Dictyostelium discoideum is an amoeboid protozoan that serves as a model organism for the study of a variety of cellular processes including cell motility, phagocytosis and chemotaxis. Our interest is in developing protocols for imaging this organism using Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM). In a typical SECM experiment, the chemical reactivity and topography of a surface are probed by monitoring the diffusion of a redox-active mediator between the surface and an ultramicroelectrode (UME) positioned closely above (on the order of micrometers) the surface. Current measured at the UME can be used to discern the conductivity, roughness and chemical activity of the surface. In experiments involving living cells, it is critical that the redox mediator does not negatively affect the cells. Dose response assays for common redox mediators used in SECM studies will be presented. Mediators with sufficient biocompatibility will be used to image the topography of Dictyostelium discoideum cells on a planar substrate, and results will be compared to those obtained with an ultramicroelectrode biosensor utilizing glucose as a non-redox-active mediator. These results will be beneficial in providing a tool to measure the dynamics of glucose levels in the micro-environment surrounding individual cells.

Identifying biocompatible redox mediators for electrochemical imaging of <i>Dictyostelium discoideum</i>

249th National Meeting (2015)

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Identifying biocompatible redox mediators for electrochemical imaging of Dictyostelium discoideum