Investigation of Active and Inactivated Yeast Cells by Scanning Electrochemical Impedance Microscopy

Abstract

AbstractScanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electrochemical impedance microscopy (SEIM) were used to investigate electrochemical activity of active and inactivated yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. SEIM experiment was performed using a unique electrochemical impedance spectrometer with a fast Fourier transform (FFT‐EIS) function, which enabled simultaneously perturb/evaluate electrochemical system at 50 frequencies. This allowed very quick observing the differences between impedance spectra, which were taken every few seconds. Therefore, we were able to apply SEIM for relatively fast determination of electrochemical impedance dependence on the distance between ultramicroelectrode (UME) and surface modified by immobilized yeast cells. It was determined that electrochemical activity and ‘breathing’ (a consumption of dissolved oxygen) of yeast can be electrochemically observed when the distance between UME and surface of yeast cells is in the range from 0 μm to 25 μm. Therefore, 25 μm is the maximum distance suitable for efficient investigation of yeast cell activity when experiments are performed in FFT‐SEIM mode. Charge transfer resistance of active and inactivated yeast cells was determined using EIS. It was calculated that charge transfer resistance of active yeast cells is 1.5 times lower than that of inactivated yeast cells. Lipophilic vitamin K3 (Vit‐K3) and hydrophilic vitamin K1 (Vit‐K1) were mixtured and used as redox mediators for charge transfer from yeast cells.