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Autonomous cell sorting using self-secreted macromolecules

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Abstract

Much effort has been made to manipulate cells for many biomedical and environmental applications. However, controlling cells in efficient and sustainable ways is still an essential task to achieve in both science and engineering fields. Here, we introduced a strategic approach in which cells are autonomously sorted and separated in a fluidic system. We employed ‘self-secreted macromolecules’ from microalgae in the microfluidic devices and examined their various properties. The cell manipulation was determined depending on the intrinsic properties of the self-secreted biomolecules. The macromolecules self-produced by green algae allowed the size-based separation of cells. This self-sorting system would enable the design and fabrication of new types of biosystems such as bioreactors and pharmaceutical devices.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by GRRC program of Gyeonggi Province (GRRC Dankook2016–B03). In addition, this research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (2018R1D1A1B07049173) and by the Korea government (MSIT) (No. NRF-2018R1A5A1024127). Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) grant funded by the Korea Government (MOTIE) (P0002007, The Competency Development Program for Industry Specialist). The authors are grateful for the supports.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute of Advanced Materials (RIAM), Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea

    Min Jung Kim & Jae Ryoun Youn

  2. Department of Fiber System Engineering, Dankook University, Gyeonggi-do, 16890, South Korea

    Young Seok Song

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  1. Min Jung Kim
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  2. Jae Ryoun Youn
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  3. Young Seok Song
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Correspondence to Jae Ryoun Youn or Young Seok Song.

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Movie S1. Separation of Sphaerocystis schroeteri the self-secreted macromolecules with a flow rate of 400 μl/hr (Re = 0.122, Wi = 88.9). The trajectories of different size cell were observed at the outlet. (AVI 1569 kb)

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Kim, M.J., Youn, J.R. & Song, Y.S. Autonomous cell sorting using self-secreted macromolecules. Microfluid Nanofluid 23, 115 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-019-2282-2

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