Localized fluorescence detection of carbenicillin resistance based on gelatinous substrate with micro-pyramid array structure

• Published in: Journal of micromechanics and microengineering Vol. 28; no. 8; pp. 85004 - 85011
• Main Authors: Zhang, Chunlai, Liu, Xiao, Tan, Jiaju, Jia, Zhenzhen, Liu, Fuhai, Zheng, Deyin, Zhao, Xin, Feng, Xizeng, Sun, Guangyi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 01.08.2018
• Subjects: embossing; fluorescence detection; gelatin
• ISSN: 0960-1317; 1361-6439
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6439/aab80b

Recent research has shown that bacteria can complete information exchange with other groups via physical or chemical properties of signal molecules which is known as quorum sensing (QS). The communication of microorganism groups has a valuable function in regulating the physiological behavior of bacteria. In order to explore the cell to cell communication, we fabricated a gelatinous substrate with micrometer scale inverted pyramid array structure, which can confine a large population of bacteria for localized fluorescence detection of Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) under variable growing conditions. The fabricated substrate enables different kinds of bacteria's segregation physically and communication chemically. A two-step embossing process was developed to replicate the inverted pyramid patterns from a silicon master to the gelatin substrate. The cell to cell communication was verified by the fluorescence detection of the E. Coli. According to the specific changes in quantity and the fluorescence intensity of E. Coli, we have demonstrated that Pseudomonas aeruginosa with different phenotypes suspended out of the matrix present different effects to the growth of E. Coli within the micrometer scale inverted pyramid.