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Microfluidic & nanofluidic technologies for chemistry, physics, biology, and bioengineering



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Paper

Lab Chip, 2007, 7, 1442 - 1448, DOI: 10.1039/b708666k

Self-assembled cellular microarrays patterned using DNA barcodes

Erik S. Douglas, Ravi A. Chandra, Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Richard A. Mathies and Matthew B. Francis

The successful integration of living cells into synthetic devices requires precise control over cell patterning. Here we describe a versatile platform that can accomplish this goal through DNA hybridization. Living cells functionalized with exogenous cell-surface DNA strands bind to cognate sequences of DNA printed on glass slides. Attachment via these cell-adhesion barcodes is rapid and specific, with close-packed arrays of cells forming within minutes. The biophysical properties of the system are characterized, and the technique is used to form complex cellular patterns with single-cell line widths and self-assembled cellular microarrays. Key advantages of DNA-directed cell binding include the ability to immobilize both adherent and non-adherent cells, to capture cells selectively from a mixed population, to tune the binding properties of the cells, and to reuse substrates prepared with widely available DNA printing technologies.

Graphical abstract image for this article (ID: b708666k)