Dresden 2014 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 7: Posters: Cell adhesion, mechanics and migration

BP 7.4: Poster

Monday, March 31, 2014, 17:30–19:30, P3

Mechanical and spectroscopic analysis of single erythrocytes using whole human blood samples — •Michael Göllner, Adriana Toma, and Thomas Pfohl — Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Switzerland

Containing a wealth of information, human blood is the most used sample for diagnostic purposes. Microfluidics, with its unique advantages in performing analytical functions, has been increasingly used for whole blood and cell-based analysis. Single-cell studies using optical tweezers involve complex and expensive instrumentation to manipulate erythrocytes, which might be detrimental for easy application in medical diagnostics. Moreover, optical trapping shows photodamage causing difficulties with long-term and step-by-step analysis under reversible reaction control.

We developed a microfluidic setup in combination with optical and confocal Raman microscopy for single-cell assays starting with whole blood samples, which permits diffusion-controlled variation of the external environment without the need of optical tweezers for immobilizing the erythrocytes. Mechanical as well as spectroscopic properties like membrane elasticity, shape deformations and the full oxygenation cycle of individual erythrocytes under different osmolarities are investigated.