High-throughput, whole-animal screening system

摘要

Distinctive components that enable high-throughput, whole-animal screening are described. These components can be used individually or in various combinations. A staging chip strains off the excess fluid that the input animals are immersed in, increasing their density (number of animals in a given volume) and rapidly bringing them close to other fluidic components. A microfluidic sorter is adapted to isolate and immobilize a single, physiologically active animal in a selected geometry. A multiplexed micro-chamber chip receives single animals and the microchamber chip includes individually addressable screening chambers for imaging, incubation and exposure of individual animals to selected chemical compounds. An imaging structure generates sub-cellular, high-resolution images of the physiologically active animals. A well-plate interface chip is used to deliver elements from a compound library to a single output of the chip.

主权项

1. High throughput, whole-animal screening system comprising:
microfluidic staging device to concentrate animals; microfluidic sorter adapted to isolate and/or immobilize a single animal using a mechanical means including suction; a multiplexed micro-chamber chip for receiving an animal from the sorter, the chip including individually addressable screening chambers, each screening chamber including structure for immobilizing animals against a plurality of spaced apart barriers arranged in a curved configuration as a result of flow through the barriers; and an interface chip for loading material from an external source into microfluidic devices.