Publication number: 20120015382
Abstract: The present invention generally relates to fluidic droplets, and techniques for screening or sorting such fluidic droplets. In some embodiments, the fluidic droplets may contain cells (e.g., hybridoma cells) that can secrete various species, such as antibodies, for example. In one aspect, a plurality of fluidic droplets containing cells is screened to determine proteins, antibodies, polypeptides, peptides, nucleic acids, or the like. For example, cells able to secrete species such as antibodies may be selected according to certain embodiments of the invention. Examples of such cells include, for instance, immortal cells such as hybridomas, or non-immortal cells such as B-cells. For instance, blood cells may be encapsulated within a plurality of fluidic droplets, and the cells able to produce antibodies may be determined. In some cases, expression or secretion levels may be determined using signaling entities, for example, determinable microparticles present within the fluidic droplet.
Type:
Application
Filed:
August 1, 2011
Publication date:
January 19, 2012
Applicants:
President and Fellows of Harvard College, The General Hospital Corporation d/b/a Massachusetts General Hospital
Inventors:
David A. Weitz, Andrew Griffiths, Sarah Koester, Vamsi K. Mootha, Honey Duan, Jeremy Agresti, Christoph Merten, John Heyman, John R. Gilbert