In situ investigation of uptake phenomena of biological molecules and silica nanoparticles into mammalian cells in microstructures

Nanoparticle researches have been expedited with an incredible paradigm shift from basic research groups to clinical laboratories and companies. Such multidisciplinary efforts require a full understanding of basic mechanisms, in particular, when applied to practical applications of human gene therapy and medicine. These trends consistently promote these nanoparticle researches to be expanded to more applications: electrophoretic and endocytic uptake. In this study, we investigate real-time uptake phenomena of nanoparticles and biological molecules into cells at single-cell level within microstructures during electroporation. These findings would unveil another potential of silica nanoparticles in electroporation using microstructures. Furthermore, another strong advantage of electroporation devices using microstructures is discussed.