title: A hybrid bio-jetting approach for directly engineering living cells.
abstract: This paper reports developments on a hybrid cell-engineering protocol coupling both bio-electrosprays and aerodynamically assisted bio-jets for process-handling living cells. The current work demonstrates the ability to couple these two cell-jetting protocols for handling a wide range of cells for deposition. The post-treated cells are assessed for their viability by way of flow cytometry, which illustrates a significant population of viable cells post-treatment in comparison to those controls. This work is the first example of coupling these two protocols for the process handling of living cells. The hybrid protocol demonstrates the achievement of stable cone jetting of a cellular suspension in the single-needle configuration which was previously unachieved with single-needle bio-electrosprays. Furthermore the living cells explored in these investigations expressed GFP, thus demonstrating the ability to couple gene therapy with this hybrid protocol. Hence, this approach could one day be explored for building biologically viable tissues incorporating a therapeutic payload for combating a range of cellular/tissue-based pathologies.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.forename: Sumathy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arumuganathar
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Irvine
authors.forename: Jean R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: McEwan
authors.forename: Suwan N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Jayasinghe
mesh_terms: D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002460:Cell Line; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007277:Injections, Jet; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000379:methods*; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000379:methods*; D011312:Pressure; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*