Addressing Challenges in Fluid Flow-Induced Cell Membrane Oscillation by Nanopipettes

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Cell Biology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Cell membrane mechanical properties are vital for cell function and morphology.
• Nanopipette sensing offers label-free, precise measurement of these properties.
• Inducing and interpreting cell membrane oscillation signals remains challenging due to complex fluid dynamics and cell interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how nanopipette fluid flow influences the triggering of periodic cell membrane oscillations.
• To determine the role of electroosmosis in driving fluid flow and generating membrane oscillations.
• To assess the impact of nanopipette tip diameter on cell viability during oscillation induction.

Main Methods:

• Utilized nanopipettes with varying tip diameters to probe single living cells.
• Controlled chemical, physical, and electronic parameters to optimize fluid flow and oscillation induction.
• Employed experimental measurements and simulations to analyze fluid dynamics and cell membrane responses.

Main Results:

• Electroosmosis plays a critical role in driving fluid flow and inducing cell membrane oscillations.
• Nanopipettes with tip diameters around or below 100 nm showed no significant damage to living cells.
• Established fundamental prerequisites for triggering and interpreting membrane oscillation signals.

Conclusions:

• Understanding electroosmotic flow is key to effectively measuring cell membrane mechanical properties using nanopipettes.
• Optimized nanopipette parameters, particularly tip diameter, are essential for non-invasive cell membrane analysis.
• This study provides a deeper insight into nanopipette-cell membrane interactions for improved biophysical measurements.