title: Synthetic nanoscale elements for delivery of materials into viable cells.
abstract: Arrays of vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs) provide structures that are well suited for the direct integration and manipulation of molecular-scale phenomena within intact, live cells. VACNFs are fabricated via a combination of microfabrication techniques and catalytic plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. In this chapter, we discuss the synthesis of VACNFs and detail the methods for introducing these arrays into the intracellular domain of mammalian cells for the purpose of delivering large macromolecules, specifically plasmid DNA, on a massively parallel basis.
authors.affiliation: Molecular-Scale Engineering and Nanoscale Technologies Research Group, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: McKnight
authors.forename: Anatoli V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Melechko
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Guillorn
authors.forename: Vladimir I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Merkulov
authors.forename: Douglas H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lowndes
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Simpson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D006224:Cricetinae; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D006801:Humans; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon