A microfluidic yeast-trapping device

The project aims at implementing and develop a microfluidic PDMS yeast trapping device described by Lee et. al., which can be used to follow age related changes in budding yeast. This is done together with Mikael Molin at the University of Gothenburg to help answer questions mainly related to protein aggregation and cell hydrogen peroxide handling systems. With successive divisions the yeast cell ages and this device separates trapped and newly formed cells. By using a microscope system capable of collecting brightfield and fluorescence images automatically, the trapped cells can be continuously imaged during their entire life-cycles. This allows deeper insight to be gained on how cellular systems changes with age. In lack of a microscope system capable of continuous imaging the focus is on making enough processes work automatically so that relevant data can be acquired without constant monitoring, using programs written in LabVIEW. For this system, this means control of stage x,y-position, autofocusing, which an image-based approach to, and light/camera control have been developed.

1. S. S. Lee, I. A. Vizcarra, D. H. E. W. Huberts, L. P. Lee, and M. Heinemann, "Whole lifespan microscopic observation of budding yeast aging through a microfluidic dissection platform", PNAS, 2012, 109(13):4916-4920.