Abstract: There is provided a polymeric microsphere comprising a thermally responsive monomer crosslinked with a functional group monomer, wherein the functional group monomer comprises at least one of a carboxylic acid functional group or an amine functional group. The thermally responsive monomer is preferably N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), and the microspheres preferably comprise a coating of polymerized catecholamines (e.g. DOPA). There is also provided a method of preparing the polymeric microsphere and uses of the polymeric microsphere in culturing, harvesting, or expanding stem cells or stromal cells. Preferably, the cells, e.g. hMSCs (human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells), are expanded or harvested in serum-free and xeno-free medium.

Abstract: There is provided a polymeric microsphere comprising a thermally responsive monomer crosslinked with a functional group monomer, wherein the functional group monomer comprises at least one of a carboxylic acid functional group or an amine functional group. The thermally responsive monomer is preferably N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), and the microspheres preferably comprise a coating of polymerized catecholamines (e.g. DOPA). There is also provided a method of preparing the polymeric microsphere and uses of the polymeric microsphere in culturing, harvesting, or expanding stem cells or stromal cells. Preferably, the cells, e.g. hMSCs (human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells), are expanded or harvested in serum-free and xeno-free medium.

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for liquid removal in particle-based preparative and analytical assays. The device utilizes a porous membrane to contain a liquid in the reaction chamber of the assay. The membrane enables the liquid to flow through once it comes in contact with a detachable absorbent pad. The combined use of the porous membrane and the absorbent pad allows for effective removal of the waste liquid by capillary force, thereby minimizing the carryover contamination caused by the residual liquid. The invention also relates to arrays comprising the device and assay methods using the device. It was possible to isolate DNA with high purity on a sieve-through platform using particle-based solid-phase extraction with the device. Particle-based ELISA was run on the sieve-through device to analyze proteins and cells with reduced background and greater signal-to-background ratio.