(396c) Microfluidic Cell Fusion Under Constant Direct Current Voltage

Cell fusion is a powerful tool for analysis of gene expression, chromosomal mapping, antibody production, cloning mammals and cancer immunotherapy. We report a technique which produces cell-to-cell electrofusion using a common direct current power supply on a microfluidic platform. In our method, the cells were first conjugated based on biotin-streptavidin interaction. The electrofusion was then conducted by flowing the linked cells through a simple microfluidic channel with geometric variation under continuous direct current voltage. We investigated the effects of the electrical parameters and the device geometry on the fusion efficiency and cell viability. This microfluidics-based technique offers processing at the level of single cell pairs with efficiency comparable to that of conventional electrofusion technique based on electrical pulses.