Correlation Between Optical Fluorescence and Microwave Transmission During Single-Cell Electroporation

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Cell Biology
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Electroporation is a key technique for altering cell membrane permeability.
• Monitoring electroporation in real-time is crucial for applications like molecular delivery and electrotherapy.
• Current methods often require labels or are not suitable for simultaneous optical measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a multimodal characterization of mammalian cells during electroporation using simultaneous optical and microwave techniques.
• To establish microwave transmission coefficient as a label-free indicator of cell membrane permeability.
• To differentiate between reversible and irreversible electroporation.

Main Methods:

• A Jurkat cell was trapped in a coplanar waveguide.
• Continuous waves at 100 kHz were applied, while microwave transmission coefficients at 9 GHz were measured.
• Simultaneous optical measurements (fluorescence intensity) were recorded.

Main Results:

• Abrupt changes in fluorescence intensity and microwave transmission coefficient indicated the onset of electroporation.
• The transmission coefficient recovered to pre-poration levels while fluorescence remained altered, suggesting reversible electroporation.
• Viability was confirmed via post-poration staining.

Conclusions:

• The microwave transmission coefficient serves as a label-free indicator of cell membrane permeability during and after electroporation.
• This method can effectively differentiate between reversible and irreversible electroporation.
• The findings support applications in cell physiology analysis, molecular delivery, cell engineering, and electrotherapy.