Network for development of electroporation-based technologies and treatments: COST TD1104.

Exposure of biological cells to a sufficiently strong external electric field results in increased permeability of cell membranes, referred to as "electroporation." Since all types of cells (animal, plant and microorganism) can be effectively electroporated, electroporation is considered to be a universal method and a platform technology. Electroporation has become a widely used technology applicable to, e.g., cancer treatment, gene transfection, food and biomass processing and microbial inactivation. However, despite significant progress in electroporation-based applications, there is a lack of coordination and interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge between researchers from different scientific domains. Thus, critical mass for new major breakthroughs is missing. This is why we decided to establish cooperation between research groups working in different fields of electroporation. Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), which funds networking and capacity-building activities, presents a perfect framework for such scientific cooperation. This COST action aims at (1) providing necessary steps toward EU cooperation of science and technology to foster basic understanding of electroporation; (2) improving communication between research groups, resulting in streamlining European research and development activities; and (3) enabling development of new and further development of existing electroporation-based applications by integrating multidisciplinary research teams, as well as providing comprehensive training for early-stage researchers. Results of this COST action will provide multiple societal, scientific and technological benefits from improving existing electroporation-based applications to adding new ones in the fields of medicine, biotechnology and environmental preservation.