VersaLive: a new platform for versatile applications in microfluidic mammalian cell culture

DI Bernardo’group at Tigem developed an innovative versatile microfluidic device, named VersaLive, to enable the application of multiple protocols for adherent mammalian cells which include cell culture, immunostaining, live cell imaging and cell retrieval by using standard lab pipettes. Compared to multi-well plate cell culture, VersaLive has several advantages as the decrease in the consumption of reagents as well as lab plasticware when compared to multi-well plate cell culture. Overall, this translates in a decrease of the cost per experiment. In addition, VersaLive gives to the user the possibility to decide whether to proceed with a traditional static cell culture, similarly to multi-well plates, or to implement a perfusion cell culture, as for more expensive and bulky commercial setups. Moreover, the implementation of static cell culture in VersaLive, or in microfluidic systems in general, better mimics physiological conditions for cell growth because of the reduced volumes, even compared to multi-well formats.

The VersaLive technology is open-source and all protocols and materials are available online (https://versalive.tigem.it/).

Suggested in depth-reading:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-022-03976-8