Development of a thermal based sensor for real-time cell growth monitoring

Abstract

Cell studies are a popular tool for the study of various cellular events. Generally, cells are grown in culture, labelled and analysed with spectroscopy. However, this method is quite labour intensive and prone to human errors. To facilitate these studies and to obtain more information, a thermal based sensor, which is able to monitor cell growth in real-time, is developed. The sensor is based on the Transient Plane Source method which uses one heater for both heating and sensing. By applying heat and studying of the heat transfer through the sensor surface, events such as target recognition or cell growth can be detected. The thermal based sensor consists of a compartment for cell growth and a heater, which applies heat pulses and monitors the resistance. First, a straightforward sensor with an open well is developed. Next, the setup is adjusted by implementing a flow cell. The sensors are used to monitor growth of S. cerevisiae in real-time. Cell growth results in a higher surface coverage, and thereby obstructs heat transfer. This is detected as an increase in resistance. Measuring growth of various yeast concentrations showed increasing resistances, while blank samples resulted in a stable signal. The thermal based sensor is able to monitor yeast growth in real-time. Further optimisation of the heating pulse is required to ensure stability and reproducibility. The developed sensor provides a convenient tool to study cell growth and cellular responses from which various research domains can benefit.