title: Pump-less static microfluidic device for analysis of chemotaxis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa using wetting and capillary action.
abstract: Bacterial chemotaxis is a complex response to temporal changes of concentrations of chemoeffectors. Conventional methods, including microfluidic approaches, for the precise analysis of bacterial chemotaxis are limited in the accurate control of chemical gradients, low sensitivity, and longer analytical times although the advances in microfluidic technology provide a novel platform. Here, we present a diffusion-based microfluidic device to provide rapid diffusion of chemoeffectors using a liquid-liquid interface, which is a critical advance in the analysis of bacterial chemotaxis. The microfluidic method can rapidly analyze attractants and repellents, achieving a chemotaxis index corresponding to the concentrations and types of chemoeffectors. Moreover, we find that the dynamic switch in bacterial chemotaxis from attraction to repellence in response to specific chemoeffectors occurs in a concentration-dependent manner. Thus, our microfluidic method is promising and reliable for the analysis of bacterial chemotaxis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-Gu, Deajeon 305-764, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Heon-Ho
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Sang-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang-Soo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002197:Capillary Action; D002633:Chemotaxis; D004058:Diffusion; D006801:Humans; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014906:Wetting Agents / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014906:Wetting Agents