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Regeneration of Arrayed Gold Microelectrodes Equipped for a Real-Time Cell Analyzer
Published on: March 12, 2018
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Polyelectrolyte Multilayer-Treated Electrodes for Real-Time Electronic Sensing of Cell Proliferation.
Geraldine I Mijares1, Darwin R Reyes1, Jon Geist1
1Semiconductor Electronics Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8120.
Summary
Polyelectrolyte multilayer coatings promote uniform cell growth on gold electrodes, enabling stable, long-term impedance monitoring for cell proliferation assays. This offers a durable alternative to biological coatings for biosensor applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Surface Science
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Extracellular matrix proteins are standard cell adhesion promoters but degrade over time.
- This degradation limits the duration of biosensor experiments relying on cell conductance.
- A stable, non-biological alternative is needed for long-term cell monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) coatings as a stable surface preparation for cell attachment and growth.
- To enable uniform cell proliferation on patterned gold electrodes for impedance-based measurements.
- To develop a reliable method for real-time cell proliferation monitoring using biosensors.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of thin-film gold electrodes on glass with a titanium-tungsten adhesion layer.
- Passivation of electrodes to define active areas.
- Surface treatment with poly(ethyleneimine) followed by bilayers of sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride).
- Culture and observation of NIH-3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblast cells on the treated surfaces.
- Correlation of optical microscopy observations with electrical impedance measurements.
Main Results:
- PEM coatings facilitated uniform cell attachment and growth, comparable to polystyrene cell culture dishes.
- Impedance measurements showed a consistent rise with cell proliferation.
- Impedance stabilized at approximately 15% increase as cell cultures reached confluency.
- PEM-treated surfaces demonstrated long-term stability for cell culture.
Conclusions:
- Polyelectrolyte multilayer coatings provide a stable, non-biological surface for uniform cell proliferation on gold electrodes.
- These PEM-treated surfaces are suitable for continuous, real-time monitoring of cell proliferation using impedance-based biosensors.
- The method allows for accurate determination of cell growth rates in cellular assays, overcoming limitations of biological coatings.
