Penetration of living cell membranes with fortified carbon nanotube tips.
We have fabricated robust nanosurgical needles suitable for single cell operations by modifying multiwalled carbon nanotube (MCNT)-terminated atomic force microscopy (AFM) tips. Extra-long MCNT AFM tips were prepared and fortified with molecular layers of carbon to overcome mechanical instabilities and then coated with an outer shell of gold to promote chemical versatility. The terminal diameters of the final fabricated tips were approximately 30-40 nm, and the MCNT probes were several micrometers in length. We illustrate the capability of these modified MCNT tips to carry nanoparticulate payloads and to penetrate the plasma membrane of living pleural mesothelial cells at the smallest indentation depths (100-200 nm) and lowest penetration forces (100-200 pN) currently reported for these procedures.
Vakarelski
Ivan U
IU
Department of Materials Science & Engineering and Particle Engineering Research Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-6135, USA.
Brown
Scott C
SC
Higashitani
Ko
K
Moudgil
Brij M
BM
D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008845:Microinjections / Q000295:instrumentation; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D036103:Nanotechnology; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010994:Pleura / Q000166:cytology
D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon