title: Enrichment of diluted cell populations from large sample volumes using 3D carbon-electrode dielectrophoresis.
abstract: Here, we report on an enrichment protocol using carbon electrode dielectrophoresis to isolate and purify a targeted cell population from sample volumes up to 4 ml. We aim at trapping, washing, and recovering an enriched cell fraction that will facilitate downstream analysis. We used an increasingly diluted sample of yeast, 10(6)-10(2) cells/ml, to demonstrate the isolation and enrichment of few cells at increasing flow rates. A maximum average enrichment of 154.2 ± 23.7 times was achieved when the sample flow rate was 10 μl/min and yeast cells were suspended in low electrically conductive media that maximizes dielectrophoresis trapping. A COMSOL Multiphysics model allowed for the comparison between experimental and simulation results. Discussion is conducted on the discrepancies between such results and how the model can be further improved.
authors.affiliation: Mechanical Engineering Department, Clemson University , Clemson, South Carolina 29631, USA.
authors.forename: Monsur
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4847-3996
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: Mechanical Engineering Department, Clemson University , Clemson, South Carolina 29631, USA.
authors.forename: Rucha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Natu
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Iowa , Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Larraga-Martinez
authors.affiliation: Mechanical Engineering Department, Clemson University , Clemson, South Carolina 29631, USA.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8023-1161
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martinez-Duarte