Organic Electrochemical Transistor Microplate for Real-Time Cell Culture Monitoring

• Main Authors: Ota Salyk, Jan Víteček, Lukáš Omasta, Eva Šafaříková, Stanislav Stříteský, Martin Vala, Martin Weiter
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2017-09-01
• Series: Applied Sciences
• Subjects: OECT; screen printing; organic electrochemical transistor; PEDOT:PSS; microplate; multi-electrode array; cell culture
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/7/10/998

Human cell cultures provide a potentially powerful means for pharmacological and toxicological research. A microplate with a multielectrode array of 96 organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) based on the semiconductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythio-phene):poly(styrene sulfonic acid) PEDOT:PSS was developed and fabricated by the screen printing method. It consists of a microplate of a 12 × 8 chimney–well array with transistors on the bottom. The OECT is circular with a channel of 1.5 mm2 in the centre surrounded by the circular gate electrode. The device is designed for electrogenic cell monitoring. Simulations with the electrolyte revealed good electrical characteristics and indicated the setup information of the experimental conditions. A transconductance of g = 1.4 mS was achieved in the wide range of gate voltages Vgs = ±0.4 V when the drain potential Vds = −0.735 V was set and the long term relaxation was compensated for. The time constant 0.15 s limited by the channel-electrolyte charge electrical double layer (EDL) capacitance was measured. The device was tested on a 3T3 fibroblast cell culture and the sudden environmental changes were recorded. The living cells can be observed on the channel of the OECT and during electrical stimulation by gate voltage, as well as during the source current response.