Electrical analysis of cell membrane poration induced by an intense nanosecond pulsed electric field, using an atomistic-to-continuum method

International audiencePulsed electric fields of sufficient magnitude and duration trigger functional responses and modifications in biological cells. Transient nanometer-sized pores are believed to form within nanoseconds in cell membranes exposed to high-intensity (MV/m) nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs), and while it is clear that polar water molecules play a key role in electroporation, no signature for pore initiation has yet been identified. To address this, we combine molecular dynamics simulations and quasi-static 3-D finite-difference analysis to investigate the electrostatic interactions that drive pore formation in homogenous lipid bilayers exposed to intense nsPEFs. The developed methodology uniquely enables the extraction of 3-D spatiotemporal profiles of electric potentials, electric fields, and electric field gradients in biological membranes with atomistic detail and sub-nanosecond resolution. As a result, this study captures and elucidates several dynamic phenomena observed experimentally and provides a fundamental framework for further development

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Electrical analysis of cell membrane poration induced by an intense nanosecond pulsed electric field, using an atomistic-to-continuum method

Abstract: International audienc

Cited by 2 publications

References 25 publications

A bottom-up cell modeling strategy using broadband microwave and millimeter wave dielectric spectroscopy

A bottom-up cell modeling strategy using broadband microwave and millimeter wave dielectric spectroscopy

Electrical Analysis of Cell Membrane Poration by an Intense Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field Using an Atomistic-to-Continuum Method

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