Review—Where Is Dielectrophoresis (DEP) Going?

A guide is offered to new researchers (and their supervisors) of the most promising topics to explore in market-driven or curiosity-driven dielectrophoresis (DEP) research. Based on an analysis of publications since 2000, contributions from electronic engineers and materials scientists are likely to be maintained, with increasing emphasis on the development of DEP-based protocols for chemical and biochemical analyses that involve nanoparticles. Two modes of DEP are likely to dominate, namely metal-electrode based (eDEP) and insulator-based (iDEP). Where high values of the electric field and its gradient are required, such as the spatial manipulation of nanoparticles (e.g., exosomes, proteins, viruses, carbon-nanotubes), eDEP would in many cases be the preferred choice. This would also be the case for the selective isolation of biological cells; the development of cell-based drug discovery protocols; electronic sensors and the assembly of nanoparticles (e.g., carbon nanotubes). Applications of iDEP would be particularly suited for the separation or detection of bioparticles such as DNA, RNA, proteins or bacteria, where manipulation selectivity is based on differences in surface charge. Hot topics include the development of dynamic patterning of bioparticles using photoconductive electrodes, and the genome-wide mapping between genotype and DEP phenotype of cells.