4th World Congress on Electroporation and Pulsed Electric Fields in Biology, Medicine, and Food & Environmental Technologies

Participants of the 4th World Congress on Electroporation

The 4th World Congress on Electroporation was held in Copenhagen, Denmark this past October. The event brought together over 400 participants from 31 countries, covering a broad range of basic and applied research on electroporation and pulsed electric fields. The congress featured exciting plenary talks, four parallel scientific sessions each day, and poster presentations that showcased cutting-edge scientific research. The full program can be found at wc2022.electroporation.net/event/program.

The Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics made a significant contribution to the congress, with presentations on various topics related to nanosecond electric pulse cell treatments. Claudia Muratori chaired the "Educational" and "Electroporation and Cellular Pathways" sessions. Andrei Pakhomov chaired the "Nanosecond Pulse Stimulation and Electropermeabilization (MURI AFOSR)" session, while Olga Pakhomova chaired both "Electroporation and Cellular Pathways" and "Using Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields (nsPEF) to Treat Cancer" sessions. Alexandra E. Chittams-Miles, Ph.D. student in the ODU Biomedical Sciences program, chaired the Poster session.

The event also recognized the achievements of the Center's researchers. Postdoctoral fellow and early-stage researcher Aleksander Kielbik won 1st place in the Basic Science session, while Ph.D. student Alexandra Chittams-Miles won 2nd place in the same session. Travel grants were awarded to Giedre Silkuniene, Mantas Silkunas, Emily Gudvangen, and Alexandra E. Chittams-Miles. Moreover, Professor P. Thomas Vernier received the Frank Reidy Award for Outstanding Achievements in Bioelectrics.

With a wide range of exciting plenary talks, scientific sessions, and poster presentations, the congress showcased the latest advancements in the field and provided an excellent platform for researchers to share their work and collaborate. The photos from the event, available at wc2022.electroporation.net, provide a glimpse of the vibrant atmosphere and the diverse scientific discussions that took place during the congress. In conclusion, the 4th World Congress on Electroporation was an exceptional event, and the Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics' contributions demonstrate the significant role it plays in advancing research in this field.

Below is a list of reports that were presented by participants from the Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics and their collaborators:

Effect of the electric field vector change on the efficacy of nanosecond pulse trains. Presented by Vitalii Kim, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Targeted excitation of murine hippocampal neurons by spatiotemporal summation of nanosecond electric pulses. Presented by Iurii Semenov, Tatiana Zvonareva, Vitalii Kim, Joel Bixler, Allen Kiestler, Bennet L. Ibey, Stephen J. Beebe, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Measuring cell membrane charging limits in current clamp mode. Presented by Mantas Silkunas, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Identification of the ion channels affecting membrane permeabilization by nanosecond electric pulses. Presented by Giedre Silkuniene, Uma Mangalanathan, Alessandra Rossi, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Olga N. Pakhomova

Nano- and microsecond electric field thresholds for killing epithelial and smooth muscle cells. Presented by Emily Gudvangen

Focusing nanosecond pulse effects away from electrodes. Presented by Andrei G. Pakhomov, Iurii Semenov, Vitalii Kim, Aleh Kandratsyeu, Luis Redondo, Emily Gudvangen, Shu Xiao, Allen Kiester, Joel N. Bixler, Bennet L. Ibey

Nanosecond electric pulses target the alpha-1 subunit of membrane Na,K-ATPase. Presented by Giedre Silkuniene, Uma Mangalanathan, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Olga N. Pakhomova

Adjuvant immunogenicity of nanosecond pulsed electric field anti-cancer treatments. Presented by Claudia Muratori, Flavia Mazzarda, Alexandra E. Chittams-Miles, Julia Pittaluga, Andrew Ojeda, P. Thomas Vernier

Nanosecond Electric Pulses Overturn Immunosuppression in the Tumor Microenvironment. Presented by Siqi Guo, Anthony Nanajian, Megan Scott, Stephen J. Beebe

Preventing cardiac cell damage after electric injuries. Presented by Pamela Sowa, Aleksander Kielbik, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Emily Gudvangen, Uma Mangalanathan, Volker V.A. Adams, Olga N. Pakhomova

High-rate nsPEF bursts stimulate neurons at paradoxically low electric field thresholds and without electroporation. Presented by Mantas Silkunas, Emily Gudvangen, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Urine protects urothelial cells against nanosecond pulsed electric fields damage. Presented by Aleksander Kielbik, Pamela Sowa, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Emily Gudvangen, Uma Mangalanathan, Julita Kulbacka, Olga N. Pakhomova

Combinatorial treatment with nsPEF and antibiotics increases Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus inactivation. Presented by Alexandra E. Chittams-Miles, Areej Malik, Erin Purcell, Claudia Muratori

Mantas Silkunas, Emily Gudvangen, Olga Pakhomova, Bennet L. Ibey, Alexandra E. Chittams-Miles, Iurii Semenov, Claudia Muratori, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Pamela Sowa, Mantas Silkunas, Emily Gudvangen, Alexandra E. Chittams-Miles

Pamela Sowa, Aleksander Kielbik, Mantas Silkunas.

Olga Pakhomova, Alexandra E. Chittams-Miles, Claudia Muratori.

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