In this study,we demonstrated the label-free continuous separation and enrichment of Bacillus subtilis populations based on length using viscoelastic microfluidics.B.subtilis,a gram-positive,rod-shaped bacterium,has b...In this study,we demonstrated the label-free continuous separation and enrichment of Bacillus subtilis populations based on length using viscoelastic microfluidics.B.subtilis,a gram-positive,rod-shaped bacterium,has been widely used as a model organism and an industrial workhorse.B.subtilis can be arranged in different morphological forms,such as single rods,chains,and clumps,which reflect differences in cell types,phases of growth,genetic variation,and changing environmental factors.The ability to prepare B.subtilis populations with a uniform length is important for basic biological studies and efficient industrial applications.Here,we systematically investigated how flow rate ratio,poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)concentration,and channel length affected the length-based separation of B.subtilis cells.The lateral positions of B.subtilis cells with varying morphologies in a straight rectangular microchannel were found to be dependent on cell length under the co-flow of viscoelastic and Newtonian fluids.Finally,we evaluated the ability of the viscoelastic microfluidic device to separate the two groups of B.subtilis cells by length(i.e.,1-5μm and>5μm)in terms of extraction purity(EP),extraction yield(EY),and enrichment factor(EF)and confirmed that the device could separate heterogeneous populations of bacteria using elasto-inertial effects.展开更多
基金This work was supported by an Australian Research Council(ARC)Discovery Project Grant(DP200102269)to ML and AKCPL acknowledges support from the Overseas Research Program for Outstanding Young and Middle-aged College Students and Principals of Jiangsu Province,the Scientific Research and Innovation Team of Suqian University(2021td07)+3 种基金the Suqian Science&Technology Project(Z2020136)AKC was supported by an Australian Research Council(ARC)DECRA fellowship(DE180100929)HL was supported by International Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarships(iMQRES)for graduate studyDY was supported by an Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from Deakin University.
文摘In this study,we demonstrated the label-free continuous separation and enrichment of Bacillus subtilis populations based on length using viscoelastic microfluidics.B.subtilis,a gram-positive,rod-shaped bacterium,has been widely used as a model organism and an industrial workhorse.B.subtilis can be arranged in different morphological forms,such as single rods,chains,and clumps,which reflect differences in cell types,phases of growth,genetic variation,and changing environmental factors.The ability to prepare B.subtilis populations with a uniform length is important for basic biological studies and efficient industrial applications.Here,we systematically investigated how flow rate ratio,poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)concentration,and channel length affected the length-based separation of B.subtilis cells.The lateral positions of B.subtilis cells with varying morphologies in a straight rectangular microchannel were found to be dependent on cell length under the co-flow of viscoelastic and Newtonian fluids.Finally,we evaluated the ability of the viscoelastic microfluidic device to separate the two groups of B.subtilis cells by length(i.e.,1-5μm and>5μm)in terms of extraction purity(EP),extraction yield(EY),and enrichment factor(EF)and confirmed that the device could separate heterogeneous populations of bacteria using elasto-inertial effects.
