Journal Article

Dielectrophoresis-Based Discrimination of Bacteria at the Strain Level Based on Their Surface Properties

Hugenholtz, Philip, Rabaey, Korneel, Willner, Dana, Braff, William A., Buie, Cullen R.

2013

Overview

Insulator-based dielectrophoresis can be used to manipulate biological particles, but has thus far found limited practical applications due to low sensitivity. We present linear sweep three-dimensional insulator-based dielectrophoresis as a considerably more sensitive approach for strain-level discrimination bacteria. In this work, linear sweep three-dimensional insulator-based dielectrophoresis was performed on Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 along with six isogenic mutants as well as Streptococcus mitis SF100 and PS344. Strain-level discrimination was achieved between these clinically important pathogens with applied electric fields below 10 V/mm. This low voltage, high sensitivity technique has potential applications in clinical diagnostics as well as microbial physiology research.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Antibiotics / Bacteria / Biofilms / Cell Wall - metabolism / Cystic fibrosis / Dielectrophoresis / E coli / Electric fields / Electricity / Electrophoresis - methods / Endocarditis / Escherichia coli / Infections / Low voltage / Measurement techniques / Mechanical engineering / Microbial drug resistance / Microorganisms / Mutants / Phenotype / Physiological aspects / Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Pseudomonas aeruginosa - cytology / Pseudomonas aeruginosa - isolation & purification / Sensitivity / Streptococcus mitis / Streptococcus mitis - cytology / Streptococcus mitis - isolation & purification / Studies / Surface Properties / Surface science