Deployable micro-traps to sequester motile bacteria

Sci Rep. 2017 Apr 5:7:45897. doi: 10.1038/srep45897.

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria / isolation & purification*
  • Bacteria / pathogenicity
  • Cell Movement*
  • Escherichia coli / isolation & purification
  • Escherichia coli / pathogenicity
  • Helicobacter pylori / isolation & purification
  • Helicobacter pylori / pathogenicity
  • Humans
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / isolation & purification
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / pathogenicity
  • Salmonella enterica / isolation & purification
  • Salmonella enterica / pathogenicity
  • Vibrio cholerae / isolation & purification
  • Vibrio cholerae / pathogenicity
  • Water Microbiology*