Monday, 19 December 2011
Novel micromachines for capturing and manipulating bacteria, NANO LETTERS (2011)
Researchers at the ICN have collaborated with a team at University of California San Diego in the development of new micromachines that effectively and selectively isolate the highly infectious Escherichia coli bacteria from complex samples.
As reported last week in Nano Letters, Researchers at the Catalan Institute of Nanotechnology, PhD student Maria Guix and ICREA Professor Arben Merkoci have collaborated with Prof. Joe Wang´s team at University of California San Diego in the development of new micromachines that effectively and selectively isolate the highly infectious Escherichia coli bacteria from complex samples, offering a new platform for quick and cheap analysis of samples with environmental, food and clinical applications.The micromachines have additional functionality; they can transport the captured bacteria to different zones and then release the bacteria (catch and release), and they can also simultaneously transport and release drug-carrying nanoparticles. This opens up very interesting possibilities for theranostics, the combination of therapy and diagnosis in one miniaturised device. At the core of the micromachines are microtube engines coated with lectin based receptors specific to the bacteria of interest. Once captured on the surface of the tube, the bacteria are propelled by bubbles passing through the microtubes, allowing them to be conveyed to another part of the device for counting, treatment with drug-carrying nanoparticles, or whatever other processing is required. These microtube engines are highly efficient and can be mass-produced at relatively low cost. The diverse capabilities of these lectin-modified hybrid microengines make them extremely attractive for a wide-range of fields, including food and water safety, infectious disease diagnostics, biodefense, and clinical therapy treatments.
Bacterial Isolation by Lectin-Modified Microengines
Nanoletters, in press (DOI: 10.1021/nl203717q)
Authors: Susana Campuzano, Jahir Orozco, Daniel Kagan, Maria Guix, Wei Gao, Sirilak Sattayasamitsathit, Jonathan C. Claussen, Arben Merkoci and Joseph Wang