Electric Field Mediated Cell Manipulation,Characterisation and Cultivation in Highly Conductive Media

Abstract

In this paper we show that, under appropriate conditions, ultra-micro-electrode systems fabricated on glass or silicon wafers are able to apply a.c.-electric fields to highly conductive media without electrolysis and strong heating. A helpful result in relation to cell manipulation (trapping, positioning, cell sorting, cell cultivation) is the occurrence of exclusively repulsive forces independent of the applied frequency. Surprisingly, under these conditions adherently growing animal cells, like mouse fibroblast (3T3, L929), can be cultivated in original culture media under permanent field application (frequency: 10 MHz, field strength: 10-100 kV/m).