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Recent advances in electric analysis of cells in microfluidic systems

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Abstract

Microfluidics offers an ideal platform to integrate cell-based assays with electric measurements. The technological advances in microfluidics, microelectronics, electrochemistry, and electrophysiology have greatly inspired the development of microfluidic/electric devices that work with a low number of cells or single cells. The applications of these microfluidic systems range from the detecting of cell culture density to the probing of cellular functions at the single-cell level. In this review, we introduce the recent advances in the electric analysis of cells on a microfluidic platform, specifically related to the quantification and monitoring of cells in static solution, on-chip patch-clamp measurement, and examination of flowing cells. We also point out future directions and challenges in this field.

Different microfluidic devices applied to electrical analysis of cells

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge support by a cooperative agreement with the Agricultural Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture, project number 1935-42000-035 through the Center for Food Safety Engineering at Purdue University, and by an Early Career Award to C.L. from the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation.

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  1. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, 225 South University Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Ning Bao, Jun Wang & Chang Lu

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  1. Ning Bao
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  2. Jun Wang
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Correspondence to Chang Lu.

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Bao, N., Wang, J. & Lu, C. Recent advances in electric analysis of cells in microfluidic systems. Anal Bioanal Chem 391, 933–942 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-008-1899-x

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