Tampering the current in a petri dish
Electricity plays a key role in cell studies, but practical issues linked with the shape of the laboratory cultureware have troubled this research. Laboratory cultureware are the plastic containers used by researchers to grow cells. These containers are typically shallow cylinders: a classic example is a petri dish. While a petri dish is circular, the simplest way to create a uniform electric field is based on a rectangular shape. These different geometries prevent scientists to fully exploit the potential of a cell cultureware, as a significant part of the round petri dish base remains outside the field-generating rectangle that goes into the cultureware. A PhD student's project, which has led to a patent application and a published article in Scientific Reports, is radically changing this situation.