Toward the Detection and Identification of Single Bacteria by Electrochemical Collision Technique
Abstract
Fast and cost-efficient detection and identification of bacteria in food and water samples and biological fluids is an important challenge in bioanalytical chemistry. It was shown recently that bacteria can be detected by measuring the decrease in the diffusion current to the ultramicroelectrode caused by cell collisions with its surface. To add selectivity to the bacteria detection, herein we show the possibility of collision experiments with the signal produced by electrochemical activity of bacterial cells reducing (or oxidizing) redox species. The mediator oxidation/reduction rate can be used to identify different types of bacteria based on their specific redox activities. Here we report the analysis of electrochemical collision transients produced by two kinds of bacteria, Escherichia coli and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The effects of the charge and redox activity of bacterial cells on collision events are discussed. The current transients due to live cell collisions were compared to those produced by bacteria killed either by heavy metal ions (cobalt) or by an antibiotic (colistin). This approach is potentially useful for evaluating the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents. Finite-element simulations were carried out to model collision transients.
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The flux of Fe(II) produced by a single bacterium is much too low to be detected in the i-t curve.
“The resulting current increases with the number of adsorbed bacteria (Fig. 2a) but the flux of Fe(II) produced by a single bacterium is much too low to be detected in the i-t curve [28].”
From Trends in single-impact electrochemistry for bacteria analysis (2023) · cites this paper as [28]
In the S. maltophilia/Ru(NH3)6 3+ setup, the signal is harder to interpret because of two opposite processes occurring simultaneously: blockage of Ru(NH3)6 3+ diffusion to the UME and regeneration of this species by the adsorbed cells.
“As indicated by the authors, this experimental setup is more complicated and the signal is harder to interpret because of two opposite processes occurring simultaneously: the blockage of the Ru(NH 3 ) 6 3+ diffusion to the UME and the regeneration of this species by the adsorbed cells (Fig. 2b) [28].”
From Trends in single-impact electrochemistry for bacteria analysis (2023) · cites this paper as [28]
Fe(III) is reduced by E. coli bacteria colliding with the UME surface and the produced Fe(II) species get oxidized back at the UME.
“In this case, Fe(III) is reduced by the E.coli bacteria colliding with the UME surface and the produced Fe(II) species get oxidized back at the UME (Fig. 2a) [28].”
From Trends in single-impact electrochemistry for bacteria analysis (2023) · cites this paper as [28]
The redox activity of E. coli cells has been detected via the ability of these bacteria to reduce ferricyanide species in a 100 mM K3Fe(CN)6 solution with a Pt UME polarized at the oxidation potential of ferrocyanide.
“Indeed, the redox activity of E. coli cells has been detected via the ability of these bacteria to reduce ferricyanide species in a 100 mM K 3 Fe(CN) 6 solution with a Pt UME polarized at the oxidation potential of ferrocyanide (Fig. 2a) [28].”
From Trends in single-impact electrochemistry for bacteria analysis (2023) · cites this paper as [28]
The resulting current increases with the number of adsorbed bacteria in the E. coli/ferricyanide system.
“The resulting current increases with the number of adsorbed bacteria (Fig. 2a) but the flux of Fe(II) produced by a single bacterium is much too low to be detected in the i-t curve [28].”
From Trends in single-impact electrochemistry for bacteria analysis (2023) · cites this paper as [28]
In Gao et al., the signal produced by the electrochemical activity of bacterial cells reducing or oxidizing redox species has been presented as a selective strategy to identify different types of bacteria.
“In a study reported by Gao et al. about the electrochemical collisions of two kinds of Gram-negative bacteria, E. coli and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia), the signal produced by the electrochemical activity of bacterial cells reducing (or oxidizing) redox species has been presented as a selective strategy to identify different types of bacteria (Fig. 2) [28].”
From Trends in single-impact electrochemistry for bacteria analysis (2023) · cites this paper as [28]
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- Authors
- Gao, G., Wang, D., Brocenschi, R., Zhi, J., & Mirkin, M. V.
- Affiliations
- Queens College, CUNY (US)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Mirkin, Michael V.
- Venue
- Analytical Chemistry
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2018-09-13
- Volume
- 90
- Issue
- 20
- Pages
- 12123-12130
- ISSN
- 0003-2700 (ISSN-L)
- 1520-6882
- OpenAlex
- W2892290372
- Cited by
- 74
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 6
- FWCI
- 3.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Analytical Chemistry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Division of Chemistry (CHE-1416116)
- China Scholarship Council (201604910870)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Electrochemistry › Electrochemical Analysis and Applications
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Electrochemical sensors and biosensors
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation
- Keywords
- single-bacteria detection, bacterial identification, Escherichia coli, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, redox activity, ultramicroelectrodes, colistin, cobalt
- MeSH terms
- Anti-Bacterial Agents, Cell Survival, Cobalt, Colistin, Escherichia coli, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Electrochemical Techniques
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