Bio-electrospraying and aerodynamically assisted bio-jetting the model eukaryotic Dictyostelium discoideum : assessing stress and developmental competency post treatment

Abstract

Bio-electrospraying (BES) and aerodynamically assisted bio-jetting (AABJ) have recently been established as important novel biospray technologies for directly manipulating living cells. To elucidate their potential in medical and clinical sciences, these bio-aerosol techniques have been subjected to increasingly rigorous investigations. In parallel to these studies, we wish to introduce these unique biotechnologies for use in the basic biological sciences, for handling a wide range of cell types and systems, thus increasing the range and the scope of these techniques for modern research. Here, the authors present the analysis of the new use of these biospray techniques for the direct handling of the simple eukaryotic biomedical model organism Dictyostelium discoideum. These cells are widely used as a model for immune cell chemotaxis and as a simple model for development. We demonstrate that AABJ of these cells did not cause cell stress, as defined by the stress-gene induction, nor affect cell development. Furthermore, although BES induced the increased expression of one stress-related gene (gapA), this was not a generalized stress response nor did it affect cell development. These data suggest that these biospray techniques can be used to directly manipulate single cells of this biomedical model without inducing a generalized stress response or perturbing later development.

In Vitro and In Vivo Interrogation of Bio‐sprayed Cells

“…In AABJ the cell suspension is drawn into a jet through an exit orifice by means of a pressure gradient subjected by way of a pressurized chamber over the exit orifice 11. This technology could be argued as being a softer approach for jetting cells for deposition, and indeed has been used for handling embryos 12, 13…”

Reimagining Flow Cytometric Cell Sorting

“…From the demonstration of using this technology for both the processing of a wide range of advanced materials, spanning the structural and functional classes of materials, subsequent investigations established the ability for aerodynamically assisted jets to directly handle a wide range of cells and whole fertilized embryos. [33,34] The processed cells through this technology have undergone rigorous studies for assessing their viability and functionality from a molecular level upward, thus characterized via well-established biological protocols such as gene microarrays to those karyotypic studies. [34,35] Continued investigations have shown these post processed cells have been transplanted into mouse models, which have engrafted without rejection and thus have been comparable to those controls.…”

“…[ 33,34 ] The processed cells through this technology have undergone rigorous studies for assessing their viability and functionality from a molecular level upward, thus characterized via well‐established biological protocols such as gene microarrays to those karyotypic studies. [ 34,35 ] Continued investigations have shown these post processed cells have been transplanted into mouse models, which have engrafted without rejection and thus have been comparable to those controls. [ 36 ] These studies together with our other investigations demonstrated AABJ’s capability to directly handle highly concentrated cellular suspensions.…”

Nano/microfibrous polymeric constructs loaded with bioactive agents and designed for tissue engineering applications: A review

“…Townsend‐Nicholson and Jayasinghe showed that it was possible to directly electrospin living organisms under stable threading conditions by using a coaxial needle arrangement where a concentrated living biosuspension flowed through the inner needle and a medical grade poly(dimethylsiloxane) medium with high viscosity and low electrical conductivity flowed through the outer needle. This technique was employed to electrospin primary cells and whole organisms (e. g. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Xenopus tropicalis ) that were viable over long periods of time . By employing a rotating mandrel as fibers collector for cell electrospinning, multiple core vessel‐like structures containing multiple cell types from the inner to the outer core were developed .…”