Multiwell plate integrated with transparent liquid marbles for 3D cell culturing

Abstract

The development of 3D cell culturing toward labor saving and versatility is highly desired. Here, we propose a platform consisting of a multiwell plate and liquid marbles (LMs). The inner walls of the plate are covered with particle-detachable superhydrophobic coatings that serve as both the substrates and particle sources for LM production. A produced LM, which serves as a minireactor for the 3D culture, features a monolayer nanoparticulate shell and naked-droplet-like transparency. The LM-in-plate platform provides a double-superhydrophobic environment that increases the stability of the 3D culture and reduces the necessary operational cautions. In addition, both cell observation and high-throughput applications can be conducted in situ, owing to the high LM transparency and the multiwell structure, respectively. This platform integrates the advantages of naked droplets (transparent and clean), LMs (stable non-wetting), and multiwell plates (high-throughput capability) and thus is promising for labor-saving and versatile 3D culturing.