Detection of airborne bacteria with disposable bio-precipitator and NanoGene assay

• Published in: Biosensors & bioelectronics Vol. 83; pp. 205 - 212
• Main Authors: Lee, Eun-Hee, Chua, Beelee, Son, Ahjeong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 15.09.2016
• Subjects: Air Microbiology; Airborne bacteria; Anodes; Assaying; Bacillus subtilis; Bacillus subtilis - genetics; Bacillus subtilis - isolation & purification; Bacteria; Bio-precipitator; Biosensing Techniques - instrumentation; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; Electricity; Electrodes; Equipment Design; Exposure; Limit of Detection; Liquids; Micro corona discharge; NanoGene assay; Nanostructure; Airborne bacteria; Bio-precipitator; Bacillus subtilis; Micro corona discharge; NanoGene assay
• ISSN: 0956-5663; 1873-4235
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2016.04.051

We demonstrated the detection of airborne bacteria by a disposable bio-precipitator and NanoGene assay combination. The bio-precipitator employed micro corona discharge at 1960V and at less than 35µA to simultaneously charge, capture and lyse the airborne bacteria. This was enabled by the use of a 15μL liquid anode. Using a custom exposure setup, the target bacterium Bacillus subtilis in the atomization solution was rendered airborne. After exposure, the liquid anode in the bio-precipitator was subsequently measured for DNA concentration and analyzed with the NanoGene assay. As the bacterial concentration increased from 0.0104 to 42.6 g-DCW/L the released DNA concentration in the liquid anode increased from 2.10±1.57 to 75.00±7.15ng/μL. More importantly, the NanoGene assay showed an increase in normalized fluorescence (gene quantification) from 18.03±1.18 to 49.71±1.82 as the bacterial concentrations increased from 0.0104 to 42.6 g-DCW/L. the electrical power consumption of the bio-precipitator was shown to be amenable for portable use. In addition, the detection limit of bio-precipitator and NanoGene assay combination in the context of environmentally relevant levels of airborne bacteria was also discussed. •Airborne bacteria are captured by disposable bio-precipitator.•Bio-precipitator employs liquid anode.•Captured bacteria are quantified via NanoGene assay.