Delivery of target proteins through microfluidics supports increased cell viability for in-cell NMR spectroscopy

Abstract

Physiological relevance as it pertains to in vitro v. in vivo research has been a topic of critical discussion in the field chemical biology, particularly as it applies to high-resolution, structural studies of proteins and the cellular environment. In-cell NMR presents a modern approach that helps bridge this gap, but it requires delivery of labeled protein into the living cell. The current array of common protein transfection methods involve damage to cell physiology and limited scalability. We tested a microfulidics method, Volume Exchange for Convective Transfer, VECT, demonstrating its feasibility for delivery of target protein into large numbers of eukaryotic cells with limited impact on viability.