Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Kaempferol Attenuates Spaceflight-Associated Knee Cartilage Degradation by Targeting NOX4-Mediated Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026

Same author

Mitochondrial cardiomyopathy: bridging molecular mechanisms and clinical frontiers.

Nature reviews. Cardiology·2026

Same author

Response to Wojcik and Fraiman.

Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics·2026

Same author

Mitochondrial OXPHOS restricts SARS-CoV-2 replication.

Science advances·2026

Same author

Mitochondria and Qi: Merging eastern and western medicine.

Pharmacological research·2026

Same author

Author Correction: Partial restoration of mitochondrial dysfunction by AAV-Ant1 protects from dilated cardiomyopathy in Ant1<sup>-/-</sup> plus mtDNA mutant mice.

Nature communications·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

A Faster, High Resolution, mtPA-GFP-based Mitochondrial Fusion Assay Acquiring Kinetic Data of Multiple Cells in Parallel Using Confocal Microscopy

A Faster, High Resolution, mtPA-GFP-based Mitochondrial Fusion Assay Acquiring Kinetic Data of Multiple Cells in Parallel Using Confocal Microscopy

Published on: July 20, 2012

Nanofluidic platform for single mitochondria analysis using fluorescence microscopy.

Katayoun Zand¹, Ted Pham, Antonio Davila

¹Integrated Nanosystem Research Facility, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.

Analytical Chemistry

|May 18, 2013

Summary

This study developed a nanofluidic system to trap and analyze individual mitochondria, revealing their vital functions and responses to chemical stimuli at the single-cell level.

More Related Videos

Multi-color Localization Microscopy of Single Membrane Proteins in Organelles of Live Mammalian Cells

Multi-color Localization Microscopy of Single Membrane Proteins in Organelles of Live Mammalian Cells

Published on: June 30, 2018

Automated System for Single Molecule Fluorescence Measurements of Surface-immobilized Biomolecules

Automated System for Single Molecule Fluorescence Measurements of Surface-immobilized Biomolecules

Published on: November 2, 2009

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 11, 2026

A Faster, High Resolution, mtPA-GFP-based Mitochondrial Fusion Assay Acquiring Kinetic Data of Multiple Cells in Parallel Using Confocal Microscopy

A Faster, High Resolution, mtPA-GFP-based Mitochondrial Fusion Assay Acquiring Kinetic Data of Multiple Cells in Parallel Using Confocal Microscopy

Published on: July 20, 2012

Multi-color Localization Microscopy of Single Membrane Proteins in Organelles of Live Mammalian Cells

Multi-color Localization Microscopy of Single Membrane Proteins in Organelles of Live Mammalian Cells

Published on: June 30, 2018

Automated System for Single Molecule Fluorescence Measurements of Surface-immobilized Biomolecules

Automated System for Single Molecule Fluorescence Measurements of Surface-immobilized Biomolecules

Published on: November 2, 2009

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Cell Biology
Nanotechnology

Background:

Mitochondria are crucial organelles involved in cellular energy production and signaling.
Studying individual mitochondria offers insights into cellular function and disease mechanisms.
Existing methods often lack the resolution to interrogate single mitochondria effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a nanofluidic platform for trapping and analyzing individual mitochondria.
To assess mitochondrial viability and membrane potential in response to various chemical stimuli.
To demonstrate the potential of this technology for applications in cell biology and metabolomics.

Main Methods:

Utilized polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanofluidic channels (500 nm × 2 μm cross-section).
Employed fluorescence labeling for mitochondrial immobilization and tracking.
Applied potential-sensitive dyes (JC-1, TMRM) to measure mitochondrial membrane potential.
Introduced chemical challenges, including OXPHOS substrates and Ca(2+), to the nanochannels.

Main Results:

Successfully trapped and immobilized individual mitochondria within nanofluidic channels.
Confirmed mitochondrial viability and observed fluctuations in membrane potential at the single-mitochondrion level.
Demonstrated real-time monitoring of mitochondrial responses to chemical stimuli, such as increased membrane potential with OXPHOS substrates.
Observed mitochondrial membrane permeabilization (MMP) and depolarization upon Ca(2+) introduction.

Conclusions:

The developed nanofluidic system enables high-resolution interrogation of individual mitochondria.
This technology allows for the study of mitochondrial function and response to chemical challenges in real-time.
Potential applications include cancer biology, stem cell research, apoptosis studies, and high-throughput functional metabolomics.