title: A non-intrusive method for the measurement of water vapour sorption by bacterial spores.
abstract: Single particle levitation (SPL) is used to measure the sorption and desorption of water vapour from microparticles comprising of Bacillus spores. Water gain is determined from increases in the weight-balancing levitation voltages. Spore water isotherms are compared to values previously reported using bulk gravimetric methods. Two salient differences are found between the SPL and bulk data: (1) greater osmotic swelling is observed in the SPL data; and (2) the SPL data exhibit open loop hysteresis while bulk data exhibit closed loop hysteresis.
authors.affiliation: Edgewood Research, Development & Engineering Centre, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010-5423, USA.
authors.forename: G O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Rubel
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008722:Methods; D011312:Pressure; D013170:Spores / Q000378:metabolism*; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014867:Water