Low-cost microfluidic chip for time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy

This technology is an inexpensive PDMS-based microsprayer chip that can be used for time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy (TR cryo-EM).

Unmet Need: Affordable platform for time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy

Time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy (TR cryo-EM) allows scientists to capture biologically relevant protein interactions within a time scale of tens of milliseconds by precisely controlling the reagents of interest flowing through a time-resolved microfluidic chip (TR chip). However, the TR chips currently used for time-resolved cryo-EM are composed of expensive glass and silicon, limiting widescale adoption.

The Technology: Modular microfluidic cryo-electron microscopy chip with affordable plastic components

This technology is a plastic chip assembly that can be used to study protein interactions over a variety of time frames using time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy (TR cryo-EM). The chip mainly includes three main components: 1. A splitting-and-recombination (SAR) micromixer for efficient mixing of two biological samples; 2. A micro-capillary tubing for accommodating and controlling the mixture to react for a pre-determined time; 3. A micro-sprayer for depositing the reaction product onto the EM-grid. The EM-grid can be plunged into cryogen for fast vitrification of the sample. The components of the chip are modular and customizable, and can be rapidly produced at a low cost, thus improving accessibility of TR cryo-EM.

This technology has been validated in analyzing the dynamic process of eukaryotic translation termination, ribosomal subunit association, and HflX-mediated 70S ribosome recycling..

Applications:

  • Research platform for structural biology
  • Biosensor for studying physiological reactions
  • Detection device for chemical and drug assays
  • Automated, high-throughput time-resolved cryo-EM imaging

Advantages:

  • Modular microfluidic chip design for easy customization
  • Cost-effectiveness for manufacturing
  • Effectively reduced protein adsorption
  • Consistent spray of droplets for reproducible results

Lead Inventor:

Joachim Frank, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending

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