The authors would like to thank the following funding sources: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

1. Development of LabView Program
<ol>
	<li>A mass flow controller (MKS M100B Mass-Flo Controller) is attached to the helium gas line to ensure a precise gas flow rate. This unit is controlled by an input voltage, ranging between 0 and 5 V. A control loop in the LabView program determines the required voltage at any given time. Interfacing between the computer and the mass flow controller is performed by a data acquisition device (NI USB-6009), and a 12 V power supply provides power to the mass flow controller.</li>
	<li>Two positioning linear slides are used to control the movement of the 6-well plate, one for each direction. Each assembly consists of a MA15-series Velmex Unislide Assembly coupled with a stepping motor, and both assemblies are controlled by a single Velmex VXM Stepping Motor Controller. The controller allows for manual jogging of each motor or accepts a string of external serial commands, the combination of which allow for specific movement patterns. Several patterns can be programmed into the LabView program, requiring the user to provide only the desired torch speed as well as the path dimensions.</li>
</ol>
2. Preparation of Equipment
<ol>
	<li>Open both the helium cylinder and regulator.</li>
	<li>Turn on the motor controller.</li>
	<li>Open the LabView program and verify all conditions.</li>
	<li>Make sure the platform is centered. To check, look at each motor stage and verify that each carriage is not near either stage end. Either have the program center the carriages or manually adjust by using the jogging controls on the front of the motor controller.</li>
	<li>If this is the first run of the day, it is recommended to run the program once without cells, to ensure the setup is working correctly.</li>
</ol>
3. Preparation of the Gas Jet Capillary Nozzle Height
<ol>
	<li>Remove the capillary from the holder and zero the height dial.</li>
	<li>Place the 6-well plate on the platform.</li>
	<li>Replace and lower the gas jet capillary to the bottom of the well until it hits the cover slip. Secure the capillary in the holder.</li>
	<li>Using the height dial, raise the capillary 3 mm. Mark this height on the capillary base.</li>
	<li>Raise the capillary to a safe height and then remove the 6-well plate.</li>
</ol>
4. Cell Permeabilization Protocol
<ol>
	<li>Culture adherent cell line to confluence on glass cover slips in a 6-well plate using standard culturing techniques. For HeLa cells, seed 6-well plates with 2 x 105 cells per well and incubate for 48 hr before treatment.</li>
	<li>Prepare appropriate volume of solution containing the desired vector. For hrGFPII-1, a concentration of 50 ng/&#956;l in 1x PBS provides a strong fluorescent signal in HeLa cells 24 hr after transfection. For dextran studies, 80 &#956;g/ml of 10 kDa green fluorescent dextran is recommended. Henceforth, this solution will be referred to as &#34;vector solution&#34;.</li>
	<li>Remove cell culture media from well and rinse three times with 1x PBS.</li>
	<li>Pipette 1,370 &#956;l of vector solution prepared in step 4.2 into well. This should result in a liquid depth of approximately 1.3 mm.</li>
	<li>Place the well containing the vector solution in the center of the platform. Lower the gas jet nozzle to the previously marked level indicating a nozzle height of 3 mm above the slide.</li>
	<li>Set helium flow rate in the LabView program and select the desired movement pattern to be used. Select &#34;Run&#34; when ready to begin the permeabilization protocol. There will be an initial lag period during which the mass flow controller is preparing to provide the necessary flow rate. Once the appropriate flow rate has been reached, the LabView program will activate the stepper motors to move the well in the desired permeabilization pattern. Once the platform has stopped, wait approximately 30 sec and remove the vector solution. Note: Optimal permeabilization occurs near a dynamic pressure of 100 to 200 Pa at the nozzle outlet, depending on the capillary diameter.</li>
	<li>Wash well three times with 1x PBS.</li>
	<li>Fill well with fresh culture media.</li>
	<li>Repeat steps 4.3 - 4.6 for desired number of experiments. Note: Be sure to include control samples which consist of wells being filled with the vector solution without the gas jet being run over them. Leave the solution in the control wells for approximately 1 min then proceed to steps 4.5 and 4.6.</li>
	<li>If running an hrGFP transfection experiment, return 6-well plate to incubator for 24 hr to allow transfected material to be transcribed by the cells. If running a dextran permeabilization experiment, return 6-well plate to incubator for 15 min.</li>
</ol>
5. Cell Imaging
<ol>
	<li>If desired, immediately before imaging, counterstain with appropriate live/dead stain to evaluate cell death.</li>
	<li>Image cells with appropriate microscope to investigate transfection/ permeabilization efficacy.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Rosenberg, S. A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gene+transfer+into+humans--immunotherapy+of+patients+with+advanced+melanoma,+using+tumor-infiltrating+lymphocytes+modified+by+retroviral+gene+transduction.">Gene transfer into humans--immunotherapy of patients with advanced melanoma, using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes modified by retroviral gene transduction.</a> The New England Journal of Medicine. 323, 570-578 (1990).</li><li>Yang, Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cellular+immunity+to+viral+antigens+limits+E1-deleted+adenoviruses+for+gene+therapy.">Cellular immunity to viral antigens limits E1-deleted adenoviruses for gene therapy.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 91, 4407-4411 (1994).</li><li>Chen, C., Okayama, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High-efficiency+transformation+of+mammalian+cells+by+plasmid+DNA.">High-efficiency transformation of mammalian cells by plasmid DNA.</a> Molecular and cellular biology. 7, 2745-2752 (1987).</li><li>Walev, I., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Delivery+of+proteins+into+living+cells+by+reversible+membrane+permeabilization+with+streptolysin-O.">Delivery of proteins into living cells by reversible membrane permeabilization with streptolysin-O.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 98, 3185-3190 (2001).</li><li>Felgner, P. L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Lipofection:+a+highly+efficient,+lipid-mediated+DNA-transfection+procedure.">Lipofection: a highly efficient, lipid-mediated DNA-transfection procedure.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 84, 7413-7417 (1987).</li><li>Hamm, A., Krott, N., Breibach, I., Blindt, R., Bosserhoff, A. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Efficient+transfection+method+for+primary+cells.">Efficient transfection method for primary cells.</a> Tissue engineering. 8, 235-245 (2002).</li><li>Rauth, S., Kucherlapati, R. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Expression+of+DNA+Transferred+into+Mammalian-Cells.">Expression of DNA Transferred into Mammalian-Cells.</a> J. Bioscience. 6, 543-567 (1984).</li><li>Spandidos, D. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Electric+field-mediated+gene+transfer+(electroporation)+into+mouse+Friend+and+human+K562+erythroleukemic+cells.">Electric field-mediated gene transfer (electroporation) into mouse Friend and human K562 erythroleukemic cells.</a> Gene analysis techniques. 4, 50-56 (1987).</li><li>Chu, G., Hayakawa, H., Berg, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Electroporation+for+the+efficient+transfection+of+mammalian+cells+with+DNA.">Electroporation for the efficient transfection of mammalian cells with DNA.</a> Nucleic Acids Research. 15, 1311-1326 (1987).</li><li>Fechheimer, M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transfection+of+mammalian+cells+with+plasmid+DNA+by+scrape+loading+and+sonication+loading.">Transfection of mammalian cells with plasmid DNA by scrape loading and sonication loading.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 84, 8463-8467 (1987).</li><li>Koch, S., Pohl, P., Cobet, U., Rainov, N. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ultrasound+enhancement+of+liposome-mediated+cell+transfection+is+caused+by+cavitation+effects.">Ultrasound enhancement of liposome-mediated cell transfection is caused by cavitation effects.</a> Ultrasound in Medicine &amp; Biology. 26, 897-903 (2000).</li><li>Greenleaf, W. J., Bolander, M. E., Sarkar, G., Goldring, M. B., Greenleaf, J. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Artificial+cavitation+nuclei+significantly+enhance+acoustically+induced+cell+transfection.">Artificial cavitation nuclei significantly enhance acoustically induced cell transfection.</a> Ultrasound in Medicine &amp; Biology. 24, 587-595 (1998).</li><li>Yang, N. S., Burkholder, J., Roberts, B., Martinell, B., McCabe, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=In+vivo+and+in+vitro+gene+transfer+to+mammalian+somatic+cells+by+particle+bombardment.">In vivo and in vitro gene transfer to mammalian somatic cells by particle bombardment.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 87, 9568-9572 (1990).</li><li>Hallow, D. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Shear-induced+intracellular+loading+of+cells+with+molecules+by+controlled+microfluidics.">Shear-induced intracellular loading of cells with molecules by controlled microfluidics.</a> Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 99, 846-854 (2008).</li><li>Chouinard-Pelletier, G. L., Guay, M., Coulombe, D., Leask, S., L, R., Jones, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Use+of+inert+gas+jets+to+measure+the+forces+required+for+mechanical+gene+transfection.">Use of inert gas jets to measure the forces required for mechanical gene transfection.</a> Biomedical Engineering Online. 11, (2012).</li><li>Leduc, M., Coulombe, S., Leask, R. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Atmospheric+Pressure+Plasma+Jet+Deposition+of+Patterned+Polymer+Films+for+Cell+Culture+Applications.">Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet Deposition of Patterned Polymer Films for Cell Culture Applications.</a> Ieee T. Plasma Sci. 37, 927-933 (2009).</li><li>Lu, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Microfluidic+shear+devices+for+quantitative+analysis+of+cell+adhesion.">Microfluidic shear devices for quantitative analysis of cell adhesion.</a> Analytical Chemistry. 76, 5257-5264 (2004).</li><li>Sankin, G. N., Yuan, F., Zhong, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pulsating+tandem+microbubble+for+localized+and+directional+single-cell+membrane+poration.">Pulsating tandem microbubble for localized and directional single-cell membrane poration.</a> Physical Review Letters. 105, 078101 (2010).</li></ol>

The authors declare they have no competing financial interests.

Inert gas jet permeabilization is a useful technique for adherent cell transfection. It provides the ability to transfer biomolecules into cells with the use of mechanical forces, which eliminates the need for potentially harmful chemicals or viral vectors. The technique could potentially give researchers and clinicians an efficient and relatively simple way to precisely transfect cells. The selectivity of the permeabilization is also unique allowing researchers to only treat certain cells in a single colony which could ...

With the evolution of biomedicine and the understanding of cell mechanics, the delivery of biomolecules into cells has become vital to many research fields and medical therapies. Different techniques have been developed to introduce foreign molecules through the plasma membrane and into the cell cytosol. These can be generally classified as either: viral, chemical or mechanical techniques. Viral techniques can transfect genetic material such as RNA and DNA using viral vectors1. Viral techniques tend to have high efficiencies in certain cell lines, however they do have the potential for immune and inflammatory reactions2. Common chemical transfection methods include precipitation with calcium phosphate3, bacterial exotoxins4 and lipofection5. These techniques have proven to be effective; however, certain problems arise such as cell toxicity and non-specificity. Furthermore, techniques such as calcium phosphate precipitation have been found to have transfection efficiencies up to 70% but only in certain cell lines, rarely in primary cells6. This is of note as increasing research efforts are being put into primary cells, especially in the case of designing various treatments for clinical use and the study of DNA functioning.
Temporal disruption of the cell membrane through mechanical stimuli is an alternative for introducing foreign molecules into cells. Techniques include: microinjection of molecules7, electroporation using an electric field to disrupt the membrane8,9, sonoporation using ultrasound waves to disrupt the cell membrane10-12, particle bombardment as demonstrated by the &#34;gene gun&#34;, which shoots particles bound with genes into the cell13, and more recently, the application of fluid shear stress that has been shown to temporally permeabilize mammalian cells14,15. Although mechanical methods avoid some of the aforementioned issues, they are typically accompanied by lower efficiencies and very complex and specialized setups. An atmospheric pressure glow discharge torch (APGD-t) was developed at McGill with the initial goal of functionalizing surfaces and detaching adherent cells in vitro16. Serendipitously, it was discovered that a live/dead stain being used was somehow being taken in by cells without a permeabilizing agent being added. Furthermore, this seemed to have occurred only in restricted areas of the wells which happened to match up with the torch path. Investigation into the permeabilization capabilities of the APGD-t continued and in control studies, it was found that the carrier inert gas jet of the plasma without excitation was also able to permeabilize cells. This contradicted the initial hypothesis that the reactive species created by the plasma jet temporarily impaired the membrane function and suggested that simply the mechanical forces were sufficient to cause cell permeabilization. From here, studies continued in our lab to try and quantify and characterize the permeabilization efficiency of an inert gas jet as well as look at its transfection capabilities16.
Through these studies, it has been found that micropores do in fact form in the plasma membrane, and these pores tend to reseal within approximately 5 sec15. We have demonstrated the technique&#39;s utility in vitro and in vivo in the chorioallantoic membrane of a chick embryo.

<table border="1">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Vitality hrGFPII-1</td>
			<td>Agilent Technologies Canada</td>
			<td>240143-57</td>
			<td>Green fluorescent protein for transfection experiments on HeLa cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dextran, AlexaFluor 488; 10,000 MW, Anionic, Fixable</td>
			<td>Life Technologies Inc.</td>
			<td>D22910</td>
			<td>dextran for permeabilization experiments</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LIVE/DEAD Viability/Cytotoxicity Kit</td>
			<td>Life Technologies Inc.</td>
			<td>L3224</td>
			<td>for counterstaining of mammalian cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Prolong Gold Antifade Reagent</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>P36930</td>
			<td>for mounting slides when imaging</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ultra High Purity Helium</td>
			<td>Praxair Canada Inc.</td>
			<td>HE 5.0UH-T</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hyclone DMEM/ High Glucose Media - 500 ml</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>SH30022.01</td>
			<td>for HeLa cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal Bovine Serum</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>26140079</td>
			<td>For DMEM media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Penicillin-Streptomycin, liquid</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>15140-122</td>
			<td>For DMEM media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Phosphate-Buffered Saline (PBS) 1x</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Produced in lab</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Table 1. List of required reagents</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>6-Well Clear TC-Treated Microplates</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>3506</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>#1 22 x 22 Coverslips</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>12-542B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass Capillaries</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>WPI Sizing Information</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ID (mm): 1, 0.86, 0.68, 0.5 Order #: 1B200, 1B150, 1B120, 1B100</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mass-Flo Controller</td>
			<td>MKS</td>
			<td>M100B01314CS1BV</td>
			<td>Mass flow controller, Series M100B, requires an external 12 V power supply</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>USB-6009 DAQ Device</td>
			<td>National Instruments</td>
			<td>779026-01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>UniSlide Assembly with stepping motor and controller</td>
			<td>Velmex</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Two series MA15 UniSlide Assemblies, fitted with Vexta 1.8&#176; stepping motors provided by Velmex, and controlled by a VXM Stepping Motor Controller</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Table 2. List of required equipment</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

permeabilization of adhered cells using an inert gas jet

Various cell transfection techniques exist and these can be broken down to three broad categories: viral, chemical and mechanical. This protocol describes a mechanical method to temporally permeabilize adherent cells using an inert gas jet that can facilitate the transfer of normally non-permeable macromolecules into cells. We believe this technique works by imparting shear forces on the plasma membrane of adherent cells, resulting in the temporary formation of micropores. Once these pores are created, the cells are then permeable to genetic material and other biomolecules. The mechanical forces involved do run the risk of permanently damaging or detaching cells from their substrate. There is, therefore, a narrow range of inert gas dynamics where the technique is effective. An inert gas jet has proven efficient at permeabilizing various adherent cell lines including HeLa, HEK293 and human abdominal aortic endothelial cells. This protocol is appropriate for the permeabilization of adherent cells both in vitro and, as we have demonstrated, in vivo, showing it may be used for research and potentially in future clinical applications. It also has the advantage of permeabilizing cells in a spatially restrictive manner, which could prove to be a valuable research tool.

Permeabilization of HeLa cells with 10 kDa green fluorescent dextran using a helium gas jet with a 0.86 mm inner diameter capillary is shown in Figure 1. Cells were counterstained immediately after permeabilization with 2 &#956;l/ml EthD-1 solution (LIVE/DEAD Viability/Cytotoxicity Kit) to visualize cell death. Immediately following counterstaining, cover slips were mounted and imaged. This figure shows results of running the helium gas jet at three different outlet pressures compared to a control sample...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Permeabilization of Adhered Cells Using an Inert Gas Jet at JoVE.com

Permeabilization of Adhered Cells Using an Inert Gas Jet

This protocol describes a method for the temporary permeabilization of adherent cells using an inert gas jet. This technique facilitates the transfer of genetic material and biomolecules into adherent mammalian cells by the utilization of mechanical forces to disrupt the plasma membrane.

Various cell transfection techniques exist and these can be broken down to three broad categories: viral, chemical and mechanical. This protocol describes ...

permeabilization-of-adhered-cells-using-an-inert-gas-jet

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9.6K Views.  McGill University. This protocol describes a method for the temporary permeabilization of adherent cells using an inert gas jet. This technique facilitates the transfer of genetic material and biomolecules into adherent mammalian cells by the utilization of mechanical forces to disrupt the plasma membrane.

Video: Permeabilization of Adhered Cells Using an Inert Gas Jet

Transplantation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Mesoangioblast-like Myogenic Progenitors in Mouse Models of Muscle Regeneration

Patient-derived iPSCs could be an invaluable source of cells for future autologous cell therapy protocols. iPSC-derived myogenic stem/progenitor cells similar to pericyte-derived mesoangioblasts (iPSC-derived mesoangioblast-like stem/progenitor cells: IDEMs) can be established from iPSCs generated from patients affected by different forms of muscular dystrophy. Patient-specific IDEMs can be genetically corrected with different strategies (e.g. lentiviral vectors, human artificial chromosomes) and enhanced in their myogenic differentiation potential upon overexpression of the myogenesis regulator MyoD. This myogenic potential is then assessed in vitro with specific differentiation assays and analyzed by immunofluorescence. The regenerative potential of IDEMs is further evaluated in vivo, upon intramuscular and intra-arterial transplantation in two representative mouse models displaying acute and chronic muscle regeneration. The contribution of IDEMs to the host skeletal muscle is then confirmed by different functional tests in transplanted mice. In particular, the amelioration of the motor capacity of the animals is studied with treadmill tests. Cell engraftment and differentiation are then assessed by a number of histological and immunofluorescence assays on transplanted muscles. Overall, this paper describes the assays and tools currently utilized to evaluate the differentiation capacity of IDEMs, focusing on the transplantation methods and subsequent outcome measures to analyze the efficacy of cell transplantation.

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived myogenic progenitors are promising candidates for cell therapy strategies to treat muscular dystrophies. This protocol describes transplantation and functional measurements required to evaluate the engraftment and differentiation of iPSC-derived mesoangioblasts (a type of muscle progenitors) in mouse models of acute and chronic muscle regeneration.

Patient-derived iPSCs could be an invaluable source of cells for future autologous cell therapy protocols. iPSC-derived myogenic stem/progenitor cells ...

Quantifying Microorganisms at Low Concentrations Using Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM)

Accurately detecting and counting sparse bacterial samples has many applications in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical processing industries, in medical diagnostics, and for life detection by robotic missions to other planets and moons of the solar system. Currently, sparse bacterial samples are counted by culture plating or epifluorescence microscopy. Culture plates require long incubation times (days to weeks), and epifluorescence microscopy requires extensive staining and concentration of the sample. Here, we demonstrate how to use off-axis digital holographic microscopy (DHM) to enumerate bacteria in very dilute cultures (100-104 cells/mL). First, the construction of the custom DHM is discussed, along with detailed instructions on building a low-cost instrument. The principles of holography are discussed, and a statistical model is used to estimate how long videos should be to detect cells, based on the optical performance characteristics of the instrument and the concentration of the bacterial solution (Table 2). Video detection of cells at 105, 104, 103, and 100 cells/mL is demonstrated in real time using un-reconstructed holograms. Reconstruction of amplitude and phase images is demonstrated using an open-source software package.

Quantifying Microorganisms at Low Concentrations Using Digital Holographic Microscopy DHM

Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) is a volumetric technique that allows imaging samples 50-100X thicker than brightfield microscopy at comparable resolution, with focusing performed post-processing. Here DHM is used for identifying, counting, and tracking microorganisms at very low densities and compared with optical density measurements, plate count, and direct count.

Accurately detecting and counting sparse bacterial samples has many applications in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical processing industries, in ...

High-resolution Patterning Using Two Modes of Electrohydrodynamic Jet: Drop on Demand and Near-field Electrospinning

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) jet printing has drawn attention in various fields because it can be used as a high-resolution and low-cost direct patterning tool. EHD printing uses a fluidic supplier to maintain the extruded meniscus by pushing the ink out of the nozzle tip. The electric field is then used to pull the meniscus down to the substrate to produce high-resolution patterns. Two modes of EHD printing have been used for fine patterning: continuous near-field electrospinning (NFES) and dot-based drop-on-demand (DOD) EHD printing. According to the printing modes, the requirements for the printing equipment and ink viscosity will differ. Even though two different modes can be implemented with a single EHD printer, the realization methods significantly differ in terms of ink, fluidic system, and driving voltage. Consequently, without a proper understanding of the jetting requirements and limitations, it is difficult to obtain the desired results. The purpose of this paper is to present a guideline so that inexperienced researchers can reduce the trial and error efforts to use the EHD jet for their specific research and development purposes. To demonstrate the fine-patterning implementation, we use Ag nanoparticle ink for the conductive patterning in the protocol. In addition, we also present the generalized printing guidelines that can be used for other types of ink for various fine-patterning applications.

Here, we present a protocol to produce high-resolution conductive patterns using electrohydrodynamic (EHD) jet printing. The protocol includes two modes of EHD jet printing: the continuous near-field electrospinning (NFES) and the dot-based drop-on-demand (DOD) EHD printing.

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) jet printing has drawn attention in various fields because it can be used as a high-resolution and low-cost direct patterning ...

A Novel Surgical Technique As a Foundation for In Vivo Partial Liver Engineering in Rat

Organ engineering is a novel strategy to generate liver organ substitutes that can potentially be used in transplantation. Recently, in vivo liver engineering, including in vivo organ decellularization followed by repopulation, has emerged as a promising approach over ex vivo liver engineering. However, postoperative survival was not achieved. The aim of this study is to develop a novel surgical technique of in vivo selective liver lobe perfusion in rats as a prerequisite for in vivo liver engineering. We generate a circuit bypass only through the left lateral lobe. Then, the left lateral lobe is perfused with heparinized saline. The experiment is performed with 4 groups (n = 3 rats per group) based on different perfusion times of 20 min, 2 h, 3 h, and 4 h. Survival, as well as the macroscopically visible change of color and the histologically determined absence of blood cells in the portal triad and the sinusoids, is taken as an indicator for a successful model establishment. After selective perfusion of the left lateral lobe, we observe that the left lateral lobe, indeed, turned from red to faint yellow. In a histological assessment, no blood cells are visible in the branch of the portal vein, the central vein, and the sinusoids. The left lateral lobe turns red after reopening the blocked vessels. 12/12 rats survived the procedure for more than one week. We are the first to report a surgical model for in vivo single liver lobe perfusion with a long survival period of more than one week. In contrast to the previously published report, the most important advantage of the technique presented here is that perfusion of 70% of the liver is maintained throughout the whole procedure. The establishment of this technique provides a foundation for in vivo partial liver engineering in rats, including decellularization and recellularization.

A Novel Surgical Technique As a Foundation for In Vivo Partial Liver Engineering in Rat

We establish a novel surgical technique for an in vivo single liver lobe perfusion model in rat as a prerequisite for further studying in vivo partial liver engineering in the future.

Organ engineering is a novel strategy to generate liver organ substitutes that can potentially be used in transplantation. Recently, in vivo liver ...

Purification and Analytics of a Monoclonal Antibody from Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells Using an Automated Microbioreactor System

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are one of the most popular and well-characterized biological products manufactured today. Most commonly produced using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, culture and process conditions must be optimized to maximize antibody titers and achieve target quality profiles. Typically, this optimization uses automated microscale bioreactors (15 mL) to screen multiple process conditions in parallel. Optimization criteria include culture performance and the critical quality attributes (CQAs) of the monoclonal antibody (mAb) product, which may impact its efficacy and safety. Culture performance metrics include cell growth and nutrient consumption, while the CQAs include the mAb's N-glycosylation and aggregation profiles, charge variants, and molecular weight. This detailed protocol describes how to purify and subsequently analyze HCCF samples produced by an automated microbioreactor system to gain valuable performance metrics and outputs. First, an automated protein A fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) method is used to purify the mAb from harvested cell culture samples. Once concentrated, the glycan profiles are analyzed by mass spectrometry using a specific platform (refer to the Table of Materials). Antibody molecular weights and aggregation profiles are determined using size exclusion chromatography-multiple angle light scattering (SEC-MALS), while charge variants are analyzed using microchip capillary zone electrophoresis (mCZE). In addition to the culture performance metrics captured during the bioreactor process (i.e., culture viability, cell counts, and common metabolites including glutamine, glucose, lactate, and ammonia), spent media is analyzed to identify limiting nutrients to improve the feeding strategies and overall process design. Therefore, a detailed protocol for the absolute quantification of amino acids by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) of spent media is also described. The methods used in this protocol take advantage of high-throughput platforms that are compatible for large numbers of small-volume samples.

A detailed protocol for the purification and subsequent analysis of a monoclonal antibody from harvested cell culture fluid (HCCF) of automated microbioreactors has been described. Use of analytics to determine critical quality attributes (CQAs) and maximizing limited sample volume to extract vital information is also presented.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are one of the most popular and well-characterized biological products manufactured today. Most commonly produced using ...

Screening and Identification of Small Peptides Targeting Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor2 using a Phage Display Peptide Library

The human Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) family comprises four members, namely, FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, and FGFR4, that are involved in various biological activities including cell proliferation, survival, migration and differentiation. Several aberrations in the FGFR signaling pathway, owing to mutations or gene amplification events, have been identified in various types of cancers. Hence, recent research has focused on developing strategies involving therapeutic targeting of FGFRs. Current FGFR inhibitors at various stages of pre-clinical and clinical development include either small molecule inhibitors of tyrosine kinases or monoclonal antibodies, with only a few peptide- based inhibitors in the pipeline. Here, we provide a protocol using phage display technology to screen small peptides as antagonists of FGFR2. Briefly, a library of phage-displayed peptides was incubated in a plate coated with FGFR2. Subsequently, unbound phage was washed off by TBST (TBS + 0.1% [v/v] Tween-20), and bound phage was eluted with 0.2 M glycine-HCl buffer (pH 2.2). The eluted phage was further amplified and used as input for the next round of biopanning. Following three rounds of biopanning, the peptide sequences of individual phage clones were identified by DNA sequencing. Finally, the screened peptides were synthesized and analyzed for affinity and biological activity.

Herein, we present a detailed protocol for screening small peptides that bind to FGFR2 using a phage display peptide library. We further analyze the affinity of the selected peptides toward FGFR2 in vitro and its ability to suppress cell proliferation.

The human Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) family comprises four members, namely, FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, and FGFR4, that are involved in various ...

The Fabrication and Operation of a Continuous Flow, Micro-Electroporation System with Permeabilization Detection

Current therapeutic innovations, such as CAR-T cell therapy, are heavily reliant on viral-mediated gene delivery. Although efficient, this technique is accompanied by high manufacturing costs, which has brought about an interest in using alternative methods for gene delivery. Electroporation is an electro-physical, non-viral approach for the intracellular delivery of genes and other exogenous materials. Upon the application of an electric field, the cell membrane temporarily allows molecular delivery into the cell. Typically, electroporation is performed on the macroscale to process large numbers of cells. However, this approach requires extensive empirical protocol development, which is costly when working with primary and difficult-to-transfect cell types. Lengthy protocol development, coupled with the requirement of large voltages to achieve sufficient electric-field strengths to permeabilize the cells, has led to the development of micro-scale electroporation devices. These micro-electroporation devices are manufactured using common microfabrication techniques and allow for greater experimental control with the potential to maintain high throughput capabilities. This work builds off a microfluidic-electroporation technology capable of detecting the level of cell membrane permeabilization at a single-cell level under continuous flow. However, this technology was limited to 4 cells processed per second, and thus a new approach for increasing the system throughput is proposed and presented here. This new technique, denoted as cell-population-based feedback control, considers the cell permeabilization response to a variety of electroporation pulsing conditions and determines the best-suited electroporation pulse conditions for the cell type under test. A higher-throughput mode is then used, where this 'optimal' pulse is applied to the cell suspension in transit. The steps for fabricating the device, setting up and running the microfluidic experiments, and analyzing the results are presented in detail. Finally, this micro-electroporation technology is demonstrated by delivering a DNA plasmid encoding for green fluorescent protein (GFP) into HEK293 cells.

This protocol describes the microfabrication techniques required to build a lab-on-a-chip, microfluidic electroporation device. The experimental setup performs controlled, single-cell-level transfections in a continuous flow and can be extended to higher throughputs with population-based control. An analysis is provided showcasing the ability to electrically monitor the degree of cell membrane permeabilization in real-time.

Current therapeutic innovations, such as CAR-T cell therapy, are heavily reliant on viral-mediated gene delivery. Although efficient, this technique is ...

Formulating and Characterizing an Exosome-based Dopamine Carrier System

Exosomes between 40 and 200 nm in size constitute the smallest subgroup of extracellular vesicles. These bioactive vesicles secreted by cells play an active role in intercellular cargo and communication. Exosomes are mostly found in body fluids such as plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, saliva, amniotic fluid, colostrum, breast milk, joint fluid, semen, and pleural acid. Considering the size of exosomes, it is thought that they may play an important role in central nervous system diseases because they can pass through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Hence, this study aimed to develop an exosome-based nanocarrier system by encapsulating dopamine into exosomes isolated from Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs). Exosomes that passed the characterization process were incubated with dopamine. The dopamine-loaded exosomes were recharacterized at the end of incubation. Dopamine-loaded exosomes were investigated in drug release and cytotoxicity assays. The results showed that dopamine could be successfully encapsulated within the exosomes and that the dopamine-loaded exosomes did not affect fibroblast viability.

Here, we aimed to obtain a formulation by dopamine loading of the isolated exosomes of stem cells from Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells. Exosome isolation and characterization, drug loading into the resulting exosomes, and the cytotoxic activity of the developed formulation are described in this protocol.

Exosomes between 40 and 200 nm in size constitute the smallest subgroup of extracellular vesicles. These bioactive vesicles secreted by cells play an ...

Synthesizing Lipid Nanoparticles Using CIJ and &#181;MIVM Mixer Technologies

Synthesizing Lipid Nanoparticles by Turbulent Flow in Confined Impinging Jet Mixers

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have demonstrated their enormous potential as therapeutic delivery vehicles, as evidenced by the approval and global usage of two COVID-19 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. On a small scale, LNPs are often made using microfluidics; however, the limitations of these devices preclude their use on a large scale. The COVID-19 vaccines are manufactured in large quantities using confined impinging jet (CIJ) turbulent mixers. CIJ technology enables production at a laboratory scale with the confidence that it can be scaled to production volumes. The key concepts in CIJ mixing are that the mixing length and time scale are determined by the turbulence intensity in the mixing cavity and that the nanoparticle formation occurs away from walls, eliminating the problem of deposition on surfaces and fouling. This work demonstrates the process of making LNPs using confined impinging jet mixer technology with two geometries: the two-jet CIJ and the four-jet multi-inlet vortex mixer (MIVM). The advantages and disadvantages of each mixing geometry are discussed. In these geometries, LNPs are formed by rapid mixing of an organic solvent stream (usually ethanol containing the ionizable lipids, co-lipids, and stabilizing PEG-lipids) with an aqueous anti-solvent stream (aqueous buffer containing RNA or DNA). The operating parameters for the CIJ and MIVM mixers are presented to prepare reproducible LNPs with controlled size, zeta potential, stability, and transfection effectiveness. The differences between LNPs made with poor mixing (pipetting solutions) compared to CIJ mixing are also presented.

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Lipid Nanoparticle Formation Through Turbulent Mixing in Confined Geometries

A detailed protocol for synthesizing lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) using confined impinging jet (CIJ) mixer technologies, including a two-jet CIJ and a four-jet multi-inlet vortex mixer (&#181;MIVM), is demonstrated. The CIJ mixers generate reproducible, turbulent micro-mixing environments, resulting in the production of monodisperse LNPs.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have demonstrated their enormous potential as therapeutic delivery vehicles, as evidenced by the approval and global usage of ...