Monitoring growth and antibiotic susceptibility of Escherichia coli with photoluminescence of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well microstructures.
Development of quick and reliable methods to investigate antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria is vital to prevent inappropriate and untargeted use of antibiotics and control the antibiotic resistance crisis. The authors have developed an innovative, low-cost and rapid approach to evaluate antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria by employing photoluminescence (PL) emission of photocorroding GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well (QW) biochips. The biochips were functionalized with self-assembled monolayers of biotinylated polyethylene glycol thiols, neutravidin and biotinylated antibodies to immobilize bacteria. The illumination of a QW biochip with the above bandgap radiation leads to formation of surface oxides and dissolution of a limited thickness GaAs cap material (≤10nm) that results in the appearance of a characteristic maximum in the PL plot collected over time. The position of the PL maximum depends on the photocorrosion rate which, in turn, depends on the electric charge immobilized on the surface of the GaAs/AlGaAs biochips. Bacteria captured on the surface of biochips retard the PL maximum, while growth of these bacteria further delays the PL maximum. For the bacteria affected by antibiotics a faster occurring PL maximum, compared with growing bacteria, is observed. By exposing bacteria to nutrient broth and penicillin or ciprofloxacin, the authors were able to distinguish in situ antibiotic-sensitive and resistant Escherichia coli bacteria within less than 3h, considerable more rapid than with culture-based methods. The PL emission of the heterostructures was monitored with an inexpensive reader. This rapid determination of bacterial sensitivity to different antibiotics could have clinical and research applications.
Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT), Laboratory for Quantum Semiconductors and Photon-based BioNanotechnology, CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, 3000, boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 0A5.
Elnaz
E
Nazemi
Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT), Laboratory for Quantum Semiconductors and Photon-based BioNanotechnology, CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, 3000, boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 0A5.
Walid M
WM
Hassen
Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT), Laboratory for Quantum Semiconductors and Photon-based BioNanotechnology, CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, 3000, boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 0A5; Department of Microbiology and Infectiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001, 12th Avenue North Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1H 5N4.
Eric H
EH
Frost
Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT), Laboratory for Quantum Semiconductors and Photon-based BioNanotechnology, CNRS UMI-3463, Université de Sherbrooke, 3000, boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 0A5. Electronic address: jan.j.dubowski@usherbrooke.ca.
Jan J
JJ
Dubowski
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000737:chemistry; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005708:Gallium / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D049449:Luminescence; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000737:chemistry
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001152:Arsenicals; C043055:gallium arsenide; D005708:Gallium
Antibiotic susceptibility; Bacteria; Escherichia coli; Photocorrosion; Photoluminescence; Quantum semiconductors