(372c) Dielectrophoretic Characterization of Microorganisms Employing Three Dimensional Carbon Electrodes

Several applications have been demonstrated using planar metal or insulator-based electrodes which until now had been the two main trends on the material choice for electrodes. The use of 3D electrodes in DEP applications allows for higher separation throughputs than when using planar electrodes and with lower electric potentials than when using insulating structures. Carbon-based-electrode Dielectrophoresis (CarbonDEP) is a technique that employs carbon structures or surfaces as electrodes with advantages that make it a more suitable material than those traditionally used in metal-electrode DEP. One of the most current and promising techniques for carbon microfabrication is that of Carbon MicroElectroMechanical Systems (C-MEMS). Here, the implementation of a bioparticle characterization platform based on CarbonDEP is presented. A microdevice containing arrays of 3D carbon electrodes was employed to manipulate polystyrene beads and yeast cells in order to characterize particles dielectric properties. Cells responses were obtained by varying the magnitude and frequency of the applied AC potential as well as the characteristics of the suspending medium. Simulation work allowed building a model to predict cells responses. These results have the potential to be used as guidelines for the design and operation of CarbonDEP-based systems. Potential applications include clinical analyses, environmental screening for water contamination, and optimization of cell culture techniques, improvement of clean energy production methods and food safety methodologies and procedures.