Manipulation of cells on a droplet actuator
First Claim
1. A method of inoculating and maintaining a culture medium, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a droplet actuator comprising a sample droplet loaded thereon, wherein the sample droplet is substantially surrounded by an oil filler fluid and comprises cells of multiple cell types;
(b) dispensing by electrowetting a sub-droplet from the sample droplet;
(c) analyzing the sub-droplet to determine whether the sub-droplet comprises a single cell type;
(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) until one or more sub-droplets each comprising a single cell type is identified; and
(e) inoculating a culture medium droplet on the droplet actuator by executing electrowetting-mediated droplet operations with a sub-droplet of (c) or (d) comprising a single cell type to bring the sub-droplet into contact with the culture medium droplet to form an inoculated droplet; and
(f) maintaining the inoculated droplet of (e) at a temperature suitable for causing the cells to grow in the inoculated droplet surrounded by the oil on the droplet actuator, and thereby causing the cells to grow.
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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.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of inoculating and maintaining a culture medium, the method comprising:
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(a) providing a droplet actuator comprising a sample droplet loaded thereon, wherein the sample droplet is substantially surrounded by an oil filler fluid and comprises cells of multiple cell types; (b) dispensing by electrowetting a sub-droplet from the sample droplet; (c) analyzing the sub-droplet to determine whether the sub-droplet comprises a single cell type; (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) until one or more sub-droplets each comprising a single cell type is identified; and (e) inoculating a culture medium droplet on the droplet actuator by executing electrowetting-mediated droplet operations with a sub-droplet of (c) or (d) comprising a single cell type to bring the sub-droplet into contact with the culture medium droplet to form an inoculated droplet; and (f) maintaining the inoculated droplet of (e) at a temperature suitable for causing the cells to grow in the inoculated droplet surrounded by the oil on the droplet actuator, and thereby causing the cells to grow. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification