Elena Afrimzon
Bar Ilan University, Israel
Title: Arrayed miniature femtoliter, picoliter and nanoliter volume vessels for live-cell imaging time-lapse measurement at single-cell/element resolution
Biography
Biography: Elena Afrimzon
Abstract
Individual living cells within a population may differ significantly and these differences can drive the health and function of the entire cell population. Live cell analysis of individual cells is a challenging endeavor due to the small volume of a single cell, cell motility and the complexity of cellular systems. Novel methodologies and means for analyzing dynamic states of individual cells/cell groups, which enable monitoring alteration in cell behavior and function over time in a complex tissue environment, and assessing functional changes at single-element level are presented. The platforms are based on various types of arrays made of high-quality transparent miniature femtoliter, picoliter and nanoliter volume vessels, for the investigating living cells at molecular, cellular and multicellular levels, respectively. Each pico/nano-liter chamber is designed to hold a single cell or cell-aggregate without tethering. The technology is extremely flexible, enabling use of a spectrum of biomaterials and control over dimension, shape, configuration and distribution of the microstructures, and thus, facilitating adaptation of the arrays to various cell types and use of both label-free and fluorescence detection methods to determine live-cell status in real-time. Practical applications of the platforms include: generation and drug screening of 3D multicellular cancer spheroids, multiplexed analysis of cancer stem cells and tumor heterogeneity, measurement of biochemical processes in live cells followed by cell content analysis of the same cells, cryopreservation of individual cells, single cell analysis of cell transfection and protein translocation.