Cell transfection apparatus and methods for making and using the cell transfection apparatus

A method for injecting a cell with a foreign biomolecule, said method comprising the steps of:

• printing, at defined locations on a surface, at least one foreign biomolecule, including nucleic acids;
• adding, onto the surface, a transfection reagent;
• and
• adding, onto the surface, cells and cell growth media, wherein said surface is configured such that at least a portion of a group of the cells that become transfected with the at least one foreign biomolecule is segregated from a group of cells that fail to become transfected with the at least one foreign biomolecule.

A method for making a cell transfection microplatform apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

• coating a top surface of a silica plate with a substantially thick layer of photoresist material;
• exposing selected areas of the photoresist material to an ultraviolet light;
• developing away unexposed areas of the photoresist material from the silica plate;
• using a reactive ion etching process to form a plurality of microplatforms in the silica plate by etching away a predetermined amount of the top surface from the silica plate that is not covered by the exposed photoresist material;
• and
• removing the remaining exposed photoresist material from the silica plate which resembles the cell transfection microplatform apparatus.

A method for making a cell transfection plate, said method comprising the steps of:

• coating a top surface of a glass plate with a non-binding compound;
• heating the coated glass plate;
• washing the heated coated glass plate;
• and
• patterning the top surface of the washed glass plate so as to remove portions of the non-binding compound to form at least one binding region, wherein the patterned glass plate resembles the cell transfection plate.