Simple Pin-Plate Electrode Configuration for Targeted Electroporation

Abstract

Here, a simple pin-plate electrode setup has been constructed to reliably electroporate biological cells within droplets. The process constitutes temporary permeabilization of the plasma membrane by creating high electric fields at the tip of commercially available tapered tungsten electrodes. Subsequently, various electrical field frequencies were tested to quantify the insertion and release of dye molecules through the transient pores. Using optimized settings, we have also successfully managed to insert a plasmid to induce fluorescent protein expression, via a process referred to as transfection. The proposed design overcomes technological disadvantages of conventional cuvette-based electroporation, by creating a rapid sequentially addressable open-fluidic platform requiring small fluid volumes capable of handling multiple reagents.