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.

Nuclear Structure and Function Research Group