Effect of cell shape on nonlinear electrophoresis migration

Area of Science:

• Colloid and Surface Science
• Biophysical Chemistry
• Electrophoresis

Background:

• Nonlinear electrophoresis studies colloidal particle migration in strong electric fields.
• Cell shape and size are known to influence electrophoretic behavior.
• Understanding these factors is crucial for applications in cell separation and analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of cell shape on electrophoretic migration under nonlinear regimes.
• To quantify the effect of cell size and sphericity on nonlinear electrophoresis mobility.
• To provide the first assessment of nonlinear electrophoresis mobilities as a function of cell size and shape.

Main Methods:

• Experimental estimation of electrophoretic mobilities for four cell types (spherical and non-spherical bacteria and yeast).
• Assessment under moderate and strong electric field regimes.
• Analysis using the parameter of sphericity to quantify shape deviations.

Main Results:

• Nonlinear electrophoresis mobilities increase with increasing cell size.
• Mobilities increase with greater deviations from spherical shape (lower sphericity values).
• These relationships were observed under both moderate and strong electric field conditions.

Conclusions:

• Cell shape is a critical determinant of nonlinear electrophoresis migration.
• Larger and less spherical cells exhibit enhanced nonlinear electrophoresis mobility.
• This study establishes a foundational understanding of size and shape effects in nonlinear electrophoresis of cells.