APPLICATIONS OF DIELECTROPHORESIS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY

Recent progress in the development of microelectrode structures has le d to new techniques for the dielectrophoretic characterization and sor ting of cells, microorganisms and other bioparticles using nonuniform AC electric fields. These methods utilize differences in the dielectri c polarizabilities of cells for their effectiveness, and factors contr olling such properties include the conductivity and permittivity of me mbranes and any cell walls, electrical double layers associated with s urface charges, cell morphologies, and internal structures. Applicatio ns of dielectrophoresis have included the selective spatial manipulati on and separation of mixtures of bacteria, viable and unviable cells, cancerous and normal cells, and red and white blood cells.