OpenPore: A low-cost, portable, battery-powered exponential decay pulse generator for electroporation

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Electroporation is a key technique for introducing molecular cargo into cells.
• Existing electroporation systems can be bulky and require stable power sources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a portable, battery-powered exponential decay pulse generator for mammalian cell electroporation.
• To assess the performance and efficiency of the developed system.

Main Methods:

• The OpenPore pulse generator was designed with manual controls for charge, pulse, and discharge.
• It features a digital display for voltage monitoring and is powered by two batteries.
• Experiments were conducted using a 0.4 cm commercial electroporation cuvette.

Main Results:

• The system provides a voltage range of 0-330 V.
• It is compact and lightweight due to its battery power source.
• Transfection efficiencies comparable to commercial systems were achieved.

Conclusions:

• The OpenPore pulse generator is an effective and portable device for cell electroporation.
• Its design allows for flexibility in various experimental settings.
• It offers a viable alternative to existing commercial electroporation systems.