Patent ID: 8364409

Claim:
A method for rapidly monitoring a stress response of cells suspended in a medium to a stressor comprising: a) under conditions suitable for monitoring the voltage and/or the current, applying an electric field generated by at least one specified frequency to a test sample comprising the cells suspended in the medium or to a test sample comprising the cells on suspended micro culture beads; b) monitoring the voltage and/or the current; c) applying a stressor to the test sample, wherein the time of applying the stressor is chosen from prior to, substantially simultaneously with, and subsequent to the time of applying the electric field; d) determining: (i) the impedance response of the test sample for a time period either from the time of initially applying the electric field or from the time of applying the stressor, whichever is later, up to 45 minutes after the time of the application of the electric field or the time of the application of the stressor, whichever is later; (ii) a first standard value which is the impedance response of a first reference sample comprising said medium with or without the stressor, wherein the first reference sample is devoid of cells; and/or (iii) a second standard value which is the impedance response of a second reference sample comprising the cells and the medium, wherein the cells in the second reference sample are of the same type and concentration as the cells in the test sample, and wherein the second reference sample is devoid of the stressor; wherein said first standard value and said second standard value are determined under the same conditions and during the same time period as that of said test sample; wherein any change in the impedance response of the test sample compared with said first standard value and/or said second standard value is indicative of the stress response of said cells to the stressor.