Particles in a homogeneous electrical field: A model for the electrical breakdown of living cells in a coulter counter

Ohmic heating of peaches in the wide range of frequencies (50 Hz to 1 MHz)

The ohmic heating (OH) rate of peaches was studied at fixed electric field strength of 60 V.cm⁻¹, square-shaped instant reversal bipolar pulses, and frequencies varying within 50 Hz to 1 MHz. Thermal damage of tissue was evaluated from electrical admittivity. It showed that the time for half disruption (τ(T)) of tissue was required more than 10 h at temperatures below 40 °C. However, cellular thermal disruption occurred almost instantly (τ(T) < 1 s) at high temperatures (> 90 °C). Electrical conductivity σ(o) and admittivity σ(o)* of tissue at T(o)= 0 °C and their temperature coefficients (m, m*) were calculated. For freeze-thawed tissues, σ and σ* as well as m and m* were nearly indifferent to the frequency. However, for the intact tissue, both σ(o), σ(o)* and m, m* were frequency dependent. For freeze-thawed product, the power factor (P) was approximately equal to 1 and indifferent to the frequency and temperature. On the other hand, strong frequency dependence was observed for intact tissue with the minimum P approximately equal to 0.68 in the range of tens of kHz. The time required to reach a target temperature t(f) was evaluated. The t(f) increased with frequency up to the middle of the range of tens of kHz and thereafter continuously decreased. Samples exposed to the low-frequency electric field demonstrated faster electro-thermal damage rates. The textural relaxation data supported more intense damage kinetics at low-frequency OH. It has been demonstrated that a combination of high-frequency OH with pasteurization at moderate temperature followed by rapid cooling minimizes texture degradation of peach tissue.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

In this study, we investigated the electric field frequency effect on the rate of OH of peaches. It was shown that the time required for reaching the target temperature is strongly dependent upon the frequency. Samples exposed to low-frequency OH demonstrated higher electro-thermal damage rates. It has been shown that the combination of high-frequency OH with pasteurization at moderate temperature followed by rapid cooling minimizes texture degradation of peach tissue. Obtained results provide new information on the impact of electric field frequency on OH, which is useful for OH process design.

Continuous-flow electrical lysis device with integrated control by dielectrophoretic cell sorting

We present a device capable of electrical cell lysis and evaluation of lysis efficiency in continuous flow using dielectrophoretic cell sorting. We use a combination of AC electrical fields and so-called liquid electrodes to avoid bubble creation at the electrode surface. The electrical field distribution is calculated in different electrode configurations by numerical simulations. Cell sorting shows high lysis efficiency, 99% of yeast cells sorted after lysis featuring dielectric properties similar to dead cells. A study of the potential device throughput is performed.

Electrical fusion for optimal formation of protoplast heterokaryons in Nicotiana

The electrical fusion of protoplasts has been studied in order to maximize the formation of heterokaryons for culture. Heterokaryons of Nicotiana tabacum L. mesophyll protoplasts and N. plumbaginifolia Viviani supension-cell protoplasts were identified in fixed and stained as well as living material; a quantitative fusion index was thereby developed. With this index the efficiencies of various electric fields and fusion-chamber designs have been determined. Optimal fusion was obtained with an alternating-current (AC) field of 150 V/cm and direct-current (DC) square-wave pulses of 1000 V/cm. A new, simple-to-use, largescale fusion chamber is described in which batches of up to 5·10(5) protoplasts (0.5 ml of cells at 10(6)/ml) can be fused in 5-7 min with efficiencies approaching 40%. Half of the fusion products are heterokaryons, thus fusion is random. Of the fusion products, 60% are bi- or trinucleate. Using fusion procedures similar to those described here Bates and C. Hasenkampf (1985, Theor. Appl. Genet., in press) have recovered viable somatic hybrids which have been regenerated.