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Probing the membrane characteristics and long-term volumetric response of live cells

T.H. Hui (The University of Hong Kong), Yuan Lin (The University of Hong Kong), A.H.W. Ngan (The University of Hong Kong)

Mechanics of cell sheets, multicellular assemblies and tissues

Mon 10:45 - 12:15

Barus-Holley 141

Cell regulations involve exchange of ion species and water molecules across the cell membrane, and are important in processes including programmed cell death (PCD), regulatory volume decrease (RVD) or increase (RVI). Probing such membrane transport processes requires volumetric changes of the cell, but all existing single cell measurement methods preserve the volume. In this work, we develop a novel method to introduce precise size changes of cells by controlling the medium pressure mechanically or osmotically. In particular, the pressure-induced shrinking/swelling of K562 and HL60 cell lines is systematically examined from which the water permeability and stretching rigidity of the membrane of these cells are obtained. We also find that the characteristic time associated with volumetric deformation of live cells, treated as a bulk material, is of the order of ~1 hour, an information that is missing from other testing methods but could be critical in our understanding of how slow processes like tissue growth or tumor development take place.