Development of a multi-layer microfluidic array chip to culture and replate uniform-sized embryoid bodies without manual cell retrieval

Abstract

We have developed a multi-layer, microfluidic array platform containing concave microwells and flat cell culture chambers to culture embryonic stem (ES) cells and regulate uniform-sized embryoid body (EB) formation. The main advantage of this platform was that EBs cultured within the concave microwells of a bottom layer were automatically replated into flat cell culture chambers of a top layer, following inversion of the multi-layer microfluidic array platform. This allowed EB formation and EB replating to be controlled simultaneously inside a single microfluidic device without pipette-based manual cell retrieval, a drawback of previous EB culture methods.