Micro flow-through electroporation devices and methods of cell transfection

A method of electroporating cells with a cargo, comprising the steps of:

• flowing the cells with the cargo into an electroporation chamber, wherein the electroporation chamber comprises:
• an upper electrode;
• a lower electrode;
• and
• a path defined between the upper electrode and the lower electrode for the cells and the cargo to flow,
• wherein the upper electrode and the lower electrode each have a porosity,
• wherein the upper electrode is bound by a first material, the first material comprising a first input allowing passage of cells into the electroporation chamber,
• wherein the lower electrode is bound by a second material, the second material comprising a first output allowing passage of electroporated cells from the electroporation chamber,
• wherein the upper electrode porosity allows the passage of the cells and the cargo from the first input through the upper electrode into the electroporation chamber and/or the lower electrode porosity allows passage of the electroporated cells through the lower electrode and the first output from the electroporation chamber,
• wherein the first input and the first output are separated by an offset distance, and
• wherein the cells are suspended in an electroporation medium;
• and
• pulsing an electrical current between the upper electrode and the lower electrode to create an electric field while the cells and the cargo flow along the path defined between the upper electrode and the lower electrode and the electroporated cells flow toward the first output;
• wherein the cells and the cargo flow through the first input in a first direction, the cells and the cargo flow laterally along the length of the electroporation chamber in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the electroporated cells flow through the first output in a second direction parallel to the first direction.