Deployable micro-traps to sequester motile bacteria
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Date
2017-04-05
Publication Type
Journal Article
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yes
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Abstract
The development of strategies to reduce the load of unwanted bacteria is a fundamental challenge in industrial processing, environmental sciences and medical applications. Here, we report a new method to sequester motile bacteria from a liquid, based on passive, deployable micro-traps that confine bacteria using micro-funnels that open into trapping chambers. Even in low concentrations, micro-traps afford a 70% reduction in the amount of bacteria in a liquid sample, with a potential to reach >90% as shown by modelling improved geometries. This work introduces a new approach to contain the growth of bacteria without chemical means, an advantage of particular importance given the alarming growth of pan-drug-resistant bacteria.
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published
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Book title
Journal / series
Volume
7
Pages / Article No.
45897
Publisher
Nature
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Software
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Date collected
Date created
Subject
Fluidics; Biological physics; Antimicrobials
Organisational unit
09467 - Stocker, Roman / Stocker, Roman