EXPLORE CELL MECHANICS 1-WELL DYNAMIC CONFINER

Cell Confiner - Pack microscope

The dynamic cell confiner is a device that confines cells between two parallel surfaces to a defined micrometer height with sub-micrometer precision. The space between the two surfaces is controlled by micro PDMS pillars. The micropillars are fabricated on a glass slide, which is attached to a PDMS piston (suction cup). The piston is controlled with a vacuum pump, and the height of the confinement is thus controlled as well.

 

> CONTROL THE CONFINEMENT SPEED

Accurate control of the confinement speed through the vacuum pump

 

> REVERSIBLE CONFINEMENT: RETRIEVE YOUR CELLS AFTER CONFINEMENT

Allows molecular analysis thanks to the non-destructive method for the cells

 

> COMPATIBLE WITH YOUR OWN EXPERIMENTS

The confiner is a small size device that is directly placed on the top of your cell culture

HOW TO SET UP YOUR 1-WELL DYNAMIC CONFINER

Cell confinement principle

FEATURES & BENEFITS

THE DYNAMIC CELL CONFINER KIT IS COMPOSED OF:

 

> 1 x Cobalt autonomous vacuum pump (visit our partner’s product webpage to know more)

> 12 x Confinement Slides – 10 mm (diameter) glass slides/cover slips with micro-structures in PDMS (pillars) that enable the confinement.
    Available confinement heights – from 1, 2, 3, … up to 20 µm (choose up to 3 heights to integrate your kit)

> 3 x 4Dcell Dynamic Confiner™ (PDMS Suction Cup)

> 1 x Security tank (to preserve the vacuum pump)

> 1 x Kit of Tubes and Connectors 

3 x PDMS ring shaped stencil – delimits the seeding area of cells to the region where confinement is applied 

 

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR SLIDES ADHERE TO YOUR CELLS OR NOT (OPTIONAL):

 

> Aliquots of extracellular matrix protein for cell adhesion (for example, fibronectin) in the right buffer solution

> Aliquots of anti-adhesive molecule (poly-ethylene glycol) ready to bind on the slides

CANCER

> Migration of metastatic cells

> Cell contractility in mestastasis

> DNA DSB repair (mechanically induced)

> Genomic instability (cell division)

> Separated co-culture

 

IMMUNOLOGY

> Migration of immune cells

> Imaging of non-adhesive cells

 

ORGAN PHYSIOLOGY

> Migration of cancer cells

> Cell differenciation with stiffness control

> Wound healing

> Separeted co-culture

> Cell compression response

 

RARE DISEASES

> Cell nucleus integrity

 

AGING

> Cell nucleus integrity

> Autophagy related diseases

 

OBSERVATION OPTIMIZATION

> Imaging of non-adhesive cells

> Planar imaging of organelles

 

FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH

> Cell volume (cell cycle)

> Cell stretching response

Video of HeLa cells under confinement using a 4Dcell confiner, going from initial state to extremely confined.

Video of cells dividing under confinement using a 4Dcell confiner

Example of mammalian cells with before and after confinement images with fluorescent proteins
Le Berre M, Aubertin J, Piel M., Fine control of nuclear confinement identifies a threshold deformation leading to lamina rupture and induction of specific genes. Integr Biol (Camb). 2012 Nov;4(11):1406-14.

> A flagellate-to-amoeboid switch in the closest living relatives of animals 
Brunet. T., et al.Elife, 2021 Jan 15;10:e61037

 

> The nucleus measures shape changes for cellular proprioception to control dynamic cell behavior
Venturini. V., et al.Science, 2020, 370, eaba2644

 

> Confinement and Low Adhesion Induce Fast Amoeboid Migration of Slow Mesenchymal Cells
Y.-J. Liu, M. Piel, et al., Cell, 2015 160(4), 659-672

 

> Actin flows induce a universal coupling between cell speed and cell persistence
P. Maiuri, R. Voituriez, et al., Cell, 2015 161(2), 374–386

 

> Geometric friction directs cell migration
M. Le Berre, M. Piel, et al., Physical Review Letter 2013 111, 198101

 

> Mitotic rounding alters cell geometry to ensure efficient spindle assembly
O. M. Lancaster, B. Baum, et al., Developmental Cell, 2013 25(3), 270-283

 

> Fine Control of Nuclear Confinement Identifies a Threshold Deformation leading to Lamina Rupture and Induction of Specific Genes
M. Le Berre, J. Aubertin, M. Piel, Integrative Biology, 2012 4 (11), 1406-1414

 

> Exploring the Function of Cell Shape and Size during Mitosis
C. Cadart, H. K. Matthews, et al., Developmental Cell, 2014 29(2), 159-169

 

> Methods for Two-Dimensional Cell Confinement
M. Le Berre, M. Piel, et al., 2014, Micropatterning in Cell Biology Part C, Methods in cell biology, 121, 213-29