IGEM:PennState/2006/Microchannel

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Prep

• 1. Add 10g PDMS and 1g curing agent to a weigh boat
• 2. Stir vigorously for 3 to 5 minutes (the mixture should be opaque from trapped gas bubbles)
• 3. Allow the mixture to set for 20-30 minutes or until all bubbles are gone

Spin Coating

• 1. Prepare PDMS as shown above no more than 1 hour before you're ready to spin coat
• 2. Attach the selected mold to the spin coating machine
• 3. Pour PDMS slowly and evenly over the entire mold
• 4. Spin the mold for 30 seconds at 500rpm
• 5. Carefully remove the coated mold from the spin coating machine and place it a leveled oven to cure for 2 hours at 75C
• 6. Using a razor, cut out the desired pieces of the micro channel array and place them in a Petri dish (make sure to note the orientation of the channels for storage)

PDMS Surface Treatment via O2 Plasma

• 1. Place the PDMS channels "face up" on the O2 Plasma device platform
• 2. Run the coating procedure for 1 minute
• 3. Immediately transfer the treated channels to agar media (treated micro channels should be face down to maintain their hydrophilic state)

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