According to the invention, generally, a microfluidic aliquoting (MA) chip, adapted to fit in a Petri dish, has a center well (inlet) connected by branched channels to a plurality of side wells (outlets). The chip comes in various types, including a bMA Chip T1, bMA Chip T2, bMA Chip T3, and an rMA Chip. The branched channel improvement provides for a greater distance between neighboring channels and a decreased density near the center well. Design improvements including an injection mold design for an insert and a base and a multiplex hole punch allow for rapid fabrication of the MA chip.

According to the invention, generally, a microfluidic aliquoting (MA) chip, adapted to fit in a Petri dish, has a center well (inlet) connected by a plurality of microchannels to a plurality of side wells (outlets). A relatively large (such as 120 L) cell suspension having several cells may be injected into the inlet of the MA chip, and single cells may be substantially simultaneously and uniformly distributed, via positive pressure-driving flow, to the several (such as 120) side wells having single cells in less than 1 minute. The MA Chip has a high efficiency in cell recovery. Due to rapid isolation and easy identification of single cells, high cell viability, high enrichment factor, and convenient transfer of submicroliter single-cell suspension, MA Chips are well compatible with CTC isolation from blood, single-cell cloning, PCR, and sequencing.

The present invention provides novel microfluidic devices and methods that are useful for performing high-throughput screening assays and combinatorial chemistry. The invention provides for aqueous based emulsions containing uniquely labeled cells, enzymes, nucleic acids, etc., wherein the emulsions further comprise primers, labels, probes, and other reactants. An oil based carrier-fluid envelopes the emulsion library on a microfluidic device, such that a continuous channel provides for flow of the immiscible fluids, to accomplish pooling, coalescing, mixing, sorting, detection, etc., of the emulsion library.

According to the invention, generally, a microfluidic aliquoting (MA) chip, adapted to fit in a Petri dish, has a center well (inlet) connected by a plurality of microchannels to a plurality of side wells (outlets). A relatively large (such as 120 L) cell suspension having several cells may be injected into the inlet of the MA chip, and single cells may be substantially simultaneously and uniformly distributed, via positive pressure-driving flow, to the several (such as 120) side wells having single cells in less than 1 minute. The MA Chip has a high efficiency in cell recovery. Due to rapid isolation and easy identification of single cells, high cell viability, high enrichment factor, and convenient transfer of submicroliter single-cell suspension, MA Chips are well compatible with CTC isolation from blood, single-cell cloning, PCR, and sequencing.

The present invention provides improved methods, facilities and systems for parallel processing of biological cellular samples in an efficient and scalable manner The invention enables parallel processing of biological cellular samples, such as patient samples, in a space and time efficient fashion. The methods, facilities and systems of the invention find particular utility in processing patient samples for use in cell therapy.

The present invention relates to single cell array micro-chips and fabrication, electrical measurement and electroporation method thereof. The single cell array microchip comprises a substrate (1), a plurality of positioning electrodes (2) formed in an array, a plurality of measuring electrode-pairs (3) formed in an array, and a micro sample pool (4). The invention integrates cell array positioning with electrical measurement and electroporation for living cells, which is characteristic of label-free and noninvasive methods to manipulate, position particles/cells as well as further measure their electrical parameters. Therefore, single-cell-array positioning and multi-mode in-situ real-time measurement can be realized for intensive analysis. Since the positioned cells are immobile, the precision of the electrical measurement of cells is effectively improved, so is the efficiency of electroporation with lower cell mortality rate.

The invention generally relates to methods for quantifying an amount of enzyme molecules. Systems and methods of the invention are provided for measuring an amount of target by forming a plurality of fluid partitions, a subset of which include the target, performing an enzyme-catalyzed reaction in the subset, and detecting the number of partitions in the subset. The amount of target can be determined based on the detected number.

The present invention provides novel microfluidic devices and methods that are useful for performing high-throughput screening assays and combinatorial chemistry. The invention provides for aqueous based emulsions containing uniquely labeled cells, enzymes, nucleic acids, etc., wherein the emulsions further comprise primers, labels, probes, and other reactants. An oil based carrier-fluid envelopes the emulsion library on a microfluidic device, such that a continuous channel provides for flow of the immiscible fluids, to accomplish pooling, coalescing, mixing, sorting, detection, etc., of the emulsion library.

Methods and techniques for controlled printing of a cell sample for karyotyping are provided. The methods can involve matrix printing using on-the-fly printing or dispensing to accurately spread cells within at least one cell sample on a surface in preparation for karyotyping, and further analysis. Advantageously, the methods result in a uniform distribution of chromosomes of the cell suspension or sample on the surface of a substrate which can be substantially discretely identified, and also provide for efficiency in a subsequent staining process and any further analysis of the stained chromosomes using a microscope or other imaging device.

A method of manufacturing a patterned substrate for culturing cells. The method includes the steps of: (1) preparing a substrate, (2) forming a first plasma polymer layer by integrating a first precursor material on the substrate using a plasma, wherein the first plasma layer inhibits cell adsorption, and wherein the first precursor material is a siloxane-based compound having a siloxane functional group with the SiOSi linkage, (3) placing a shadow mask having a predetermined pattern on the first plasma polymer layer thus formed, and (4) forming a second patterned plasma polymer layer by integrating a second precursor material using a plasma, wherein the second patterned plasma layer permits culturing of cells, whereby the patterned substrate is obtained.