Cells on chips

BLM experimentation towards a better understanding of (electro)pore formation

Cell membranes are very complex structures that are composed of a bilayer of a great variety of phospholipids, cholesterols and proteins. In order to study and understand fundamental properties of these membranes, simplification is required. A model that is often employed for this purpose is a planar lipid bilayer (bilayer lipid membrane or BLM). ... read more

BLM and microfluidics

The goal of this project is to develop a dedicated microfluidic platform for experimentation on BLMs and on membrane proteins. In such a system, the two large fluidic reservoirs found in conventional set-ups and placed on both sides of the substrate containing the micrometer-sized aperture are replaced by two microfluidic channels, with a smaller capacity (nL-range). ... read more

Brainstorm (EU project, FP7-ICT 215486)

The BRAINSTORM project develops an integrated system enabling on-chip intracellular recordings from a relatively large cultured neuronal network combined with chemical sensing and intracellular delivery of biologically active molecules. To achieve tight coupling with the cell membrane and enable efficient recordings, micro-nail-type probes will be integrated with a CMOS readout circuitry. ... read more

Cell Electroporation

Cellular poration consists of creating pores in the cell membrane to transiently change its permeability. One main application of this is the introduction of foreign substances, such as drugs, genes or nanoparticles in the cells. One particular technique to create pores in the cell membrane is electroporation; there, pores are formed by exposing the cells to an electrical treatment consisting typically of short pulses of a high voltage. ... read more