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Outstanding achievement in science: Contactless electroporation induced by high intensity pulsed electromagnetic fields via distributed nanoelectrodes

We congratulate our colleagues from the Laboratory of Biocybernetics for their outstanding achievement, published in the paper in journal Bioelectrochemistry (full citation is available below) as chosen by the Slovene Research Agency (ARRS).

About: https://www.arrs.si/sl/promocija/odlicni/

Selected achievements: https://www.arrs.si/sl/promocija/odlicni/inc/Odlicni-2020.pdf

Financing: Project J2-9225; Non-invasive technique for Cell Membrane Permeabilization using pulsed electromagnetic fields

Pulsed electromagnetic fields increases cell membrane permeability to molecules, which otherwise have poor or no transmembrane transport mechanisms. Compared to conventional electroporation, which often uses invasive electrodes to establish an electric field in the tissue, pulsed electromagnetic fields represents a promising alternative delivery method by making procedures involved in electroporation-based technologies and treatments much safer and easier to implement. However, the biggest limitation of pulsed electromagnetic fields is its lower efficiency compared to conventional electroporation with electrodes. In our study, we showed that by adding high conductive gold nanoparticles, we increase cell permeabilization by 80% with minimal impact on their survival. Our findings open new possibilities for combining naked or functionalized gold nanoparticles with pulsed electromagnetic field for non-invasive and controlled drug and gene delivery into cells.

Original publication
Miklavčič D, Novickij V, Kranjc M, Polajžer T, Haberl Meglič S, Batista Napotnik T, Romih R, Lisjak D. Contactless electroporation induced by high intensity pulsed electromagnetic fields via distributed nanoelectrodes. Bioelectrochemistry 132:107440, 2020. PDF