A thermodynamic pathway to intracellular delivery

细胞通过分子传递信息。通过将外源分子(如DNA和蛋白质)送入细胞，就有可能像计算机一样对细胞进行工程设计和重新编程。这项提议旨在开发一种用于细胞内给药的新型微流控装置。该装置的工作原理是将细胞暴露在快速热冲击下，在细胞膜上产生瞬时破坏，从而使外来分子能够流入细胞。为了了解如何优化这种方法，我们将在单细胞水平上研究膜破裂的热力学途径。该项目产生的方法和见解最终可能导致新的、可申请专利的和低成本的卫生技术。

Cells transmit information through molecules. By delivering foreign molecules into cells, such as DNA and proteins, it is possible to engineer and reprogram cells just like a computer. This proposal aims to develop a novel microfluidic device for intracellular delivery. The device will work by exposing cells to rapid thermal shock to generate transient disruptions in cell membranes and thereby enable influx of foreign molecules into cells. To understand how the method can be optimized, the thermodynamic pathway of membrane disruption will be investigated at a single cell level. The methods and insights arising from this project could eventually lead to novel, patentable and lower-cost health technologies.