A programmable syringe pump for studying cellular signaling in microfluidic dynamic environments

Abstract

We present a programmable, custom engineered syringe pump that controls the delivery of two alternative media types to cells growing in standard microfluidic chambers. Our platform can multiplex parallel, independent, live-cell microscopy imaging experiments. We demonstrate the functionality of the multi-pump system by performing biological experiments that monitor the temporal dynamics of signaling inhibition in an important model melanoma cell line. Our system will allow researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School to perform their investigations on cellular response to dynamically changing environments