A Low-Cost Electroporator for Genetically Modifying Social Amoeba Dictyostelium Discoideum

The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is a commonly used eukaryotic model organism for the study of cell division, chemotaxis, differentiation, phagocytosis, and other cellular processes. Electroporation an effective efficient method delivering plasmid DNA into D. discoideum, invaluable tool studying intracellular technology readily available but often prohibitively expensive. Although several custom-built electroporation devices have been developed, none deliver specific 8.5kV/cm exponentially decaying waveform required transformation. present examined whether simple, inexpensive device can be built to produce this through simple resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit. A pulse generator RC circuit was incorporating electronic components 3D printed cuvette chamber. All four possible combinations commercial generators chambers were transform cells with encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP). There no significant differences in number surviving immediately following or 24 hours post-transformation between systems. systems achieved comparably high transformation efficiency shown by percent expressing GFP six days after Since waveform-specific system we here non-experts easily obtainable materials printing, envision benefit investigators areas low research budgets educators multiple STEM fields.