Finite element modeling to analyze TEER values across silicon nanomembranes.

ABSTRACT: Silicon nanomembranes are ultrathin, highly permeable, optically transparent and biocompatible substrates for the construction of barrier tissue models. Trans-epithelial/endothelial electrical resistance (TEER) is often used as a non-invasive, sensitive and quantitative technique to assess barrier function. The current study characterizes the electrical behavior of devices featuring silicon nanomembranes to facilitate their application in TEER studies. In conventional practice with commercial systems, raw resistance values are multiplied by the area of the membrane supporting cell growth to normalize TEER measurements. We demonstrate that under most circumstances, this multiplication does not 'normalize' TEER values as is assumed, and that the assumption is worse if applied to nanomembrane

SUBMITTER: Khire TS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5770343 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature