Manipulation of Cells on a Droplet Actuator
AssigneeAdvanced Liquid Logic, Inc.
InventorsMichael G. Pollack, Vamsee K. Pamula, Allen E. Eckhardt
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Abstract
A method of inoculating a culture medium including providing a droplet including a single cell type on a droplet actuator and inoculating a culture medium with the droplet. A method of providing a metabolically useful substance to a cell culture, including providing a droplet actuator including a cell culture droplet loaded thereon, the sample droplet including cells and a cell culture medium, and a second droplet comprising a metabolically useful substance. The method also includes conducting one or more droplet operations to combine the cell culture droplet with the second droplet on the droplet actuator. Related methods, droplet actuators, and systems are also provided.
Claims20
A method of inoculating a culture medium, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a droplet comprising a single cell type on a droplet actuator;
- and
- (b) inoculating a culture medium with the droplet.
A method of providing a droplet comprising a single cell type, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising:
- (i) a sample droplet loaded thereon, the sample droplet comprising cells of multiple cell types;
- and
- (ii) a bead droplet comprising one or more beads having affinity for a specific one of the cell types;
- (b) conducting one or more droplet operations to combine the bead droplet with the sample droplet, thereby permitting cells of the specific one of the cell types to bind to the beads;
- and
- (c) conducting a droplet based washing protocol to separate the beads bound to cells of the specific one of the cell types from cells of other cell types.
A method of providing a droplet having a modified distribution of cell types, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising a sample droplet loaded thereon, the sample droplet comprising a first distribution of cells of multiple cell types;
- (b) activating a series of electrodes to elongate the droplet, thereby providing an elongated droplet;
- (c) applying a dielectrophoretic gradient along the elongated droplet;
- and
- (d) deactivating an intermediate one of the series of electrodes to divide the droplet into two or more sub-droplets, each such sub-droplet having a distribution of cells that differs from the first distribution of cells of multiple cell types.
A method of providing a metabolically useful substance to a cell culture, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising:
- (i) a cell culture droplet loaded thereon, the sample droplet comprising cells and a cell culture medium;
- and
- (ii) a second droplet comprising a metabolically useful substance;
- and
- (b) conducting one or more droplet operations to combine the cell culture droplet with the second droplet on the droplet actuator.
A method of growing cells on a droplet actuator, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising a cell culture droplet comprising a cell culture medium and one or more cells;
- and
- (b) maintaining the droplet at a temperature suitable for causing the cells to grow in the cell culture medium on the droplet actuator.
A method of providing a hybridoma, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising:
- (i) a B-cell droplet comprising a B-cell;
- and
- (ii) a myeloma cell droplet comprising a myeloma cell;
- and
- (b) conducting droplet operations to combine the B-cell droplet with the myeloma cell droplet under conditions suitable to cause the fusion of the B-cell with the myeloma cell to produce a hybridoma.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.