Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

John Yin

Stephen Michael Lindsay

Jay W Warrick

Ying Shu

A method for quantifying infectious particles of a virus in a sample comprises providing a layer of host cells of the virus, contacting the layer of host cells with a preparation of the sample, and culturing the cells under conditions wherein the cells are submerged in a thin layer of liquid culture medium, and wherein the virus infects host cells and releases its progeny from said infected host cells, imposing a flow of the liquid medium, wherein the spread of the viral progeny to uninfected host cells is enhanced, culturing the cells under conditions to allow further virus infection and viral gene expression, wherein infected host cells develop an observable indication of viral gene expression, and determining the number of infected host cells, whereby the number of infectious particles of the virus in the sample is quantified. The method may be used for measuring viral growth rate or for screening for antiviral compounds. Also provided are microfluidic devices suitable for the inventive method.

Methods and devices for quantitative viral assays

A microwell device is provided. The device includes a plate having a upper surface. The upper surface has first and second recesses formed therein. Each recess has an outer periphery. First and second portions of microwells are formed in upper surface of the plate. The first portion of microwells are spaced about the outer periphery of the first recess and the second portion of microwells spaced about the outer periphery of the first recess. A first barrier is about a first portions of the microwells for fluidicly isolating the first portion of the microwells and a second barrier about a second portions of microwells for fluidicly isolating the second portion of the microwells.

Growing community of inventors

Madison, WI, United States of America

John Yin