As a young cell, I was excited to learn about my unlimited potential. I explored all the careers I could have when I differentiated. Often, I would attend job fairs, curious to explore the possible paths my life could take through various careers. I studied tissues and organs, learning how they work together to support everything inside the body.
All my friends were eager to pick their own jobs, but I was a little scared. Everyone knew exactly who they wanted to be when they grew up except for me. Usually, you must decide on a career before you are outcompeted. Even my family was pressuring me into becoming a blood cell since being a blood cell has been a tradition for generations. However, I was uncertain about whether that was the career for me.
I don’t know if you know, but once you have a career as a cell, changing jobs is hard work. It’s a painstaking process that is treacherous and requires an immense amount of paperwork, which doesn’t happen overnight! That’s why my parents were all for me following in the family tradition of becoming a blood cell so I wouldn’t get outcompeted.
So, I gave into my environmental cues, and that’s exactly what I did: I became a blood cell, just like all the previous members of my family. But deep within my nucleus, it still didn’t feel right; it felt like a mistake, as if the role of a blood cell wasn’t my fate. Mindlessly carrying all the oxygen to and from really got old. I wanted more of a challenge and realized it was time for me to live up to my potential and change careers. One career that really excited me at the job fair was the role of neurons. From what I’ve heard, they have super-secret transmitters that send coded messages between cells like spies. So, that night I submitted my application to become a neuron.
On the first day of orientation, everyone hoping to change careers gathered in this huge room. They started with an overview of procedures and demonstrated fancy equipment that I had never seen before. The first test they gave us involved taking us outside, where there were electroporation storms. Even though we were only outside for a short time, we all managed to get a little sunburned.
Then, without warning, people wielding sharp objects came at us. They said, “we just need to scrape you off this plate.” I was harshly poked and prodded a million times until they were able to get us where they wanted; most of the other candidates around me gave up and quit.
Some of the friends that I met during orientation remained with me and joined the Cell 101 class. Cell 101 was a really strange class that challenged me. They made us all dissociate from our classmates and get in lines by ourselves. Then, they took us to some weird obstacle courses with narrow tubes that we had to crawl through. A lot of my friends couldn’t fit into the tubes and got stuck. As part of the final examination to become official neurons, they challenged us to find our own homes in wells during the night. Most of my friends failed this examination the first time, including me. None of us had the right map to locate our wells. “How did they expect us to do that without any direction?” This exam was taking forever to pass, and it felt like I was repeatedly facing the same challenges where I knew the answers to the questions but was unable to answer them.
One day, a few of us decided to take a break from studying and go on a vacation to the ocean. There, we saw some neurons partying on a CellRaft, living their best lives. I remember us yelling out to them for “HELP!” and they threw us a CellRaftA microscale polystyrene growth surface within an array used to spatially segregate cells/colonies while maintaining shared media access, enabling imaging over time and targeted isolation. More. I noticed that one of them was a friend in my orientation who gave up because they had been injured when they tried to scrape him around. I asked them, “How in the world did you become a neuron so quickly after all of that ?”
They asked us why we were still taking Cell 101. So, we explained how hard we have been working to pass the final limiting dilutionA statistical cloning approach where cells are diluted to low density to “hopefully” seed one cell per well; commonly used but can be low-efficiency for difficult-to-clone lines. More examination but continued to fail and remain in Cell 101. Most of us were at the point where if we tried the examination one more time and failed, we would to give up. Everyone on the CellRaftA microscale polystyrene growth surface within an array used to spatially segregate cells/colonies while maintaining shared media access, enabling imaging over time and targeted isolation. More was so nice and welcoming to us as we told them about our struggles. Those cells embraced us once we spoke those terrifying words “limiting dilutionA statistical cloning approach where cells are diluted to low density to “hopefully” seed one cell per well; commonly used but can be low-efficiency for difficult-to-clone lines. More,” and reassured us that we would never have to take that examination again.
They told us there was a new course voted ‘Best Cell Class of the Year’ in the Reader’s Digest™, called ‘CellRaftA microscale polystyrene growth surface within an array used to spatially segregate cells/colonies while maintaining shared media access, enabling imaging over time and targeted isolation. More Revolution.’ None of us had ever heard about this alternative course, but when we checked it out online, it was filling up quickly as cells began hearing the news. The ratings were off the charts, with cells of all types expressing their love for this course. One cell wrote, “Easiest A, professor really supported me and gave me all the necessities to become a liver cell.” After reading the user reviews, I raced to sign up for the course because I was afraid it would fill up, and I would be stuck in Cell 101 forever! I was relieved to see they had several options to fit our schedules, and I could begin immediately.
All of us who took a chance with the CellRaftA microscale polystyrene growth surface within an array used to spatially segregate cells/colonies while maintaining shared media access, enabling imaging over time and targeted isolation. More class graduated in no time at all, and realized the future of the cells we had envisioned. There was no poking and prodding, no tube squeezing, no dissociating, and I never had to live alone again. So, I would like to offer some advice to my fellow cells who want to change their careers, explore other options, and figure themselves out: Be different and dare to try new things to become the cell you truly aspire to be. There are better options out there, where everyone is welcome, and that transformative journey starts in the CellRaftA microscale polystyrene growth surface within an array used to spatially segregate cells/colonies while maintaining shared media access, enabling imaging over time and targeted isolation. More Revolution.
Stemmie Cellis has a lifetime of experience in reprogramming, differentiation, and longevity of culture maintenance. He began his career in somatic cell function and routinely assisted in growth and maintenance of various cells and tissues in the body. Stemmie has faced hardship, frequent relocation, and separation from family. However, he firmly believes that the CellRaftA microscale polystyrene growth surface within an array used to spatially segregate cells/colonies while maintaining shared media access, enabling imaging over time and targeted isolation. More is the solution to prevent others like him from encountering similar challenges in the future. Over the past several years, Stemmie has been leading research and development projects focused on reprogramming, CRISPR/Cas9 editing, and differentiation into specific diseases.
Lexi Land contributes to developing scientific workflows that are compatible with the CellRaft® AIR System. Her focus at Cell Microsystems involves stem cell research, 3D organoid work, as well as adherent and suspension cell culture. Lexi received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from North Carolina State University with a focus in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology.
In the ongoing battle against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or “superbugs,” scientists are constantly seeking innovative tools to understand the mechanisms of resistance and develop effective treatments. One such groundbreaking technology is shear flow systems, which have emerged as game-changers in microbiological research. By simulating the dynamic conditions of bacteria’s natural environments, such as the human body or food processing, shear flow systems provide unique insights into bacterial behavior and resistance mechanisms that traditional static methods simply cannot achieve. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of using shear flow systems to combat antibiotic resistance and develop next-generation therapies.
Antibiotic resistance is a complex phenomenon influenced by a variety of factors, including genetic mutations, horizontal gene transfer, and the formation of biofilms. Traditional laboratory methods often fail to capture the dynamic nature of these processes, leading to incomplete or misleading results. Shear flow systems address this limitation by providing a more realistic environment for bacterial growth and interaction. Here’s how:
1. Mimicking Real-World Conditions
In the human body, bacteria are rarely in a static state. They are constantly exposed to fluid flow, such as blood circulation or urine flow, which influences their behavior and resistance mechanisms. Shear flow systems can replicate these conditions, allowing researchers to study how bacteria respond to antibiotics under realistic physiological conditions. This is critical for understanding how resistance develops and persists in vivo. This benefit was recently highlighted in a webinar presented by Dr. Katharina Richter, a microbiology researcher from the University of Adelaide in Australia. Using a high-throughput BioFlux Shear Flow System, Dr. Richter and her team were able to test 3 different methods of superbug treatments under physiological conditions.
2. Studying Biofilm Formation and Resistance
Biofilms—structured communities of bacteria encased in a protective matrix—are a major contributor to antibiotic resistance. Biofilms are notoriously difficult to treat because they shield bacteria from antibiotics and the immune system. Shear flow systems enable researchers to study biofilm formation in real time, observing how bacteria adhere to surfaces, form microcolonies, and develop resistance under flow conditions. For example, using a BioFlux, Dr. Richter was able to leverage high-resolution imaging to obtain unprecedented insight into the biofilm killing and prevention efficacy of a copper and diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) combination nanoparticles¹. The group is currently investigating the use of a Cu-DDC infused gel that can be injected into wounds that are at high risk for chronic infection, such as hernia.
Imagine working with a rare patient-derived cell samples. In a traditional setup, you might need 1 milliliter of sample (equivalent to about 20 drops) to run an experiment. With a microfluidic system, you could potentially get the same results with just 10 microliters (about one-half of a single drop). This efficiency opens up entirely new research possibilities, especially in fields where sample availability is a limiting factor.
Whether due to rarity, cost, or difficulty in obtaining samples, the ability to conduct meaningful experiments with limited sample volumes has long been a goal in biological and chemical research. In this quest for more efficient and precise laboratory techniques, microfluidic shear flow systems have emerged as game-changing tools. These systems are not only reducing the amount of sample required for experiments but are also proving their versatility across a wide range of sample types.
Traditional experimental setups, including static and non-microfluidic shear flow, often demand significant amounts of material, which can be both costly and impractical. This is especially true when working with precious or limited samples such as rare biological specimens, expensive chemicals, or newly synthesized compounds. Enter microfluidic shear flow systems – an elegant solution that’s revolutionizing how investigators approach assays. These miniaturized platforms are proving invaluable across multiple disciplines by dramatically reducing sample requirements from milliliters down to microliters, while maintaining experimental integrity. This up to 1000-fold reduction in sample volume is particularly crucial when working with substances, such as patient-derived cells or novel pharmaceuticals. By significantly reducing the volume of reagents and samples needed, these systems cut costs and make experiments more sustainable.
Equally as impressive as their sample and reagent reduction ability, is the versatility of microfluidic shear flow systems to adapt to different types of samples.
The ability to work with multiple sample types in the same system allows researchers to explore different experimental conditions without the need for multiple specialized setups. By precisely controlling channel geometries and flow rates, researchers can subject different sample types to well-defined shear conditions, enabling detailed studies of cellular mechanics, protein interactions, and material properties.
By Jessica Hartman, Ph.D.
Toiling in the lab
With a deadline on its way
To the scope I go
On a Saturday
I don’t see a clone
I’ve looked for one that’s right
What misery these data bring,
I’ll have to look all night,
Oh! Single cells, single cells, dilutions aren’t the way
Oh, I wish I had an AIR to pick a clone, to-da-ay!
Single cells, single cells, I need a better way
Use a Raft to grow a clone or be sad this holiday!
Use a Raft to grow a clone or be sad this holiday!
Now it’s getting late
My spirits are so low
My PI will hate
If my cells don’t grow
My eyesight’s getting dim
A clone I cannot see
My chances are so slim
I need CellRaftA microscale polystyrene growth surface within an array used to spatially segregate cells/colonies while maintaining shared media access, enabling imaging over time and targeted isolation. More Cytometry
Oh! Single cells, single cells, sorters aren’t the way
Oh, I wish I had an AIR to pick a clone, to-da-ay!
Single cells, single cells, I need a better way
Use a Raft to grow a clone or be sad this holiday!
Use a Raft to grow a clone or be sad this holiday!
Oh! Single cells, single cells, dispensers aren’t the way
Oh, I wish I had an AIR to pick a clone, to-da-ay!
Single cells, single cells, I need a better way
Use a Raft to grow a clone or be sad this holiday!
Use a Raft to grow a clone or be sad this holiday!
“Single Cell” vocalist: Virginia Laurie
