by motile bacterial cells a chip. The device can accumulate motile bacterial cells to desired destinations with required cell densities in a controllable manner by using the arrowhead-shaped ratchet structures that only allow uni-directional movement of the cells so that the device can provide physically separated but chemically connected microenvironment, facilitating the cell-to-cell communication assay. Since the cell signaling molecules diffuse freely between chambers, the device makes it possible to quantify the effect of the spacing distances and the density of cells on the cell-to-cell communication of synthetically engineered bacterial cells.