Session D38: Nanoinstrumentation for Biological and Other Applications

2:30 PM–5:06 PM, Monday, March 5, 2007
Colorado Convention Center - 501

Sponsoring Unit: GIMS
Chair: Karen Waldrip, Sandia National Laboratories

Abstract ID: BAPS.2007.MAR.D38.3

Abstract: D38.00003 : Dynamic Detection of a Single Bacterium: Nonlinear Rotation Rate Shifts of Driven Magnetic Microspheres

2:54 PM–3:06 PM

Preview Abstract

Authors:

  Brandon H. McNaughton
    (University of Michigan)

  Rodney R. Agayan
    (University of Michigan)

  Raoul Kopelman
    (University of Michigan)

We report on a new technique which was used to detect single Escherichia coli that is based on the changes in the nonlinear rotation of a magnetic microsphere driven by a magnetic field. The presence of one Escherichia Coli bacterium on the surface of a 2.0 micron magnetic microsphere (with an aluminum ``nanocap'' that indicates the microsphere's orientation) caused an easily measurable change in the drag of the system and, therefore, in the nonlinear rotation rate. The straight-forward measurement uses standard microscopy techniques and the observed average shift in the nonlinear rotation frequency changed by a factor of $\sim$3.8 (Arxiv preprint cond-mat/0610144). Further miniaturization will allow for dynamic detection of viruses and potentially even biomolecules in fluidic environments.

To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2007.MAR.D38.3