| The Cook group has worked for many years on the way genomes are organized and how genes are regulated (link). Recently, it has also been developing new ways of doing microfluidics that are described on this page.
New ways of doing microfluidics
GRIDs for static applications (background; examples)
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. The aqueous phase in these GRIDs is confined by walls made of a different immiscible liquid (so walls are not solid!).
Circuits for flowing applications (background; examples)
Conventional microfluidic circuits take days to make, and skill to operate. The introduction of 'Freestyle Fluidics' changes this; simple-to-operate circuits can now be made in seconds. Liquids in these new circuits are confined by walls made of a different liquid (not solid ones)!
Some recent publications
Walsh, E.J., Feuerborn, A., Wheeler, J.H.R., Tan, A.N., Durham, W.M., Foster, K.R., and Cook, P.R. (2017). Microfluidics with fluid walls. Nat. Commun. 8, 816. [PubMed] [link to journal] [pdf] [pdf with embedded movies]
Soitu, C., Feuerborn, A., Tan, A.N., Walker, H., Walsh, P.A., Castrejon-Pita, A.A., Cook, P.R., and Walsh, E.J. (2018). Microfluidic chambers using fluid walls for cell biology. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 115, E5926-E5933. [PubMed] [journal] [pdf] [pdf with embedded movies]
Soitu, C., Feuerborn, A., Deroy, C., Castrejón-Pita, A.A., Cook, P.R., and Walsh. E.J. (2019). Raising fluid walls around living cells. Sci. Adv. 5, eaav8002. [PubMed] [journal] [pdf] [pdf with embedded movies]
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![Transcription factories in a Hela cell [from Cook PR (1999) Science 284, 1790]](../images/pombo.png)
