High-resolution dose-response screening using droplet-based microfluidics.

A critical early step in drug discovery is the screening of a chemical library. Typically, promising compounds are identified in a primary screen and then more fully characterized in a dose-response analysis with 7-10 data points per compound. Here, we describe a robust microfluidic approach that increases the number of data points to approximately 10,000 per compound. The system exploits Taylor-Aris dispersion to create concentration gradients, which are then segmented into picoliter microreactors by droplet-based microfluidics. The large number of data points results in IC(50) values that are highly precise (± 2.40% at 95% confidence) and highly reproducible (CV = 2.45%, n = 16). In addition, the high resolution of the data reveals complex dose-response relationships unambiguously. We used this system to screen a chemical library of 704 compounds against protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, a diabetes, obesity, and cancer target. We identified a number of novel inhibitors, the most potent being sodium cefsulodine, which has an IC(50) of 27 ± 0.83 µM.

Droplet-based microfluidic systems for high-throughput single DNA molecule isothermal amplification and analysis.

We have developed a method for high-throughput isothermal amplification of single DNA molecules in a droplet-based microfluidic system. DNA amplification in droplets was analyzed using an intercalating fluorochrome, allowing fast and accurate "digital" quantification of the template DNA based on the Poisson distribution of DNA molecules in droplets. The clonal amplified DNA in each 2 pL droplet was further analyzed by measuring the enzymatic activity of the encoded proteins after fusion with a 15 pL droplet containing an in vitro translation system.

Fluorescence-activated droplet sorting (FADS): efficient microfluidic cell sorting based on enzymatic activity.

We describe a highly efficient microfluidic fluorescence-activated droplet sorter (FADS) combining many of the advantages of microtitre-plate screening and traditional fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Single cells are compartmentalized in emulsion droplets, which can be sorted using dielectrophoresis in a fluorescence-activated manner (as in FACS) at rates up to 2000 droplets s(-1). To validate the system, mixtures of E. coli cells, expressing either the reporter enzyme beta-galactosidase or an inactive variant, were compartmentalized with a fluorogenic substrate and sorted at rates of approximately 300 droplets s(-1). The false positive error rate of the sorter at this throughput was <1 in 10(4) droplets. Analysis of the sorted cells revealed that the primary limit to enrichment was the co-encapsulation of E. coli cells, not sorting errors: a theoretical model based on the Poisson distribution accurately predicted the observed enrichment values using the starting cell density (cells per droplet) and the ratio of active to inactive cells. When the cells were encapsulated at low density ( approximately 1 cell for every 50 droplets), sorting was very efficient and all of the recovered cells were the active strain. In addition, single active droplets were sorted and cells were successfully recovered.

Reliable microfluidic on-chip incubation of droplets in delay-lines.

Together with droplet creation, fusion and sorting, the incubation of droplets is one of the most important and essential operations for droplet-based microfluidic assays. This manuscript concerns the development of delay-lines, which are necessary to allow incubation of reactions for precise time periods. We analyze the problems associated with creating delay-lines for incubation in the minute to hour time range, which arise from back-pressure and from the dispersion in the incubation time due to the unequal speeds with which droplets pass through the delay-line. We describe delay-line systems which resolve these problems and demonstrate their use to measure reaction kinetics over several minutes in droplets.

Microfluidic production of droplet pairs.

We study a microfluidic dual nozzle for the production of water-in-oil droplet pairs. Droplets are paired by the hydrodynamic coupling of two nozzles over a wide range of aqueous and oil flow rates provided that they are larger than the channel dimensions. The droplet production frequencies and volumes are related to the flow rates through a single, experimentally determined power-law. The data are in good agreement with a model based on a geometrical decomposition of the dual nozzle leading to a general equation of droplet frequencies as a function of the various flow rates.

Droplet-based microfluidic platforms for the encapsulation and screening of Mammalian cells and multicellular organisms.

High-throughput, cell-based assays require small sample volumes to reduce assay costs and to allow for rapid sample manipulation. However, further miniaturization of conventional microtiter plate technology is problematic due to evaporation and capillary action. To overcome these limitations, we describe droplet-based microfluidic platforms in which cells are grown in aqueous microcompartments separated by an inert perfluorocarbon carrier oil. Synthesis of biocompatible surfactants and identification of gas-permeable storage systems allowed human cells, and even a multicellular organism (C. elegans), to survive and proliferate within the microcompartments for several days. Microcompartments containing single cells could be reinjected into a microfluidic device after incubation to measure expression of a reporter gene. This should open the way for high-throughput, cell-based screening that can use >1000-fold smaller assay volumes and has approximately 500x higher throughput than conventional microtiter plate assays.