Dielectrophoretic separation of bacteria using a conductivity gradient

Dielectrophoresis, the lateral motion induced on particles by non-uniform electric fields, is a sensitive function of the electrical conductivity of the particle suspending medium. This dependence is exploited in a new technique for separating bioparticles from suspended mixtures. The bioparticles a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of biotechnology 1996-11, Vol.51 (2), p.175-180
Main Authors: Markx, Gerard H., Dyda, Penelope A., Pethig, Ronald
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacillus subtilis
Bacillus subtilis - isolation & purification
Bacteria
Bacteria - isolation & purification
Biological and medical sciences
Biotechnology
Cell separation
Conductivity
Dielectrophoresis
Electric Conductivity
Electrophoresis - instrumentation
Electrophoresis - methods
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli - isolation & purification
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Methods. Procedures. Technologies
Micrococcus luteus
Micrococcus luteus - isolation & purification
Others
Various methods and equipments
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Summary:Dielectrophoresis, the lateral motion induced on particles by non-uniform electric fields, is a sensitive function of the electrical conductivity of the particle suspending medium. This dependence is exploited in a new technique for separating bioparticles from suspended mixtures. The bioparticles are first immobilised by positive dielectrophoresis at electrodes in a separation chamber, and the conductivity of the liquid flowing through the chamber is then gradually and continuously increased so as to produce a conductivity gradient with time. The bioparticles are released from the electrodes according to their own dielectric properties and as a function of flow rate and medium conductivity. This is demonstrated for pure suspensions and mixtures of the bacteria Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Micrococcus luteus.
ISSN:0168-1656
1873-4863
DOI:10.1016/0168-1656(96)01617-3