Boris Rubinsky's device, however, could significantly speed up drug testing and genetic research. A human cell sits in the center of the chip, kept alive by infusions of nutrients.
Scientists can control the activity of the living cell by controlling the chip with a computer.
It's a refinement of a process called electroporation that could eventually speed the time-consuming process of drug testing, said Ferrari, who is editor of Biomedical Microdevices, which published Rubinsky's research in its March issue. Biochips, also known as microarrays, have accelerated cell research that scientists once conducted in test tubes and petri dishes. Ultimately, researchers hope biochips will move from research lab to doctors' office or hospital to aid in medical treatment. The University of California-Berkeley has applied for a patent on Rubinsky's chip and plans to license it commercially. Right now, when scientists want to introduce genes or other microscopic substances into a human cell for research purposes, they must bombard the fragile cell with electrical voltage that creates pores in the cell's membrane.