Courtesy of James Rae, The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
At left, two α-Tn4 cells in the process of completing cell division. Each contains the protein products encoded by ECFP-vimentin and dsRed1-mito plasmids electroporated into one of the cells on consecutive days. At right, an example of successful serial single-cell electroporation on three consecutive days. The plasmids used: dsRed1-mito on day one, EYFP-Golgi on day two, and ECFP-vimentin on day three.
To date, electroporation has largely been a brute-force way to deliver molecules such as DNA, RNA, and drugs into cells. The application of a voltage pulse creates in the cell membrane small, resealable pores whose size varies based on the amplitude and duration of the pulses. Whereas traditional electroporation devices permit only bulk intracellular delivery of molecules, companies are now introducing more sophisticated methods that allow users to manipulate individual cells and even to target specific regions of a cell.
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