Three-dimensional, sharp-tipped electrodes concentrate applied fields to enable direct electrical release of intact biomarkers from cells.
Biomarkers such as proteins and nucleic acids released from human cells, bacteria, and viruses offer a wealth of information pertinent to diagnosis and treatment ranging from cancer to infectious disease. The release of these molecules from within cells is a crucial step in biomarker analysis. Here we show that purely electric-field-driven lysis can be achieved, inline, within a microfluidic channel; that it can produce highly efficient lysis and biomarker release; and, further, that it can do so with minimal degradation of the released biomarkers. Central to this new technology is the use of three-dimensional sharp-tipped electrodes (3DSTEs) in lysis, which we prove using experiment and finite-element modeling produce the electric field concentration necessary for efficient cell wall rupture.
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G4, Canada. ted.sargent@utoronto.ca.
Mahla
M
Poudineh
Reza M
RM
Mohamadi
Andrew
A
Sage
Laili
L
Mahmoudian
Edward H
EH
Sargent
Shana O
SO
Kelley
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D004560:Electricity; D004566:Electrodes; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D015415:Biomarkers; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger