Building integrated cell-based microsystems : fabrication methodologies, metrology tools and impact on cellular physiology

[摘要] (cont.) To date, polystyrene microspheres have served as surrogates for cells in characterizing these systems, despite the fact that they serve as poor models of cells. This thesis presents a new metrology tool for the characterization of microsystems, based on phopsphohlipid vesicles. I show the ability to modulate the electrical properties of such vesicles and generate electrically addressable vesicles and for use in the characterization of dielectrophoretic-based microsystems. Finally, as biological microsystems gain in complexity, the need to characterize their impact on living cells is of paramount importance. This thesis presents the construction of stress reporting cell lines that form the core of live-cell metrology tool for assaying physiological impact in Microsystems that utilize electric fields to manipulate cells. Specifically, the response of these stress reporter cells to conditions typically experienced in a dielectrophoretic trap are explored over a wide range of voltages, frequencies and durations. The results obtained point to the role of multiple stressing agents and provide new insight in to stress initiation across frequency. The use of such sensors is now well poised to study the physiological impact of microsystems across a wide range of conditions. Together, the tools presented in this thesis promise to enable the development of systems with unprecedented flexibility of design as well as functionality.

[发布机构] Massachusetts Institute of Technology