Microfluidic cellular valve powerd by linear bioactuator

To resolve the current technical limits of traditional microactuators, we apply a contractile stalk of Vorticella as a linear actuator in a microsystem and develop a cellular valve powered by the stalk. A single cell of Vorticella was trapped in a designed microchamber and allowed to adhere to the chamber surface and grow its stalks. The stalk after surfactant treatment contracted and extended in response to ambient Ca²⁺. The contracted and extended stalk switched flow rates through microchannels. We characterized the sealing property of the channel by the cell body. Our developed method presents one strategy to apply bioactuators in microsystems.