title: Construction of high-density bacterial colony arrays and patterns by the ink-jet method.
abstract: We have developed a method for fabricating bacterial colony arrays and complex patterns using commercially available ink-jet printers. Bacterial colony arrays with a density of 100 colonies/cm(2) were obtained by directly ejecting Escherichia coli (E. coli) onto agar-coated substrates at a rapid arraying speed of 880 spots per second. Adjusting the concentration of bacterial suspensions allowed single colonies of viable bacteria to be obtained. In addition, complex patterns of viable bacteria as well as bacteria density gradients were constructed using desktop printers controlled by a simple software program.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University, 502 Rhodes, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, USA.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Sevastioni
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petridou
authors.forename: Eric H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Narendra R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Vyavahare
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hickman
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Boland
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D011327:Printing / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods