Recent advancements utilizing induced pluripotent stem cell-derived (iPSC) epithelia have made disease modeling and cell therapy for many, previously untreatable diseases possible. However, current electrophysiology techniques – used to validate epithelial function – are painstaking and require a highly trained user; limiting experimental throughput. We are developing new techniques and devices that enable both high-throughput and high-quality electrophysiological measurements. Our lab has built a robot that automates intracellular electrophysiology of epithelia that automates the pipette insertion process and, simultaneously improves throughput. We are also exploring new electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)-based techniques to extract high resolution, membrane-specific properties non invasively. These techniques could be used as the basis for at-line functional characterization of epithelia in all future iPSC-based therapies.

Related Publications

C.F. Lewallen, Q. Wan, A. Maminishkis, K. Bharti, C.R. Forest, Towards a safety assay device for iPSC-derived RPE in AMD therapy, Georgia Optometric Association (GAOA), Atlanta, GA, November 17, 2020.

C.F.  Lewallen, Q. Wan, A. Maminishkis, K. Bharti, C.R. Forest, At-line functional characterization of iPSC-derived retinal pigment epithelium, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), Baltimore, MD, May 3-7 2020.

Colby F. Lewallen, Qin Wan, Arvydas Maminishkis, William Stoy, Ilya Kolb, Nathan Hotaling, Kapil Bharti, and Craig R. Forest, High-yield, automated intracellular electrophysiology in retinal pigment epithelia, Journal of Neuroscience Methods, Volume 328, 2019, 108442, ISSN 0165-0270, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108442.

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C.F. Lewallen, Q. Wan, A. Maminishkis, W. Stoy, I. Kolb, N. Hotaling, K. Bharti, C.R. Forest, Towards automated intracellular electrophysiology of retinal pigment epithelium, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), Vancouver, BC, Apr 28 – May 2, 2019.

C.F. Lewallen, Q. Wan, A. Maminishkis, W. Stoy, A. Felouzis, I. Kolb, N. Hotaling, K. Bharti, C.R. Forest, Towards high-yield, automated electrophysiology of retinal pigment epithelium, Georgia Optometric Association (GAOA), Atlanta, GA, April 16, 2019.