High throughput cell stiffness measurement via multiplexed impedance sensors

Area of Science:

• Cellular mechanics
• Biomarker discovery
• Mechanobiology

Background:

• Physiological and pathological events alter cellular mechanical properties.
• Cell mechanics can serve as a label-free biomarker.
• Rapid quantification of single-cell mechanics is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a portable microchip for rapid, single-cell mechanical property measurement.
• To quantify population-level elastic modulus and fluidity.
• To advance cell mechanics as a label-free biomarker.

Main Methods:

• A portable microchip was designed to probe cell mechanics.
• A code multiplexing scheme enabled a distributed sensor network.
• Sensing events were compressed into a single electrical output for high throughput (up to 50 cells/second).

Main Results:

• The microchip successfully measured the elastic modulus and fluidity of MDA-MB-231 cells.
• Measurements correlated with expected changes in cell stiffness induced by chemical agents.
• The system demonstrated high throughput for cell mechanics analysis.

Conclusions:

• A low-cost, electronic assay for rapid cell mechanics measurement was developed.
• This technology enables previously infeasible studies in mechanobiology.
• The device advances the utility of cell mechanics as a label-free biomarker.