Cell fusion

1199002-24

[DEFINITION]
Fusion of two adjacent cells into one cell with disappearance of the septum in between.

[DESCRIPTION]
By artificial fusion of cells, a hybrid cell that retains genetic information of both original cells, which can be of either the same or different species, is obtained. Cell fusion is a fundamental technique in biotechnology, as well as gene manipulation. Fusion of cells are possible by using viruses or polyethylene glycol, and also by applying electric pulses. One example is implemented by a cell fusion apparatus, in which cells are suspended in liquid and aligned them by applying alternating electric field, and then direct current pulses are given to fuse the contacting septa. By application of micromachine technology, a system that can process a large quantity of cells at one time can be produced, in which multiple units of this apparatus is connected in parallel.

[References]
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[Related Terms]