Leuven | More than two weeks ago
EI Spectroscopy (EIS) is a powerful technique to assess cellular
properties, in vitro. Impedance is the equivalent of resistance for alternate
current. Differently from the state-of-the-art TEER measurements, EIS analysis
are more informative and less invasive: investigation at different frequencies
can describe different aspects of the culture. In parallel, intracellular
recording to evaluate resting membrane potential (RMP) is desired to explore
the properties of non-electrical cells and ion channels during homeostasis and
disease. High resolution EIS platforms to study organs on chip includes
complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS) micro electrode array (MEA)
chips, given their high electrode densities and small electrode sizes. In this project,
we use a MEA chip with subcellular-sized electrodes enabling the detection of
different conditions of cultures of fibrosis-related cells, using EIS and RMP
measurements.
The student will characterize the cell culture on chip and perform EIS and RMP
measurements, and further characterize the detectable changes in |Z| and when
challenging the culture. Also, data analysis and reporting will be part of the
tasks.
Type of project: Combination of internship and thesis, Internship
Duration: 6-12 months
Required degree: Master of Bioengineering
Required background: Biomedical engineering
Supervising scientist(s): For further information or for application, please contact: Johanna Bolander (Johanna.Bolander@imec.be)
Imec allowance will be provided for students studying at a non-Belgian university.