Nanomanipulation of single influenza virus using dielectrophoretic concentration and optical tweezers for single virus infection to a specific cell on a microfluidic chip

A major problem when analyzing bionanoparticles such as influenza viruses (approximately 100 nm in size) is the low sample concentrations. We developed a method for manipulating a single virus that employs optical tweezers in conjunction with dielectrophoretic (DEP) concentration of viruses on a microfluidic chip. A polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic chip can be used to stably manipulate a virus. The chip has separate sample and analysis chambers to enable quantitative analysis of the virus functions before and after it has infected a target cell. The DEP force in the sample chamber concentrates the virus and prevents it from adhering to the glass substrate. The concentrated virus is transported to the sample selection section where it is trapped by optical tweezers. The trapped virus is transported to the analysis chamber and it is brought into contact with the target cell to infect it. This paper describes the DEP virus concentration for single virus infection of a specific cell. We concentrated the influenza virus using the DEP force, transported a single virus, and made it contact a specific H292 cell.