Contaminated aquatic sediments pose health risks to fish, wildlife, and humans and can limit recreational and economic uses of surface waters. Technical and cost effective in situ approaches for sediment management and remediation have been identified as a research need. Subaqueous in situ capping is a promising remedial approach; however, little is known regarding its impact on underlying sedimentary processes and the feasibility of bioaugmented caps at sites subject to contaminated groundwater seepage. This work specifically addresses (1) the impact of capping on biogeochemical processes at the sediment-water interface, (2) the ability and degree to which indigenous sediment microorganisms colonize an overlying cap, (3) the effect of advective flow direction on redox conditions within a cap, (4) natural contaminant bioattenuation processes within capped sediment, and (5) limitations toward a functional bioreactive in situ cap. Laboratory-scale experiments with capped sediment columns demonstrated that emplacement of a sand-based in situ cap induced an upward, vertical shift of terminal electron accepting processes into the overlying cap while simultaneously conserving redox stratification. Upflow conditions simulating a groundwater seep compressed anaerobic processes towards the cap-water interface. Microorganisms indigenous to the underlying sediment colonized cap material and spatial population differences generally reflected redox stratification. Downflow of oxic surface water through the cap, simulating tidally-induced recharge, created fully oxic conditions within the cap, demonstrating that flow direction strongly contributes to redox conditions. Experiments simulating capped sediment subject to contaminated groundwater seepage revealed a reduction of natural bioattenuation processes with time, stemming from the elimination of labile organic matter deposition to the sediment and a subsequent lack of electron donor. Thus, parent contaminants within groundwater seeps will be subject to minimal biotransformations within the sediment before entering a reducing cap. A bioreactive cap, inoculated with microorganisms capable of reductive dehalogenation, was established to reductively dechlorinate tetrachloroethene present in the groundwater; however electron donor amendments to sediment effluent were required to achieve complete dechlorination of tetrachloroethene to non-toxic ethene. Results from this work improve understanding of biogeochemical and bioattenuation processes within capped aquatic sediments and should aid in the development of active capping technologies.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Univ., 2003. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

In vitro disease models are powerful platforms for the development of drugs and novel therapies. Stem-cell based approaches have emerged as cutting-edge tools in disease modelling, allowing for deeper insights into previously unknown disease mechanisms. Hence the significant role of these disease-in-a-dish methods in therapeutics and translational medicine. Impedance sensing is a non-invasive, quantitative technique that can monitor changes in cellular behaviour and morphology in real-time. Bioimpedance measurements can be used to characterize and evaluate the establishment of a valid disease model, without the need for invasive end-point biochemical assays. In this work, two stem cell-based disease models-on-a-chip are proposed for acute liver failure (ALF) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The ALF disease model-on-a-chip integrates impedance sensing with the highly-differentiated HepaRG cell line to monitor in real-time quantitative and dynamic response to various hepatotoxins. Bioimpedance analysis and modelling has revealed an unknown mechanism of paracetamol hepatotoxicity; a temporal, dose-dependent disruption of tight junctions (TJs) and cell-substrate adhesion. This disruption has been validated using ultrastructural imaging and immunostaining of the TJ-associated protein ZO-1. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the developed world with a need for disease models for its currently incurable forms. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) technology offers a novel approach for disease modelling, with the potential to impact translational retinal research and therapy. Recent developments enable the generation of Retinal Pigment Epithelial cells from patients (hiPSC-RPE), thus allowing for human retinal disease in vitro studies with great clinical and physiological relevance. In the current study, the development of a tissue-on- a-chip AMD disease model has been established using RPE generated from a patient with an inherited macular degeneration (case cell line) and from a healthy sibling (control cell line). A reproducible Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) electrical wounding assay was conducted to mimic RPE damage in AMD. First, a robust and reproducible real-time quantitative monitoring over a 25-day period demonstrated the establishment and maturation of RPE layers on microelectrodes. A spatially-controlled RPE layer damage that mimicked cell loss in AMD was then initiated. Post recovery, significant differences in migration rates were found between case and control cell lines. Data analysis and modelling suggested this was due to the lower cell-substrate adhesion of the control cell line. These findings were confirmed using cell adhesion biochemical assays. Moreover, different-sized, individually-addressed square microelectrode arrays with high spatial resolution were designed and fabricated in-house. ECIS wounding assays were performed on these chips to study immortalized RPE migration. Migration rates comparable to those obtained with ECIS circular microelectrodes were determined. The two proposed disease-models-on-a-chip were then used to explore the therapeutic potential of the antioxidant N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) on hiPSC-RPE and HepaRG cell recovery. Addition of 10 mM NAC at the end of a 24h paracetamol challenge caused a slight increase in the measured impedance, suggesting partial cell recovery. On the other hand, no effect on case hiPSC-RPE migration has been observed. More experiments are needed to examine the effect of different NAC concentrations and incubation periods. The therapeutic potential of electrical stimulation has also been explored. A preliminary study to evaluate the effect of electrical stimulation on RPE migration has been conducted. An externally applied direct current electric field (DC EF) of 300 mV/mm was found to direct the migration of the immortalized RPE cell line (hTERT-RPE1) perpendicular to the EF. The cells were also observed to elongate and to realign their long axes perpendicular to the applied EF. The proposed tissue-on-a-chip disease models are powerful platforms for translational studies. The potential of such platforms has been demonstrated through revealing unknown effects of acetaminophen on the liver as well as providing deeper insights into the underlying mechanisms of macular degeneration. Combining stem cell technology with impedance sensing provides a high throughput platform for studying patient-specific diseases and evaluating potential therapies.

Ce mémoire a été préparé dans le cadre du projet européen ERUDESP. Il décrit en détail les études qui ont été réalisées dans ce travail. Un bioréacteur sous forme d’une cellule bioélectrochimique à flux a été développé dans le but de servir pour la bioélectrosynthèse enantiopure. Le mémoire est consacré au design de cellules, screenings de différents médiateurs, au test de différentes réactions électroorganiques et électroenzymatiques à la fois dans une cellule électrochimique classique et dans une cellule électrochimique à flux. Un thème central de ce mémoire représente la synthèse d’électrodes macroporeuses tri-dimensionnelles. Grâce à cela, la surface active de l’électrode est augmentée de manière significative. Pour la préparation de ces électrodes une approche de template a été suivie. Des particules de polystyrène monodisperses ont été synthétisées de différentes manières et sont utilisées pour la synthèse des cristaux colloïdaux qui constituent les templates. Comme procédure de préparation contrôlée de ces templates, la technique de Langmuir-Blodgett et la méthode d’évaporation contrôlée, suivi par l’électrodéposition des métaux et des oxydes métalliques sont appliquées. Les diamètres des pores des matériaux macroporeux résultants sont parfaitement contrôlables par le diamètre des particules utilisées. La méthode de Langmuir-Blodgett a été étendue et appliquée pour la première fois à l’utilisation de particules de polystyrène. Le dépôt est réalisé dans les interstices des cristaux colloïdaux préparés préalablement, suivi par la dissolution des particules. De plus, des électrodes poreuses avec une grande surface de 6 x 6 cm2 ont été préparées. Les matériaux obtenus montrent une très bonne interconnéctivité avec une porosité ouverte et une surface active fortement augmentée ce qui se traduit électrochimiquement en une augmentation significative de la puissance du signal. Les matériaux poreux représentent un bénéfice non-seulement pour la (bio)électrosynthèse mais aussi dans le cadre de la (bio)électroanalyse. Dans ce mémoire, d’électrodes poreuses d’oxyde de ruthénium pour l’oxydation direct de NADH avec une surtension significativement améliorée ont été élaborée. La méthode de l’agrandissement de la surface est également appliquée et une meilleure densité de courant a été obtenue. Basé sur le projet ERUDESP, les méthodes apprises pour créer des électrodes poreuses à base de cristaux colloïdales ont dans la suite aussi été appliquées à d’autres domaines d’investigation. L’évolution méthodique de la technique de Langmuir-Blodgett a été utilisée pour le développement d’un système d’électrode renouvelable. Dans ce système, la surface peut être renouvelée sur commande par application d’un potentiel fixe (effet click).Les électrodes de l’oxyde de ruthénium ont non seulement été étudié dans le cadre du projet ERUDESP, mais la miniaturisation de ce matériau poreux et stable sous forme de microélectrodes a permis d’étudier une application comme capteur pH chimiquement et mécaniquement stable avec un meilleur ratio signal sur bruit. Dans ce cas le bruit thermique est diminué grâce à la porosité de l’électrode. Grâce à la technicité acquise par rapport à la synthèse des microélectrodes poreuses, des microélectrodes implantables pour les prothèses de main ont été aussi modifiées avec une couche macroporeuse pour augmenter la surface active et diminuer l’impédance de transition.Nous avons également exploré des couches multicatalyseurs macroporeuses de platine et nickel pour effectuer la génération d’hydrogène in-situ et l’hydrogénation simultanée dans un seul système catalytique.Comme dernière possibilité pour une structuration de surface contrôlée, des îlots de platine d’une étendue nanométrique furent examinées et biofonctionnalisées, ce qui résulte également en une augmentation significatif de la densité de courant. / The present work has been prepared within the framework of the European project ERUDESP and describes the research that has been carried out during this work. A bioreactor as a bioelectrochemical flow-cell was designed and realized with the goal to serve for enantiopure bioelectrosynthesis. The work deals with the cell design and screening of different mediators in a batch-cell and multi-cells, the development of different electroorganic and electroenzymatic reactions in an electrochemical batch- and flow-cell. With respect to the flow-cell, the upscaling of electrochemical reactions was carried out in the present work not only for electroorganic but also for electroenzymatic reactions with regard to the final application. A main focus of the present work represents the synthesis of three-dimensional macroporous electrodes in order to increase significantly the active surface. These macroporous structures were obtained by using the template approach. For the preparation of the templates monodisperse polystyrene particles were synthesized in different ways, and then used for the preparation of colloidal crystals serving as templates. As controlled assembly procedures, the Langmuir-Blodgett technique and the controlled evaporation method with subsequent electrodeposition of metals and metal oxides were chosen. With the present process the pore diameter could be exactly controlled by the diameter of the used particles. The approach of the Langmuir-Blodgett technique has been extended and optimized. For the first time, the Langmuir-Blodgett technique could be used with polystyrene particles. The deposition took place in the interspaces of the prepared colloidal crystals and is followed by the dissolving of the particles. Furthermore, the size of the porous electrodes could be upscaled (6 x 6 cm2). The obtained materials showed a very good interconnectivity with an open porosity and a highly increased active surface, which led to an increased electrochemical signal. The prepared porous materials represent a great benefit not only for (bio)electrosynthesis but also in the field of (bio)electroanalysis. In the framework of this work, the use of porous ruthenium oxide electrodes for direct oxidation of NADH with a significantly improved overvoltage was studied. Also in this context the increase of the surface led to an improved current density. Based on the ERUDESP project, the studied techniques for preparing porous electrodes with colloidal crystals were used for further scientific studies. The new variant of the Langmuir-Blodgett technique has also been used for the elaboration of a renewable electrode system where the surface can be simply renewed by applying a positive potential to the porous multilayers (click effect). The porous ruthenium oxide electrodes have not only been studied with respect to the ERUDESP project, but it was also possible to miniaturize this stable porous material as microelectrodes and use them as chemically and mechanically stable pH sensor with an improved signal to noise ratio. In this case the thermal noise decreased due to the porosity of the electrode. Due to the acquired expertise in the field of the preparation of porous microelectrodes, implantable microelectrodes for hand prosthesis were modified with a porous layer on the surface for increasing the active surface and decreasing their impedance.In addition, macroporous multicatalyst layers of platinum and nickel were synthesized for the simultaneous in-situ generation of hydrogen and hydrogenation reaction in the same catalyst system.As a final example for controlled surface structuring, nanoscale platinum islands were in detail examined and biofunctionalized. This led also to a significant increase of the current density.

Dissociated neuronal cell cultures grown on substrate integrated microelectrode arrays (MEAs) generate spontaneous activity that can be recorded for up to several weeks. The signature wave shapes from extracellular recording of neuronal activity display a great variety of shapes with triphasic signals predominating. I characterized extracellular recordings from over 600 neuronal signals. I have preformed a categorical study by dividing wave shapes into two major classes: (type 1) signals in which the large positive peak follows the negative spike, and (type 2) signals in which the large positive peak precedes the negative spike. The former are hypothesized to be active signal propagation that can occur in the axon and possibly in soma or dendrites. The latter are hypothesized to be passive which is generally secluded to soma or dendrites. In order to verify these hypotheses, I pharmacologically targeted ion channels with tetrodotoxin (TTX), tetraethylammonium (TEA), 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), and monensin.

In this research the integration of nanostructures and micro-scale devices was investigated using silica nanowires to develop a simple yet robust nanomanufacturing technique for improving the detection parameters of chemical and biological sensors. This has been achieved with the use of a dielectric barrier layer, to restrict nanowire growth to site-specific locations which has removed the need for post growth processing, by making it possible to place nanostructures on pre-pattern substrates. Nanowires were synthesized using the Vapor-Liquid-Solid growth method. Process parameters (temperature and time) and manufacturing aspects (structural integrity and biocompatibility) were investigated. Silica nanowires were observed experimentally to determine how their physical and chemical properties could be tuned for integration into existing sensing structures. Growth kinetic experiments performed using gold and palladium catalysts at 1050 ˚C for 60 minutes in an open-tube furnace yielded dense and consistent silica nanowire growth. This consistent growth led to the development of growth model fitting, through use of the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) and Bayesian hierarchical modeling. Transmission electron microscopy studies revealed the nanowires to be amorphous and X-ray diffraction confirmed the composition to be SiO2 . Silica nanowires were monitored in epithelial breast cancer media using Impedance spectroscopy, to test biocompatibility, due to potential in vivo use as a diagnostic aid. It was found that palladium catalyzed silica nanowires were toxic to breast cancer cells, however, nanowires were inert at 1µg/mL concentrations. Additionally a method for direct nanowire integration was developed that allowed for silica nanowires to be grown directly into interdigitated sensing structures. This technique eliminates the need for physical nanowire transfer thus preserving nanowire structure and performance integrity and further reduces fabrication cost. Successful nanowire integration was physically verified using Scanning electron microscopy and confirmed electrically using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy of immobilized Prostate Specific Antigens (PSA). The experiments performed above serve as a guideline to addressing the metallurgic challenges in nanoscale integration of materials with varying composition and to understanding the effects of nanomaterials on biological structures that come in contact with the human body.

We used ion-sensitive, double-barrel microelectrodes to measure changes in hepatocyte transmembrane potential (Vm), intracellular K+, Cl-, and Na+ activities (aik, aCliand aNai), and water volume during l-alanine uptake. Mouse liver slices were superfused with control and experimental Krebs physiological salt solutions. The experimental solution contained 20 μml-alanine, and the control solution was adjusted to the same osmolality (305 mOsm) with added sucrose. Hepatocytes also were loaded with 50 m m tetramethylammonium ion (TMA+) for 10 min. Changes in cell water volume during l-alanine uptake were determined by changes in intracellular, steady-state TMA+ activity measured with the K+ electrode. Hepatocyte control Vm was -33±1 mV. l-alanine uptake first depolarized Vm by 2±0.2 mV and then hyperpolarized Vm by 5 mV to-38±1 mV (n = 16) over 6 to 13 min. During this hyperpolarization, aNaiincreased by 30% from 19±2 to 25±3 m m (P < 0.01), and aKidid not change significantly from 83±3 m m. However, with added ouabain (1 m m) l-alanine caused only a 2-mV increase in Vm, but now aKidecreased from 61±3 to 54±5 m m (P < 0.05). Hyperpolarization of Vm by l-alanine uptake also resulted in a 38% decrease of aClifrom 20±2 to 12±3 m m (P < 0.001). Changes in Vm and VCl - Vm voltage traces were parallel during the time of l-alanine hyperpolarization, which is consistent with passive distribution of intracellular Cl- with the Vm in hepatocytes. Added Ba2+ abolished the l-alanineinduced hyperpolarization, and aCliremained unchanged. Hepatocyte water volume during l-alanine uptake increased by 12±3%. This swelling did not account for any changes in ion activities following l-alanine uptake. We conclude that hepatocyte aKiis regulated by increased Na+-K+ pump activity during l-alanine uptake in spite of cell swelling and increased Vm due to increased K+ conductance. The hyperpolarization of Vm during l-alanine uptake provides electromotive force to decrease aCli. The latter may contribute to hepatocyte volume regulation during organic solute transport.

No description available.

No description available.

La compréhension et l'étude du système nerveux est un des grands enjeux du XXIème siècle à la fois pour la recherche fondamentale, mais également pour la mise au point de neuroprothèses implantables pour la réhabilitation fonctionnelle (exemple : implants rétiniens, implants cochléaires). Depuis quelques années, des systèmes basés sur l'utilisation de multi-électrodes (MEA : Multi-Electrode-Array) offrent la possibilité d'enregistrer des milliers de cellules interconnectées entre-elles sur plusieurs jours sur des tranches de tissu nerveux ou des systèmes nerveux complets. Mais une des limites de cette technique est le faible nombre de voies de ces systèmes (64 voies). Les travaux de cette thèse ont consisté à développer une technologie de fabrication permettant la réalisation d'un système multiélectrode s « haute densité 3D ». Cela passe par le développement d'une nouvelle technologie dans la réalisation de micro pointes basée sur la gravure profonde du silicium (DRIE), qui permet d'obtenir des pointes en silicium de 80 µm de haut espacées de 50 µm. Des matrices 60, 256 et 1024 voies ont été fabriquées par cette technique. L'utilisation de la stimulation est aussi un point important dans l'étude de ces grands réseaux, mais il n'est pas possible actuellement de disposer de système permettant une stimulation focale. Pour résoudre ce problème, nous avons développé des matrices spécifiques permettant d'obtenir des stimulations focales du tissu. Nous avons également dans ces travaux de thèse étudié le comportement de l'interface métal/liquide, qui est cruciale pour la réalisation de MEA, en utilisant des techniques d'électrochimie / One challenge of the XXIème century will be to understand dynamics of large neural networks for research and to develop neuroprothesis implant (ex retinal implant, cochlear implant). Today microelectrodes arrays (MEAs) positioned in contact with the neural tissue offer the opportunity to record and simulate neuronal tissue. But the main drawback of his technique is low number of recording sites (typically 64). During this thesis, we have developed a specific process using deep reactive ions etching (DRIE), to achieve high density 3D MEAs containing several hundreds of microelectrodes. We have fabricated microneedles 80 µm of height with spacing of 50 µm and MEAs with 60 – 256 and 1024 microelectrodes have been built with this process. Microstimulation, which makes use of electrodes on the micron scale, is gaining increasing interest in both fundamental and clinical research, opening the possibility to stimulate small groups of neurons instead of large regions. However, controlling the spatial extent of microstimulation to achieve focal activation of neuron networks is a challenge. We have proposed a new configuration of MEA specifically designed to achieve a local stimulation. We have also characterised the interface metal/liquid, that was very important for MEA and we have used electrochemistry techniques