title: Printed carbon microelectrodes for electrochemical detection of single vesicle release from PC12 cells.
abstract: We present a disposable system for recording neurotransmitter release from individual cells in vitro. A simple yet reliable microelectrode fabrication process is introduced using screen-printed carbon paste. It allows rapid fabrication of devices at low costs without standard clean-room technology. We demonstrate functionality of the system by real-time observation of vesicle release from single PC12 (rat pheochromocytoma) cells. The cells are cultured directly on the chip and can be used for immediate or long-term in vitro experiments. Thus, our approach may serve as a platform for pharmacological cell culture studies.
authors.affiliation: Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-8/ICS-8), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yakushenko
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schnitker
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wolfrum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000032:analysis; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D008839:Microelectrodes; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D016716:PC12 Cells; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D022142:Secretory Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon; D004298:Dopamine