title: Serial dilution via surface energy trap-assisted magnetic droplet manipulation.
abstract: This paper demonstrates a facile method of generating precise serial dilutions in the form of droplets on an open surface platform. The method relies on the use of surface energy traps (SETs), etched areas of high surface energy on a Teflon coated glass substrate, to assist in the magnetic manipulation of droplets to meter and dispense liquid of defined volumes for the preparation of serial dilutions. The volume of the dispensed liquid can be precisely controlled by the size of the SETs, facilitating generation of concentration profiles of high linearity. We have applied this approach to the generation of serial dilutions of antibiotics for anti-microbial susceptibility testing (AST).
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Clark 122, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. thwang@jhu.edu.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dong Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Tza-Huei
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D005898:Glass / Q000737:chemistry; D059346:Magnets; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene