Interdigitated aluminium and titanium sensors for assessing epithelial barrier functionality by electric cell-substrate impedance spectroscopy (ECIS).

Electric cell-substrate impedance spectroscopy (ECIS) enables non-invasive and continuous read-out of electrical parameters of living tissue. The aim of the current study was to investigate the performance of interdigitated sensors with 50 μm electrode width and 50 μm inter-electrode distance made of gold, aluminium, and titanium for monitoring the barrier properties of epithelial cells in tissue culture. At first, the measurement performance of the photolithographic fabricated sensors was characterized by defined reference electrolytes.

Nucleophilic cross-linked, dextran coated iron oxide nanoparticles as basis for molecular imaging: synthesis, characterization, visualization and comparison with previous product.

We present a new synthesis protocol for a multivalent, multimodality, nucleophilic nanoparticle ideal for in vivo imaging. Stability requirements necessitated covalent cross-linking of the carbohydrate cage, easy functionalization the introduction of sterically accessible amine groups. The new protocol aimed at more uniform particle size, less clustering and superior magnetic properties compared with commercial nanoparticles.

Cryo-immunoelectron microscopy of adherent cells improved by the use of electrospun cell culture substrates.

Electrospun nanofibres are an excellent cell culture substrate, enabling the fast and non-disruptive harvest and transfer of adherent cells for microscopical and biochemical analyses. Metabolic activity and cellular structures are maintained during the only half a minute-long harvest and transfer process. We show here that such samples can be optimally processed by means of cryofixation combined either with freeze-substitution, sample rehydration and cryosection-immunolabelling or with freeze-fracture replica-immunolabelling.

The surface properties of nanocrystalline diamond and nanoparticulate diamond powder and their suitability as cell growth support surfaces.

Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films and nanoparticulate diamond powder (DP) are the two main representatives of diamond at the nanoscale. This study was designed to investigate the suitability of these biomaterials as cell growth supports and to determine surface characteristic properties best suited to cell attachment and proliferation. Surface topography, chemical termination and wetting properties of NCD- and DP-coated borosilicate glass substrates were correlated to attachment, proliferation and differentially regulated gene expression of human renal epithelial cells (HK-2 cell line) cultured on these surfaces.

Influence of microvascular endothelial cells on transcriptional regulation of proximal tubular epithelial cells.

In the renal cortex the peritubular capillary network and the proximal tubular epithelium cooperate in solute and water reabsorption, secretion, and inflammation. However, the mechanisms by which these two cell types coordinate such diverse functions remain to be characterized. Here we investigated the influence of microvascular endothelial cells on proximal tubule cells, using a filter-based, noncontact, close-proximity coculture of the human microvascular endothelial cell line HMEC-1 and the human proximal tubular epithelial cell line HK-2.