US EPA

7974107 

Journal Article 

Dielectrophoresis of cells 

Pohl, HA; Crane, JS 

1971 

Yes 

Biophysical Journal
ISSN: 0006-3495
EISSN: 1542-0086 

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY 

BETHESDA 

11 

9 

711-727 

English 

5132497 

10.1016/S0006-3495(71)86249-5 

WOS:A1971K348400002 

Dielectrophoresis, the motion produced by the action of nonuniform electric field upon a neutral object, is shown to be a simple and useful technique for the study of cellular organisms. In the present study of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) using a simple pin-pin electrode system of platinum and high-frequency alternating fields, one observes that the collectability of cells at the electrode tip, i.e. at the region of highest field strength, depends upon physical parameters such as field strength, field uniformity, frequency, cell concentration, suspension conductivity, and time of collection. The yield of cells collected is also observed to depend upon biological factors such as colony age, thermal treatment of the cells, and chemical poisons, but not upon irradiation with ultraviolet light. Several interesting side effect phenomena coincident with nonuniform electric field conditions were observed, including stirring (related to "jet" effects at localized electrode sites), discontinuous repulsions, and cellular rotation which was found to be frequency dependent.