Berlin 2018 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 15: Postersession III
BP 15.49: Poster
Tuesday, March 13, 2018, 14:00–16:00, Poster B
Dielectrophoretic characterization of E. coli membrane integrity under influence of organic solvents — •Armin Grundmann1, Marco Radukic1, Harald Gröger2, Dario Anselmetti1, and Martina Viefhues1 — 1Experimental Biophysics, Faculty of Physics, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany — 2Organic Chemistry I, Faculty of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
E. coli are of great importance for biotechnological applications as a whole cell biocatalyst. In combination with organic solvents, new possibilities arise, given that they do not harm the cells. To study the effects of solvents, we characterized the integrity of the E. coli cell membrane before and after incubation by determining its dielectrophoretic properties. For that purpose we applied an alternating electric field to a microfluidic channel featuring a region with insulating posts generating an inhomogeneous electrical field. The bacteria can be trapped at the posts if sufficient dielectrophoretic forces are applied. Using E. coli that express GFP, we were able to characterize the electric field dependent DEP behavior based on the fluorescence intensity. The resulting data were fitted with a logistic model and contain information on the integrity of the cell membranes. Comparing the DEP behavior of incubated E. coli with control measurements reveals the impact of the solvents on the cells.