Parallel macromolecular delivery and biochemical/electrochemical interface to cells employing nanostructures

摘要

Systems and methods are described for parallel macromolecular delivery and biochemical/electrochemical interface to whole cells employing carbon nanostructures including nanofibers and nanotubes. A method includes providing a first material on at least a first portion of a first surface of a first tip of a first elongated carbon nanostructure; providing a second material on at least a second portion of a second surface of a second tip of a second elongated carbon nanostructure, the second elongated carbon nanostructure coupled to, and substantially parallel to, the first elongated carbon nanostructure; and penetrating a boundary of a biological sample with at least one member selected from the group consisting of the first tip and the second tip.

主权项

1. A method for expressing DNA in a cell, the method comprising:
providing an elongated carbon nanofiber having a tip and having an expression vector DNA attached to at least a portion of the tip; penetrating the cell with the tip of said elongated carbon nanofiber and penetrating a nuclear membrane of the cell with the tip; and maintaining at least a portion of the tip containing said expression vector DNA within the nucleus of the cell while the expression vector DNA remains attached to the elongated carbon nanofiber, wherein said expression vector DNA is expressed in said cell, and removing said elongated carbon nanofiber bound to said expression vector DNA from the cell.