VIP.flow
Problem to solve:
Testing the effects of drugs on living seedlings while imaging them is highly challenging. Recent advanced in microfluidics allows for in vivo treatments but only on the roots system. Moreover, implementation of microfluidics in any lab requires high level skills.
How to perform treatments with your best drugs on living seedlings and analyse real-time signal dynamics using VIP.flow?
VIP.flow confocal
Imaging chambers have been largely developed for mammalian cells. For plant studies, there is currently no commercial solution for the in vivo imaging of entire seedlings allowing for chemical treatments.
VIP.flow confocal is made of two main parts: a 3D-printed chip in which the seedlings are maintained in the chamber and a peristaltic pump which injects chemicals on the seedlings.


3D design of the VIP.flow imaging chamber

Reduction of seedlings movement in x,y,z using medical adhesive and a grid.
Reduction of mechanical stresses (no coverslip).
VIP.flow in action

Injection of a specific chemical product during live imaging of protoplasts.
VIP.flow stereomicroscopy
Drugs testing on seedlings can also be perform on a simple stereoscopic microscope using our specific seedlings holder. This holder can be clips on the VIP-box holder so that chemical treatments are performed on vertically growing seedlings.
In this version, three different chemicals treatments can be performed simultaneously, on five seedlings each.



With permission of IJPB, INRAE
Injection of chemicals during live imaging.
Washing of the chemicals.


Demo of VIP.flow for successive chemical treatments.

With permission of IJPB, INRAE