Electrolysis of Bacteria Based on Microfluidic Technology

Cell lysis is a key step for studying the structure and function of proteins in cells and an important intermediate step in drug screening, cancer diagnosis, and genome analysis. The current cell lysis methods still suffer from limitations, such as the need for large instruments, a long and time-consuming process, a large sample volume, chemical reagent contamination, and their unsuitability for the small amount of bacteria lysis required for point-of-care testing (POCT) devices. Therefore, a fast, chemical-free, portable, and non-invasive device needs to be developed. In the present study, we designed an integrated microfluidic chip to achieve E. coli lysis by applying an alternating current (AC) electric field and investigated the effects of voltage, frequency, and flow rate on the lysis. The results showed that the lysis efficiency of the bacteria was increased with a higher voltage, lower frequency, and lower flow rate. When the voltage was at 10 Vp-p, the lysis efficiency was close to 100%. The study provided a simple, rapid, reagent-free, and high-efficiency cleavage method for biology and biomedical applications involving bacteria lysis.

Automated summary

Cell lysis is an important step for protein research and various applications such as drug screening and cancer diagnosis. Current cell lysis methods have limitations, prompting the need for a fast, chemical-free, portable, and non-invasive device. In this study, an integrated microfluidic chip was designed to achieve E. coli lysis using an alternating current electric field, and the effects of voltage, frequency, and flow rate on lysis efficiency were investigated. The study provided a simple and efficient method for bacteria lysis in biology and biomedical applications.