Graduate Studies
First Advisor
Dr. Ruiguo Yang
Date of this Version
Spring 5-5-2023
Citation
Heiman, T. (2023). (rep.). An Integrated Porous Substrate Electroporation and Transepithelial Electrical Measurement System for Impedance Monitoring during Electroporation.
Abstract
Cellular electroporation has become an effective and widely adopted method for intracellular delivery, yet the mechano-electrical process of electroporation using porous substrate as an interface remains largely unexplored. Most studies characterize the process through fluorescent imaging of molecular markers or resistance measurements of the cell layer. Although convenient, current methods often provide limited characterization of the cell behavior after electroporation and fails to paint a full picture about the effectiveness of electroporation. This inability to fully quantify the effects of electroporation in real-time hinders the advancement of the technique, and often leads to questionable efficacy and consistency. To address this lack of understanding, we developed a platform capable of performing both electroporation and impedance measurements using a microfabricated device and integrated electronics. The function and capabilities of the device are explained and proven through direct comparison to separate commercial systems. The device reveals cell impedance evolution from various modes of electroporation via real-time quantitative impedance measurements for the first time. Lastly, we show that different cells respond in different ways to electroporation. This integrated platform and the impedance monitoring offers a facile process to quantitatively evaluate the electroporation process in porous substrate-based electroporation.
Advisor: Ruiguo Yang
Comments
A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College of the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science, Major: Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Under the Supervision of Professor Ruiguo Yang. Lincoln, Nebraska: May 2023
Copyright © 2023 Tyler C. Heiman