Z-Cell: Sample Analysis of Impedance in a Microfluidic Chamber
Format
SOECS Senior Project Demonstration
Abstract/Artist Statement
Cell counting and viability assays of biological cell cultures can be costly in terms of reagents, time and manpower required. Utilizing the electrical properties of cells, a device (Z-Cell) was designed, constructed, and tested to measure the impedance of solutions and cell suspensions inside an enclosed, microfluidic chamber. Impedance of an ionic solution is a function of solution’s temperature. Thus, a temperature controller was also constructed to keep the Z-Cell within ±0.5 °C of the set temperature. The impedance of multiple concentrations of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) was tested. Z-Cell found impedance to be inversely proportional to the ionic concentration of PBS, in accordance with accepted scientific theory. E.coli suspensions in lysogeny broth (LB) of optical density (OD600) between 0.4 and 1.5 were tested. Initial data indicates that, at these densities, there were an insufficient number of cells to produce a detectable change in impedance.
Location
School of Engineering and Computer Sciences
Start Date
5-5-2007 2:00 PM
End Date
5-5-2007 3:30 PM
Z-Cell: Sample Analysis of Impedance in a Microfluidic Chamber
School of Engineering and Computer Sciences
Cell counting and viability assays of biological cell cultures can be costly in terms of reagents, time and manpower required. Utilizing the electrical properties of cells, a device (Z-Cell) was designed, constructed, and tested to measure the impedance of solutions and cell suspensions inside an enclosed, microfluidic chamber. Impedance of an ionic solution is a function of solution’s temperature. Thus, a temperature controller was also constructed to keep the Z-Cell within ±0.5 °C of the set temperature. The impedance of multiple concentrations of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) was tested. Z-Cell found impedance to be inversely proportional to the ionic concentration of PBS, in accordance with accepted scientific theory. E.coli suspensions in lysogeny broth (LB) of optical density (OD600) between 0.4 and 1.5 were tested. Initial data indicates that, at these densities, there were an insufficient number of cells to produce a detectable change in impedance.