title: Using biofunctional magnetic nanoparticles to capture vancomycin-resistant enterococci and other gram-positive bacteria at ultralow concentration.
abstract: Covalently linked to vancomycin (Van), chemically stable and highly magnetic anisotropic FePt magnetic nanoparticles (3-4 nm) become water-soluble and capture vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and other Gram-positive bacteria at concentrations approximately 10(1) cfu/mL via polyvalent ligand-receptor interactions. When a pyramidal end of a magnet "focuses" the nanoparticles into approximately 1 mm(2) area, the bacteria can be observed by an optical microscope and further identified by electron micrograph (EM). Compared to the conventional use of magnetic particles (with the sizes of 1-5 microm) in biological separation or drug delivery, magnetic nanoparticles, combined with specific receptor-ligand interactions, promise a sensitive and rapid protocol to detect pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Pak-Leung
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Kenneth W T
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000497:Alloys; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D008280:Magnetics; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D010316:Particle Size; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance
chemical_list: D000497:Alloys; D010984:Platinum; D007501:Iron