Impedance analysis of different cell monolayers grown on gold-film electrodes.

Impedance analysis of mammalian cells grown on planar film electrodes provides a label-free, non-invasive and unbiased observation of cell-based assays addressing the biological response to drugs, toxins or stressors in general. Whereas the time course of the measured impedance at one particular frequency has been used a lot for quantitative monitoring, in-depth analysis of the frequency-dependent impedance spectra is rarely performed. This study summarizes and validates the existing model for spectral analysis by applying it to eight different cell types from different mammalian tissues. Model parameters correctly predict the functional and/or structural properties of the individual cells under study.