Seminar notes: Osmotic Pressure on Cell Membranes in a Saline Interacting with Weakly Ionized Plasma

Dr. Mikhail Shneider was looking for an alternative answer to this question: can plasma generated at air-liquid interface be used to modify cell biology? His research is focused on osmosis – diffusion of water – in cell environment activated by a non-equilibrium plasma source. He studied ion movements due to electric field in the concept of electro-osmosis and emphasized that hydrated ions with a water shell around become larger in size and slower in mobility. The varying dimensions and time scales can be utilized for the selectivity of cell membrane. The osmotic pressure outside cells can be controlled by plasma and be adjusted to damage cell membrane. Additionally, air or oxygen plasma-treated water becomes acidic and disrupts the outer walls of bacteria and viruses. He specifically underlined that osmotic pressure cannot be the only mechanism destroying cells; however, its role cannot be studied in detail yet.

https://mipse.umich.edu/files/oltp_2021-02-23_Shneider.pdf

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *