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Microfabricated micropallets for enhancement of biomolecular techniques

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Abstract

We introduce microcarriers referred to as “micropallets” ranging in size from 25 μm to several 100 microns, fabricated using photoresist or other polymer materials. These small carrier structures may be used in static detection systems or for transporting attached biological or chemical samples through a microfluidic system. Micropallets may be encoded through the use of barcodes or other markings and engineered to optimally suit the cargo they carry. We demonstrate the use of micropallets in cell and antibody assays. Furthermore we demonstrate the ability to decode and manipulate micropallets in a flow-through system.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Ruisheng Chang and the Integrated Nanosystem Research Facility for micropallet fabrication. We thank Nancy Allbritton and staff for training and the use of their lab facilities for cell culturing and imaging. Our sincere thanks to Nicholas Gunn for use of his SEM image.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Engineering and Manufacturing Technology, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA

    Cynthia Jensen-McMullin, Mark Bachman & G. P. Li

  2. Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA

    Mark Bachman & G. P. Li

  3. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA

    Mark Bachman & G. P. Li

  4. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA

    Mark Bachman & G. P. Li

Authors
  1. Cynthia Jensen-McMullin
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  2. Mark Bachman
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  3. G. P. Li
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Correspondence to Cynthia Jensen-McMullin.

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Jensen-McMullin, C., Bachman, M. & Li, G.P. Microfabricated micropallets for enhancement of biomolecular techniques. Microfluid Nanofluid 5, 225–234 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-007-0240-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-007-0240-x

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