Bioelectrospray
Bio-electrospraying is a technology that enables the deposition of living cells on various targets with a resolution that depends on cell size and not on the jetting phenomenon. It is envisioned that "unhealthy cells would draw a different charge at the needle from healthy ones, and could be identified by the mass spectrometer", with tremendous implications in the health care industry.<ref>Suwan N Jayasinghe (2007). "Direct cell engineering reaches the jet age". Materials Today. 10 (6): 60. doi:10.1016/S1369-7021(07)70159-1.</ref>
The early versions of bio-electrosprays were employed in several areas of research, most notably self-assembly of carbon nanotubes.<ref>Suwan N Jayasinghe (2006). "An advanced jet-based approach to processing nanotubes". Physica E. 31 (1): 17–26. doi:10.1016/j.physe.2005.08.013.</ref><ref>Suwan N Jayasinghe (2006). "A novel technique for forming self-assembled nanotube structures". Fullerenes, Nanotubes, and Carbon Nanostructures. 14 (1): 67–81. doi:10.1080/15363830500538524. S2CID 136903955.</ref> Although the self-assembly mechanism is not clear yet, "elucidating electrosprays as a competing nanofabrication route for forming self-assemblies with a wide range of nanomaterials in the nanoscale for top-down based bottom-up assembly of structures."<ref>Suwan N Jayasinghe (2006). "Self-assembled nanostructures via electrospraying". Physica E. 33 (2): 398–406. doi:10.1016/j.physe.2006.04.011.</ref> Future research may reveal important interactions between migrating cells and self-assembled nanostructures. Such nano-assemblies formed by means of this top-down approach could be explored as a bottom-up methodology for encouraging cell migration to those architectures for forming cell patterns to nano-electronics, which are a few examples, respectively.<ref>Suwan N Jayasinghe (2008). "Electrospray self-assembly: An emerging jet-based route for directly forming nanoscaled structures". Physica E. 40 (9): 2911–2915. doi:10.1016/j.physe.2008.02.005.</ref>
After initial exploration with a single protein,<ref>R Pareta; A Brindley; MJ Edirisinghe; SN Jayasinghe; ZB Luklinska (2005). "Electrohydrodynamic atomization of protein (bovine serum albumin)". Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine. 16 (10): 919–925. doi:10.1007/s10856-005-4426-z. PMID 16167100. S2CID 42213925.</ref> increasingly complex systems were studied by bio-electrosprays. These include, but are not limited to, neuronal cells,<ref>Peter AM Eagles; Amer N Quresh; Suwan N. Jayasinghe (2006). "Electrohydrodynamic jetting of mouse neuronal cells". Biochemical Journal. 394 (2): 375–378. doi:10.1042/BJ20051838. PMC 1408668. PMID 16393140.</ref> stem cells,<ref>Napachanok Mongkoldhumrongkul; James M Flanagan; Suwan N Jayasinghe (2009). "Direct jetting approaches for handling stem cells". Biomedical Materials. 4 (1): 015018. doi:10.1088/1748-6041/4/1/015018. PMID 19193972. S2CID 22508896.</ref><ref>Anil Abeyewickreme; Albert Kwok; Jean R. McEwan; Suwan N. Jayasinghe (2009). "Bio-electrospraying embryonic stem cells: interrogating cellular viability and pluripotency". Biomedical Materials. 4 (1): 015018. doi:10.1088/1748-6041/4/1/015018. PMID 19193972. S2CID 22508896.</ref> and even whole embryos.<ref>Jonathan DW Clarke; Suwan N Jayasinghe (2008). "Bio-electrosprayed multicellular zebrafish embryos are viable and develop normally". Biomedical Materials. 3 (1): 011001. doi:10.1088/1748-6041/3/1/011001. PMID 18458487. S2CID 3365967.</ref><ref>Timothy J. Geach; Napachanok Mongkoldhumrongkul; Lyle B. Zimmerman; Suwan N Jayasinghe (2009). "Bio-electrospraying living Xenopus tropicalis embryos: investigating the structural, functional and biological integrity of a model organism". Analyst. 134 (4): 743–747. doi:10.1039/b817827e. PMID 19305925.</ref> The potential of the method was demonstrated by investigating cytogenetic and physiological changes of human lymphocyte cells<ref>Helena Kempski; Nicola Austin; Amy Roe; Steve Chatters; Suwan N Jayasinghe (2008). "Pilot study to investigate the possibility of cytogenetic and physiological changes in bio-electrosprayed human lymphocyte cells". Regenerative Medicine. 3 (3): 343–349. doi:10.2217/17460751.3.3.343. PMID 18462057.</ref> as well as conducting comprehensive genetic, genomic and physiological state studies of human cells<ref>Richard P. Hall; Caroline M. Ogilvie; Emma Aarons; Suwan N. Jayasinghe (2008). "Genetic, genomic and physiological state studies on single-needle bio-electrosprayed human cells". Analyst. 133 (10): 1347–1351. doi:10.1039/b806901h. PMID 18810280.</ref> and cells of the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.<ref>Duncan Greig; Suwan N Jayasinghe (2008). "Genomic, genetic and physiological effects of bio-electrospraying on live cells of the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae". Biomedical Materials. 3 (3): 034125. doi:10.1088/1748-6041/3/3/034125. PMID 18765897. S2CID 5346587.</ref>
