Influences and resistance development of microorganisms on low concentrations of nanomaterials in geometrically defined environments
Final Report Abstract
This project focused on the development of an effective methodology for detecting and analyzing the emergence of microbial resistance to low concentrations of nanomaterials in environmental samples. To enable rapid screening and precise analyses, we tested various experimental approaches, all of which leveraged droplet-based millifluidics. This technology proved crucial for accurately controlling and analyzing individual liquid droplets, a key requirement for studying subtle effects at low nanomaterial concentrations. We explored physical detection techniques for directly sensing nanomaterials within droplets, including both magnetic and electromagnetic methods. For instance, we employed planar Hall effect sensors of magnetic fields to identify the presence of nanoparticles by measuring their magnetic influence within droplets. Similarly, we explored impedance measurements to detect changes in the electromagnetic properties of the liquid that nanomaterials induced. However, these direct physical methods lacked the necessary sensitivity for reliably detecting the extremely low and environmentally relevant concentrations of nanomaterials that could potentially induce microbial resistance. Consequently, we adopted a biological approach as our primary detection strategy. In this method, we exposed various bacterial strains to defined, low concentrations of nanomaterials and monitored their viability and resistance development over time. The microorganisms’ biological response thus served as an indirect, yet highly sensitive, indicator for the presence and biological efficacy of the nanomaterials, even at concentrations that we could not measure directly through physical means. The integration of precise microfluidic technology with this sensitive biological detection strategy led to the development of a measurement platform for follow-up research activities and technology transfer. In particular, the developed fluidic platform enables us to accurately and reliably analyze the effects of antibiotics and nanomaterials on microorganisms and their potential for resistance formation in complex environmental samples, significantly advancing our understanding of nanomaterials’ environmental impact. Furthermore, the gained knowhow on specific processes for the fabrication of fluidic circuits, realization of fluidic components and detection modules is transferred to a technology transfer company via appropriate licensing contracts.
Link to the final report
https://doi.org/10.34657/23704
Publications
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(invited talk) D. Makarov et al., “Flexible and printed electronics: from interactive onskin devices to bio/medical applications”, Joint European Magnetic Symposia (JEMS), 24.- 29.07.2022, Warsaw, Poland
D. Makarov et al.
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(invited talk) D. Makarov et al., “Intelligent Materials and Systems”, Seminar at the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), 03.11.2022, Brno, Czech Republic
D. Makarov et al.
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(poster presentation) S. Schuba et al., “Evaluation of nanoparticle resistance development of microorganisms”, HZDR DocSeminar 2022, Wrocław, Poland, 19.-21.10.2022, Wrocław, Poland
S. Schuba et al.
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(contributed talk) S. Schuba et al., “Optical analytics of nanoparticles in liquids”, Priority Training School, Recent Trends in Microplastic research, 24.05.2023, HZDR, Dresden, Germany
S. Schuba et al.
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(invited talk) S. Schuba et al., “Antibacterial effect of nanoparticles”, Summer school “Smart Devices and Their Applications” organized in the frame of the EU project BioNanoSens. Dresden, Germany. June 5-7, 2023
S. Schuba et al.
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(poster presentation) S. Schuba et al., “Evaluation of nanoparticle resistance development of microorganisms”, DPG-Frühjahrstagung der Sektion Kondensierte Materie, 26.- 31.03.2023, Dresden, Germany
S. Schuba et al.
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Modular Droplet‐Based Fluidics for Large Volume Libraries of Individual Multiparametric Codes in Lab‐On‐Chip Systems. Advanced Sensor Research, 2(11).
Schütt, Julian; Nhalil, Hariharan; Fassbender, Jürgen; Klein, Lior; Grosz, Asaf & Makarov, Denys
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(contributed talk) “Evaluation of nanoparticle influence on living microorganisms”, DPG-Frühjahrstagung der Sektion Kondensierte Materie, 18.-19.03.2024, Berlin, Germany
S. Schuba et al.
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(poster presentation) S. Schuba et al., “Evaluation of nanoparticle influence on living microorganisms”, Seminar of the Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Schmochtitz 2024, 25.-26.06.2024, Schmochtitz, Bautzen, Germany
S. Schuba et al.
