ibidi TIP

For more than 500 scientific publications using the ECIS technology please visit www.biophysics.com.

Wound Healing and Cell Migration

Impedance Measurements

The ECIS Wound Healing Assay replaces the traditional “scratch” assay. Instead of disrupting the cell layer mechanically with a pipette tip and then following the migration of cells with a microscope, the ECIS system employs electric signals to both wound and monitor the healing process.

Experimental Example:
Healing Function of Serum

Electrical wounding is directed to a small population of cells in contact with the 250 μm electrode thus creating a well defined wound.

After wounding, the healthy cells around the electrode immediately migrate and replace the dead cells on the electrode. Depending on the fetal calf serum (FCS) concentration, the original plateau is once again reached after 10, 13 or 20 hours.

Cell migration measurements via automated wound healing are performed using the following electrode arrays:

8 well format:

  • 8W1E and 8W1E PCB
  • 8W2x1E (Medusa)
  • 8W2LE

96 well format:

  • 96W1E

Optical Measurements

Optical measurements of wound healing and cell migration can easily be taken with ibidi’s Culture-Insert, which provides two culture reservoirs each separated by a 500 μm wall. Culturing cells in both reservoirs and then removing the insert, results in two well-defined cell patches. The assay-specific WimScratch Image Analysis can then be used to generate quantitative data based on image data acquired using video microscopy.