title: Electroformation and electrofusion of giant vesicles in a microfluidic device.
abstract: Electroformation and electrofusion of giant vesicles with diameters of 10-20μm have been performed in a microfluidic device with high-density microelectrodes forming the sidewalls of the microchannel. Electroformation of giant vesicles by a solution mixture of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and cholesterol (Chol) with different concentrations under AC electric field was investigated. Under the conditions of 0.5-12mg/mL PC and 0.1-2.4mg/mL Chol, vesicles were electroformed by the AC electric field imposed. About 60% electroformed vesicles were giant (unilamellar) vesicles with diameters 10-20μm. The eletroformed vesicles were collected from the chip, re-suspended in fresh buffer, and then separated by centrifugation to segregate the ones with desired diameters (10-20μm). Electrofusion of the giant vesicles was conducted in the same chip. Vesicles were aligned to form pairs under AC electric field due to positive dielectrophoresis, and the paired vesicles were subsequently fused upon the application of high strength electrical pulses. The alignment and fusion efficiencies were, respectively, about 50% and 20%.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, and Key Lab of Visual Damage and Regeneration & Restoration of Chongqing, Chongqing, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China.
authors.forename: Zhenyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Li-Hsien
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Sang W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Shizhi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qian
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004566:Electrodes; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010316:Particle Size; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D002784:Cholesterol