The Faraday Scalpel: on-demand manipulation of oxygen and reactive oxygen species in biological environment

Date

Dec 12, 2023

Time

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Speaker

Eric Daniel Głowacki

Affiliation

Bioelectronics Materials and Devices Laboratory, Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic

Language

en

Main Topic

Biologie

Host

Pavel Tomancak

Description

Oxygen is the fundamental electron acceptor in metabolism. As a byproduct of aerobic respiration, various reactive oxygen species (ROS) are formed. The balance of oxygenation and ROS is a critical aspect of homeostasis. We present the concept of using electrochemical methods to manipulate the levels of oxygen and ROS in biological systems in order to produce a desired outcome. Extensive oxygen depletion combined with generation of large concentrations of ROS can lead to cell death, which we propose is a novel and useful approach to precise electrosurgery of pathogenic tissues. Lower levels of oxygen reduction/ROS generation can alter the function of numerous biological pathways. Of particular interest is targeting ion channels using locally-generated hydrogen peroxide. This offers a completely new method to alter electrophysiology in vitro or in vivo. I will present several examples of faradaic electrochemistry on oxygen acting at the level of different targets. Electrochemical approaches can be used to precisely deoxygenate a given environment, or combine deoxygenation with generation of ROS. A further level of electrochemical control is using electrolysis to interrupt electrophysiological activity via rapid local changes in pH. Examples of nerve lesioning in animal models will be shown.

Last modified: Dec 13, 2023, 7:37:38 AM