Acoustic Pressure Transient Cell Permeabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for introducing exogenous materials into cells, such as nucleic acids, are often inefficient, costly, and can be harsh on cells, leading to low viability and high mortality rates, and are not adaptable to high-throughput applications.
Innovation Solution
Exposing cells to a transient decrease in pressure in the presence of exogenous materials, which temporarily permeabilizes the cell membrane without lysing the cell, allowing for efficient uptake of various materials like nucleic acids, proteins, and nanoparticles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional transfection methods (chemical, physical, viral) are used to introduce exogenous material into cells, then transfection efficiency can be improved, but cell mortality increases and cell viability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical transfection methods (electroporation, microinjection, sonication) with a chemical-free, physics-based approach using acoustic waves and pressure differentials. This substitution eliminates mechanical damage to cells while maintaining transfection efficiency, directly resolving the contradiction between high transfection efficiency and low cell mortality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes controlled changes in pressure parameters (positive and negative pressure differentials) and acoustic wave parameters (frequency, amplitude, duration) to create transient membrane permeability. By precisely controlling these physical parameters, the method achieves efficient transfection while keeping cell mortality low, as the parameters are optimized to be sufficient for membrane permeabilization but not excessive to cause cell lysis.
2Productivity
If chemical transfection reagents are used to package nucleic acids for delivery, then transfection efficiency can be improved, but the cost increases and cell toxicity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates chemical transfection reagents (liposomes, polymers, dendrimers) from the transfection process entirely. By removing these chemical components and replacing them with a purely physical method (acoustic wave-induced pressure differentials), the invention achieves transfection efficiency without the associated cell toxicity and cost issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive chemical reagents with a cost-effective physical method using acoustic waves and pressure differentials. The method uses no consumable reagents that need to be purchased and disposed of, significantly reducing the cost per transfection while eliminating the toxic effects of chemical reagents on cells.
3Productivity
If conventional transfection methods are used, then some level of transfection efficiency can be achieved, but the method is not adaptable to high-throughput applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal transfection method using acoustic waves and pressure differentials that can be applied to various cell types (suspended, adherent, 3D cultures) and various exogenous materials (nucleic acids, proteins, nanoparticles) without requiring method optimization. This universality enables high-throughput applications across different cell types and materials, resolving the contradiction between achieving transfection efficiency and adapting to high-throughput workflows.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method achieves high efficiency and viability of cell transfection with minimal cell mortality, enabling scalable and cost-effective introduction of exogenous materials into a range of cell types, including mammalian and bacterial cells.
Implementation Method 1
exposing the cell to a transient decrease in pressure in the presence of the exogenous material
Implementation Method 2
temporarily permeabilizes the cell membrane without lysing the cell
Implementation Method 3
an unsteady flow of liquid in which the cell and exogenous material are present
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for introducing exogenous material into a cell are provided, which include exposing the cell to a transient decrease in pressure in the presence of the exogenous material. Also provided are devices for performing the method of the invention.