Integrated Sensing: Cell Clinics on a Chip

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0225489SmelaThe PIs will develop integrated microstructures and circuitry for single cellcapture and characterization. Each of these "clinics" will consist of acell-sized cavity, or microvial, and a lid. The lid can be opened andclosed by hinges constructed from polypyrrole microactuators which linkrigid plates to the substrate. These clinics will be fabricated onconventional bulk silicon as well as on ultra-thin silicon-on-sapphire(SOS) substrates. Integration of the microstructures with CMOSelectronics allows integrating sensors, detection, and stimulationcircuitry together, while SOS provides a transparent substrate whichallows optical measurements of cell activity within the chamber. Sensingmodalities will be tailored for specific applications and include:impedance measurements, extracellular recording and stimulation ofelectrically active cells, optical measurements, and current or voltageclamp measurements using microfabricated needles within the chamber. The potential applications are numerous, spanning a spectrum from detailedphysiological studies of specific mechanisms to whole cell studies ofecology or developmental biology to collecting concentrated cellsecretions to statistical studies of assayed cell properties.