President Barabino Co-Authors New Research on Dissociation of Tissues.

June 27, 2022

Olin College of Engineering President Gilda A. Barabino has co-authored new research published in the leading multidisciplinary science journal, Nature Scientific Reports.

The article, Electric-field facilitated rapid and efficient dissociation of tissues Into viable single cells shares the science behind the researcher's U.S. patent, wherein they invent and characterize a novel method and device to dissociate tissues with electric fields. 

The work represents a collaboration between Brown University's Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, (with lead author and Ph.D. candidate, Cel Welch from Tripathi Lab), President Gilda A. Barabino from Olin and the Tapinos Lab from Brown's Department of Neurosurgery, Warren Alpert Medical School.  

Excerpt from the Abstract:

Single-Cell Analysis is a growing field that endeavors to obtain genetic profiles of individual cells. Disruption of cell–cell junctions and digestion of extracellular matrix in tissues requires tissue-specific mechanical and chemical dissociation protocols. Here, a new approach for dissociating tissues into constituent cells is described. Placing a tissue biopsy core within a liquid-filled cavity and applying an electric field between two parallel plate electrodes facilitates rapid dissociation of complex tissues into single cells. Different solution compositions, electric field strengths, and oscillation frequencies are investigated experimentally and with COMSOL Multiphysics. The method is compared with standard chemical and mechanical approaches for tissue dissociation. 

Read the full open access article on Scientific Reports.