in vivo electropration transfection tweezertrode electrode

Tweezertrodes

Tweezertrodes are reusable non-invasive, tweezer-style in vivo and in utero electrodes for drug or gene delivery in animal tissues. Tweezertrodes consist of a standard 11.5 cm tweezer that has been modified with stainless steel circular or disk electrodes at the tip. The gap between the electrodes disks may be adjusted from under 1 mm to over 2 cm. Tweezertrodes are available in various sizes and two different metal alloys either Platinum or Stainless Steel. Platinum Tweezertrodes are available in 7mm, 5mm, 3mm and 1mm diameters and Stainless Steel are available as either 10mm or 7mm diameters. Tweezertrodes may be cleaned with a mild detergent and sterilized with 70% ethanol or ethylene oxide. These electrodes connect to BTX generators using the Tweezertrode Connection cables (45-0204), and are compatible with the BTX 830 and ECM 2001 generators.

APPLICATIONS

• In Vivo Drug or Gene Delivery

• Ex Vivo Drug or Gene Delivery

• In Utero Drug or Gene Delivery

Tweezertrodes may be used for many in vivo applications, including in utero and ex-vivo gene and drug delivery. Following localized or systemic injection of the molecule of interest, the Tweezertrode electrode disks are used to grasp the tissue of interest. An electroporation pulse is then applied; initiating pore formation and incorporation of the molecule into the cells of the tissue in direct contact with the electrode disk. Transgenic knockout mice were generated by transfecting directly into spermatogonal cells of mouse testies by in vivo electroporation Weili Shi and Majumdar et al. These authors demonstrated the potential and effectiveness of this technology to produce transgenic and knockout mice.1,5 Antonio and Mallamaci et. at., transfected mouse embryos in utero using these electrodes to target specific miRNAs to study regulation of these genes directly during neurogenesis.2 These electrodes and the ECM 830 were used to target GFP into progenitor olfactory cells to study the migration and differentiation during neruogensis of mouse brain in utero.3 The use of electroporation in adult Zebrafish provides a rapid way to study behavior and gene function in whole organism according to Madhusudhana T. et. al.,4 The Tweezertrodes can be used for a variety of applications, including in utero transfection, transdermal drug delivery and electroporation therapy.^6,7,8

Specifications
Ordering Info
Technical
References

Standard Capabilities

Voltage Range:

0 – 200 VDC (Do not use AC current)

Pulse Length Range:

1 µsec – 200 msec

Pulse Number Range

1 to 99 (depending on voltage)

Operating Temperature

5C to 40C

Intended Use

Indoor use only

Relative Humidity

20 to 80%

Physical Characteristics

Order No.	Electrode Length	Electrode Diameter	Electrode Materials
45-0118	12 mm	7 mm	Stainless Steel
45-0119	12 mm	10 mm	Stainless Steel
45-0486	12 mm	1 mm	Platinum
45-0487	12 mm	3 mm	Platinum
45-0488	12 mm	7 mm	Platinum
45-0489	12 mm	5 mm	Platinum

Compatibility

Generators

ECM 830 and 2001

Monitoring

The Enhancer 3000 Monitoring System recommended

Order No.	Metal	Description
45-0165	Stainless	Tweezertrode Kit, 7 mm, Includes Cable
45-0118	Stainless	Tweezertrode Electrode, 7 mm Diameter
45-0119	Stainless	Tweezertrode Electrode, 10 mm Diameter
45-0166	Stainless	Tweezertrode Kit, 10 mm, Includes Cable
45-0486	Platinum	Platinum Tweezertrode, 1 mm Diameter, Includes Cables
45-0487	Platinum	Platinum Tweezertrode, 3 mm Diameter
45-0488	Platinum	Platinum Tweezertrode, 7 mm Diameter
45-0489	Platinum	Platinum Tweezertrode, 5 mm Diameter
45-0204	NA	Tweezertrode Cables

1. Weili shi et al., Gernation of sp3111 transgenic RNAi mice via permanent integration of small hairpin RNAs in repopulating spermatogonial cells in vivo, Acad Biochem Biophys Sci 2010, vol. 42, Issue 2, 116-121

2. Antonio and Mallamaci et al., Promotion of embryonic cortico-cerebral neurogenesis by miR-124, Nerual Development 2009-4:40

3. Alexander T. Chesler et al., Selective Gene Expression by Postnatal Electroporation during Olfactory Intraneruon neruogenesis, PloS ONE 3(1) : e1517. doi: 10.1371/Journal. Pone 0001517, 2008

4. N. Nadhusudhana Rao et al, Electroporation of Adult Zebrafish, S.Li (ed) Electroporation Protocols preclinical and Clinical Gene Medicine, Methods in Molecular biology Vol. 423 Humana Press 2008

5. Dhup S. Majumdar et al., Transgenesis via permanent integration of genes in repopulating spermatogonial cells in vivo, Nature Methods 2008

6. D. DePietri Tonelli et al., Single-Cell Detection of Micro RNAs in Developing Vertebrate Embryos after Acute Administration of a Dual Fluorescence reporter/sensor plasmid, Biotechniques: 41: 727-732, 2006

7. Sato et al., Molecular Reproduction and Development, 61: 49-56 (2002)

8. Saito and Nakatsuji, Developmental Biology, 240: 237-246 (2001)

BTX Protocol Database

BTX Monthly Tech Trends Articles

The BTX Current

In Vivo Tutorials

User's Manual

For further references regarding specific applications and optimization, please contact BTX Technical Support:

BTX-Division of Harvard Apparatus

84 October Hill Road

Holliston, MA 01746

Phone: 1-508-893-8999

Toll Free: 1-800-272-2775

Fax: 1-508-429-5732