Resources

Clonal expansion and analysis of cells of interest is important in many areas of biomedical research, including cell line development. In this article, the authors highlight a novel technology that allows for single cell or colony isolation for downstream applications. The core technology described is an array of fabricated releasable polystyrene growth surfaces called “microrafts” on a PDMS template. These microrafts were doped with iron nanoparticles which allows for the rafts to be transferred to a collection plate using a magnet after release from the PDMS array with a needle. The authors demonstrate that these microrafts are optically transparent, promote cell adhesion and growth, and can be selectively and efficiently released into collection plates where cells continue to expand.