Dielectrophoretic Manipulation of Biological Species: Novel Microfluidic Approaches to Study Cell-Cell Interactions and the Role of Alpha-Synuclein in Neurodegeneration

This thesis focuses on developing microfluidic systems using dielectrophoresis (DEP) to manipulate and isolate biological species. It presents several innovations in electrokinetic systems, including a device for pairing cells with minimal loss during encapsulation, facilitating studies of cell-cell interactions. A real-time image-processing system autonomously controls cell trapping and co-encapsulation using 3D electrodes. Furthermore, the research explores the effects of voltage and temperature on cell viability in DEP systems, addressing heat generation and media formulations.

Additionally, the work applies DEP to neurodegeneration research, particularly Parkinson's disease (PD). Two key approaches are developed: one analyzes electrophysiological changes in neuronal cells exposed to alpha-synuclein (aSyn), while another separates aSyn fibril aggregates for quantification, aiding in understanding neurodegeneration mechanisms and supporting biomarker research for PD.