Round Well Inset for Uniform Electric Field Distribution in Electroporation Applications

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cell Biology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Electroporation is vital for localized drug delivery, but in vitro studies on adherent cells lack standardization.
• Existing methods for cell suspensions offer uniform electric fields, unlike those for adherent cells in well plates.
• Inconsistent electric fields in current setups hinder reproducible results in cell-based assays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate a novel inset for standard low-volume well plates (24- and 96-well) to achieve uniform electric field distribution.
• To improve the consistency and repeatability of in vitro electroporation for adherent cells.
• To facilitate effective localized drug molecule delivery in cell culture applications.

Main Methods:

• Development of a 3D-printed inset for round well plates.
• Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to simulate electric field distribution.
• Experimental validation using potato phantoms and HeLa cells.

Main Results:

• FEA showed the inset design achieved a more uniform electric field (approx. 1000 V/cm) compared to standard wells (840 V/cm).
• Experimental tests with potato phantoms and HeLa cells confirmed uniform electric fields using the inset.
• The inset design demonstrated usability with common low-volume cell culture well plates.

Conclusions:

• The novel inset design significantly enhances electric field uniformity in electroporation for adherent cells within standard well plates.
• This innovation provides a standardized, cost-effective method for reproducible electroporation and localized drug delivery in cell culture.
• The design's compatibility with multi-well plates simplifies cell transfer for downstream assays.