Journal
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS A-PHYSICAL
Volume 188, Issue -, Pages 312-319Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA
DOI: 10.1016/j.sna.2011.12.044
Keywords
Bio-microactuator; Microorganism; Dictyostelium discoideum; Microchannel; Phototaxis
Funding
- NCI NIH HHS [RC2 CA147925] Funding Source: Medline
- NCRR NIH HHS [R21 RR025816] Funding Source: Medline
- Directorate For Engineering
- Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys [0854030] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This paper investigates the light-driven migration of the multi-cellular microorganism Dictyostelium discoideum as a potential bio-actuation mechanism in microsystems. As a platform for slug migration we use microscale confinements, which consist of intersecting microchannels fabricated from solidified agar-water solution. The agar surface provides necessary moisture to the slugs during the experiment while remaining sufficiently stiff to allow effective slug migration. The movements of the slugs in the microchannels are driven and guided by phototaxis via controlling light transmitted through optical fibers. The microchannels impose geometrical confinements on the migrating slugs, improving the spatial precision of the migration. We demonstrate that slugs that form in a microchamber can be driven to migrate through the microchannels, as well as steered to a particular direction at microchannel intersections. Our experimental results indicate that slug movements can be more effectively controlled in microchannels, and potentially useful for bio-actuation applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available