Transcription factories in a Hela cell [from Cook PR (1999) Science 284, 1790]

Nuclear Structure and Function Research Group

Images / A GRID containing many micro-chambers with fluid walls survives violent agitation
Overview  
    Microtiter plates are essentially arrays of miniature test tubes; individual chambers with solid plastic walls typically hold a few micro-liters.
    Much smaller volumes can be contained in arrays of chambers (GRIDs) with fluid walls (Soitu C et al, 2018, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 115, E5926-E5933).
    Aqueous liquids in these GRIDs are confined by walls made of a different immiscible liquid (so the walls are not solid); therefore, one might think these walls are fragile – but they are not.
    In this Youtube movie (runs in real time), a GRID was printed on a 6 cm Petri dish, and 16 different dyes added in all pairwise combinations to chambers (200 nL per chamber); the GRID was overlaid with a transparent and immiscible liquid to prevent evaporation, and placed on a shaker. Despite the violent agitation, the GRID remains intact.
 
 

Top | Home | Maintained by Peter Cook |