Effect of laser fluence on yeast cell viability in laser-assisted cell transfer

Matrix-assisted pulsed-laser evaporation direct-write (MAPLE DW) has been emerging as a promising biological construct fabrication technique. The post-transfer cell viability in MAPLE DW depends on various operation conditions such as the applied laser fluence; unfortunately, the effect of laser fluence on the post-transfer cell viability has not been well elucidated. This work aims to study the effect of laser fluence on the post-transfer cell viability and the cell recovery ability in MAPLE DW of yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). It has been observed that (1) yeast cell viability decreases as the laser fluence increases from 85 to around 1500mJ∕cm2 and (2) some of the MAPLE DW process-induced cell damage is reversible. The post-transfer yeast cell recovery is a function of laser fluence; however, this dependence relationship is not monotonic. Future work is needed to better understand the physical and chemical mechanisms of the above observations.