title: Preimplantation mouse embryo selection guided by light-induced dielectrophoresis.
abstract: Selection of optimal quality embryos for in vitro fertilization (IVF) transfer is critical to successful live birth outcomes. Currently, embryos are chosen based on subjective assessment of morphologic developmental maturity. A non-invasive means to quantitatively measure an embryo's developmental maturity would reduce the variability introduced by the current standard. We present a method that exploits the scaling electrical properties of pre-transfer embryos to quantitatively discern embryo developmental maturity using light-induced dielectrophoresis (DEP). We show that an embryo's DEP response is highly correlated with its developmental stage. Uniquely, this technique allows one to select, in sequence and under blinded conditions, the most developmentally mature embryos among a mixed cohort of morphologically indistinguishable embryos cultured in optimized and sub-optimal culture media. Following assay, embryos continue to develop normally in vitro. Light-induced dielectrophoresis provides a non-invasive, quantitative, and reproducible means to select embryos for applications including IVF transfer and embryonic stem cell harvest.
authors.affiliation: Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center, Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Justin K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Valley
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Swinton
authors.forename: W John
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Boscardin
authors.forename: Tom F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Lue
authors.forename: Paolo F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Rinaudo
authors.forename: Ming C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Maurice M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Garcia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst; D004586:Electrophoresis; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D008027:Light; D051379:Mice
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