Pulsating tandem microbubble for localized and directional single-cell membrane poration
1Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Box 90300, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|September 28, 2010
Summary
Laser-generated tandem microbubbles create directional microjets and vortices, enabling targeted cell membrane poration. This controlled cell membrane manipulation is unique to tandem microbubbles, unlike single ones.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Acoustic Technology
Background:
- Investigating microbubble dynamics is crucial for targeted therapies.
- Understanding cell-microbubble interactions informs drug delivery and tissue engineering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction of laser-generated tandem microbubbles with single cancer cells.
- To characterize the microfluidic phenomena generated by tandem microbubbles and their effect on cell membranes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized laser-generated tandem microbubbles (approx. 50 μm diameter) in a 25-μm liquid layer with rat mammary carcinoma cells.
- Analyzed antiphase and coupled oscillations of microbubbles, measuring microjet velocity (up to 10 m/s) and vorticity (up to 350,000 s⁻¹).
Main Results:
- Tandem microbubbles generated alternating, directional microjets and vortices.
- Achieved localized and directional cell membrane poration (200 nm to 2 μm pore size).
- Poration was dependent on microbubble orientation and proximity, a phenomenon not observed with single microbubbles.
Conclusions:
- Tandem microbubbles offer a novel method for controlled, directional cell membrane poration.
- The unique oscillatory behavior of tandem microbubbles facilitates precise manipulation of cellular structures.
