Dielectrophoresis microfluidic chips have been widely used in various biological applications due to their advantages of convenient operation, high throughput, and low cost. However, most of the DEP microfluidic chips are based on 2D planar electrodes which have some limitations, such as electric field attenuation, small effective working regions, and weak DEP forces. In order to overcome the limitations of 2D planar electrodes, two kinds of thick-electrode DEP chips were designed to realize manipulation and multi-parameter measurement of single cells. Based on the multi-electrode structure of thick-electrode DEP, a single-cell 3D electro-rotation chip of "Armillary Sphere" was designed. The chip uses four thick electrodes and a bottom planar electrode to form an electric field chamber, which can control 3D rotation of single cells under different electric signal configurations. Electrical property measurement and 3D image reconstruction of single cells are achieved based on single-cell 3D rotation. This work overcomes the limitations of 2D planar electrodes and effectively solves the problem of unstable spatial position of single-cell samples, and provides a new platform for single-cell analysis. Based on multi-electrode structure of thick-electrode DEP, a microfluidic chip with optoelectronic integration was presented. A dual-fiber optical stretcher embedded in thick electrodes can trap and stretch a single cell while the thick electrodes are used for single-cell rotation. Stretching and rotation manipulation gives the chip the ability to simultaneously measure mechanical and electrical properties of single cells, providing a versatile platform for single-cell analysis, further extending the application of thick-electrode DEP in biological manipulation and analysis.

Dielectrophoresis microfluidic chips have been widely used in various biological applications due to their advantages of convenient operation, high throughput, and low cost. However, most of the DEP microfluidic chips are based on 2D planar electrodes which have some limitations, such as electric field attenuation, small effective working regions, and weak DEP forces. In order to overcome the limitations of 2D planar electrodes, two kinds of thick-electrode DEP chips were designed to realize manipulation and multi-parameter measurement of single cells. Based on the multi-electrode structure of thick-electrode DEP, a single-cell 3D electro-rotation chip of "Armillary Sphere" was designed. The chip uses four thick electrodes and a bottom planar electrode to form an electric field chamber, which can control 3D rotation of single cells under different electric signal configurations. Electrical property measurement and 3D image reconstruction of single cells are achieved based on single-cell 3D rotation. This work overcomes the limitations of 2D planar electrodes and effectively solves the problem of unstable spatial position of single-cell samples, and provides a new platform for single-cell analysis. Based on multi-electrode structure of thick-electrode DEP, a microfluidic chip with optoelectronic integration was presented. A dual-fiber optical stretcher embedded in thick electrodes can trap and stretch a single cell while the thick electrodes are used for single-cell rotation. Stretching and rotation manipulation gives the chip the ability to simultaneously measure mechanical and electrical properties of single cells, providing a versatile platform for single-cell analysis, further extending the application of thick-electrode DEP in biological manipulation and analysis.

Microfluidics in Cell Biology Part C, Volume 148, a new release in the Methods in Cell Biology series, continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. Unique to this updated volume are three sections on microfluidics in various multi-cellular models, including microfluidics in cell monolayers/spheroids, microfluidics in organ on chips, and microfluidics in model organisms. Specific chapters discuss collective migration in microtubes, leukocyte adhesion dynamics on endothelial monolayers under flow, constrained spheroid for perfusion culture, cells in droplet arrays, heart on chips, kidney on chips, liver on chips, and more. - Contains contributions from experts in the field from across the world - Covers a wide array of topics on both mitosis and meiosis - Includes relevant, analysis based topics

Robotics for Cell Manipulation and Characterization provides fundamental principles underpinning robotic cell manipulation and characterization, state-of-the-art technical advances in micro/nano robotics, new discoveries of cell biology enabled by robotic systems, and their applications in clinical diagnosis and treatment. This book covers several areas, including robotics, control, computer vision, biomedical engineering and life sciences using understandable figures and tables to enhance readers' comprehension and pinpoint challenges and opportunities for biological and biomedical research. - Focuses on, and comprehensively covers, robotics for cell manipulation and characterization - Highlights recent advances in cell biology and disease treatment enabled by robotic cell manipulation and characterization - Provides insightful outlooks on future challenges and opportunities

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Single Cell Analysis in Biotechnology and Systems Biology" that was published in IJMS

Due to heterogeneity at the cellular level, single cell analysis (SCA) has become a necessity to study cellomics for the early detection of diseases like cancer. Development of single cell manipulation systems is very critical for performing SCA. In this thesis, electrorotation (ROT) chips to trap and rotate single cells using electrokinetic forces have been developed. The ROT chip mainly consists of a set of closely spaced metal electrodes (60m interspacing between opposite electrodes) that forms a closed electric field cage (electrocage) when driven with high frequency AC voltages. Cells were flowed through a microchannel to the electrocage where they could be precisely trapped, levitated and rotated in 3-D along the axis of interest. The dielectrophoresis based ROT chip design and relevant electrokinetic effects have been simulated using COMSOL 3.4 to optimize the design parameters. Also, various semiconductor technology fabrication process steps have been developed and optimized for better yield and repeatability in the manufacture of the ROT chip. The ROT chip thus fabricated was used to characterize rotation of single cells with respect to the control parameters namely excitation voltage, frequency and cell line. The longevity of cell rotation under electric fields has been probed. Also, the Joule heating inside the ROT chip due to applied voltage has been characterized to know the thermal stress on the cells. The major advantages of the ROT chip developed are precise electrorotation of cells, simple design and straight forward fabrication process.

This book provides an overview of single-cell isolation, separation, injection, lysis and dynamics analysis as well as a study of their heterogeneity using different miniaturized devices. As an important part of single-cell analysis, different techniques including electroporation, microinjection, optical trapping, optoporation, rapid electrokinetic patterning and optoelectronic tweezers are described in detail. It presents different fluidic systems (e.g. continuous micro/nano-fluidic devices, microfluidic cytometry) and their integration with sensor technology, optical and hydrodynamic stretchers etc., and demonstrates the applications of single-cell analysis in systems biology, proteomics, genomics, epigenomics, cancer transcriptomics, metabolomics, biomedicine and drug delivery systems. It also discusses the future challenges for single-cell analysis, including the advantages and limitations. This book is enjoyable reading material while at the same time providing essential information to scientists in academia and professionals in industry working on different aspects of single-cell analysis. Dr. Fan-Gang Tseng is a Distinguished Professor of Engineering and System Science at the National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan. Dr. Tuhin Subhra Santra is a Research Associate at the California Nano Systems Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, USA.