In vivo cell migration characterization and microorganism transport under electric field

The first part of the talk will focus on the dynamic remodeling of cell-cell adhesions mediated by epithelial cadherin (E-cadh), a cell adhesion molecule that is crucial for coordinating collective cell movements during animal embryogenesis. By using the posterior lateral line primordium (pLLP) in zebrafish as a model system, we study cell-cell contact remodeling during collective migration. By combining high-resolution microscopy and image processing in zebrafish embryos expressing E-cadh-GFP we implemented a routine to analyze E-cadh profiles during pLLP migration. We proposed that E-cadh distribution during pLLP migration could be related to differences in local velocities within those regions. As a first approach to test this we implemented PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) analysis to obtain instant velocity fields at short time scales of 10 minutes. We showed that this technique routinely used in fluid dynamics proved a promising tool to understand morphogenetic movements [1].

The second part will cover microbiological processes to avoid bacterial infection, a concerning field in medicine, especially when the process occurs during the implantation of medical devices or via an exposed wound. Many techniques have been used to control or direct the transport of bacteria. In particular, the use of galvanic current was proposed by Spector et al. (2015) with the aim of transferring microorganisms from a contaminated metal plate to another sterile metal plate [2]. Furthermore, it was observed that many bacteria were killed in the process. The use of microfluidics permits the study of this phenomenon at the microscale level. By studying the influence of the electric field on bacterial and yeast suspension we were able to characterize its transport. Furthermore, by designing a patch with a PCB board we were able to test that the application of an electric field was sufficient to kill all the microorganisms in the suspension. This result can lead to an application to sterilize liquids or treat wound infections.

[1] M. F Sampedro, G. L. Miño, C. D. Galetto & V. Sigot (2021). Spatio-temporal analysis of collective migration in vivo by particle image velocimetry. Phys. Biol. 18, 066008

[2] Spector, M., Peretti, L., Salas, F., Romero, G., & Iglesias, L. (2015). Bacterial Conduction in Prosthesis. Procedia Materials Science, 8, 351-357.