title: Bioinspired single bacterial cell force spectroscopy.
abstract: We developed a method for preparing live bacterial cell probes for atomic force microscopy (AFM) using a bioinspired polydopamine wet adhesive. Microscopic examinations with bacterial and yeast cells indicated that cells were successfully glued to the end of the AFM cantilevers and remained viable for the duration of the force measurements. Interaction forces measured with live single-cell microorganism probes differed markedly from those obtained with glutaraldehyde-fixed microorganism probes. Interaction forces between live cell probes and quartz surfaces involved both repulsive steric forces and multimodal weak adhesion forces, which were attributed to the soft exocellular polymeric layers and the heterogeneity of the cell membrane surfaces.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, USA.
authors.forename: Seoktae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Menachem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elimelech
mesh_terms: D000268:Adhesiveness; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000378:metabolism; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000382:microbiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D005976:Glutaral / Q000737:chemistry; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D011791:Quartz; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D011791:Quartz; D005976:Glutaral