Label-free Detection of Cancer Cells with Polysilicon Sensor Chips and Biomolecule-assisted Synthesis of Shape-controlled Nanoparticles

.................................................................................................................................. IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... VI LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... XI CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO DETECTION OF CANCER CELLS BY INTERDIGITATED ELECTRODES ............................................................................................ 1 1.1 IMPEDANCE ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 INTERDIGITATED ELECTRODES .................................................................................................... 1 1.3 CHARACTERIZATION OF THE POLYSILICON INTERDIGITATED ELECTRODES ................... 3 1.4 DETECTION OF CANCER CELLS ................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 2 IMPEDIMETRIC DETECTION OF MUTANT P53 BIOMARKER-­‐DRIVEN METASTATIC BREAST CANCERS UNDER HYPOSMOTIC PRESSURE ............................ 7 2.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 7 2.2 EXPERIMENTAL SECTION ............................................................................................................... 9 2.2.1 Cell culture .................................................................................................................................... 9 2.2.2 Generation of inducible mtp53 knockdown cell lines ................................................... 9 2.2.3 Western Blotting ........................................................................................................................ 10 2.2.4 Monitoring cell swelling using inverted epifluorescence microscopy ................. 10 2.2.5 Impedimetric measurements for the detection of cell deformation ....................... 10 2.3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................... 11 2.3.1 Knockdown of mtp53 ............................................................................................................... 11 2.3.2 Cell Swelling Monitored by Epifluorescence Microscopy ........................................ 13 2.3.3 Impedance Measurements ..................................................................................................... 15