Transport of live yeast and zebrafish embryo on a droplet (digital'') microfluidic platform

We demonstrate the first programmed transport of live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and a zebrafish embryo (Danio rerio) within droplets in a two-plate digital microfluidic device. The yeast remained viable after transport, and the actuated droplets left no yeast behind. A zebrafish embryo transported 2 hours after fertilization developed normally and hatched. Dechorionation was demonstrated by mixing a droplet of digestive reagent droplet with a droplet containing the embryo. These results demonstrate the potential for using a droplet microfluidic device as an alternative to microwell plates for yeast and zebrafish assays.