Single-cell impedance spectroscopy of nucleated cells

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Cellular Electrophysiology
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Single-cell microfluidic impedance spectroscopy is a valuable technique for cell characterization.
• Limited data points across a wide frequency bandwidth hinder the determination of intrinsic electrical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an advanced system for high-throughput single-cell impedance spectroscopy with an extended frequency range.
• To accurately determine intrinsic electrical properties of single nucleated cells.

Main Methods:

• Development of a microfluidic impedance spectroscopy system with a frequency range up to 550 MHz.
• High-throughput impedance spectrum measurement of single nucleated cells.
• Fitting impedance data to the double-shell model to extract cell membrane capacitance and cytoplasm conductivity.

Main Results:

• The system successfully measured impedance spectra of single nucleated cells at high throughput.
• HL60 and THP-1 cell lines were used for system evaluation.
• Reduced suspension media conductivity significantly enhanced cell membrane dielectric relaxations, enabling discrimination of chemically modified cells.

Conclusions:

• The developed system overcomes limitations of previous methods by extending the frequency range and enabling high-throughput measurements.
• Accurate determination of cell membrane capacitance and cytoplasm conductivity is achievable.
• This technique offers enhanced sensitivity for detecting subtle differences in cell properties.