Low Voltage, Economical Electroporation Device

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Electroporation describes the process of exposing cells to high electrical field which leads to transient membrane permeabilization. This procedure has gained widespread use in the life sciences for intracellular delive ry of nucleic acids, ions, dyes and drugs. Current electroporation techniques require specialized power supplies to create the high electrical field strengths necessary for successful delivery applications. We propose the development of an alternate new el ectroporation device stimulated by recent work describing electroporation of cells flowing through microfluidic channels. Our device will also permit the use of low voltages, but enable high volume sample processing, function with standard power supplies, and be applicable for prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The research proposed will define alternative uses for the system including high throughput reagentless cell lysis and electrical field pasteurization. The products developed during this research will enable widespread use of electroporation at significantly reduced costs. PUBLIC HUMAN RELEVANCE: The proposed research will lead to the development of novel electroporation devices that can be used by the biomedical research community to enhance the basic understanding of disease processes. This product will have a direct impact on public health by enabling a novel, low heat and energy use process for pasteurization.