High functional microfluidic liquid cell for dynamic visualization of inorganic elements in bacteria at high resolution

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H01842
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 28050:Nano/micro-systems-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Ishida Tadashi 東京工業大学, 工学院, 准教授 (80517607)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 林 智広 東京工業大学, 物質理工学院, 准教授 (30401574)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: マイクロ流路 / SEM / 電子線透過膜 / 液中細菌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

While increase of drug resistive bacteria is one of big concerns of humans, development of new treatments for the drug resistive bacteria have not been well developed. From the points of inorganic elemental view, which are vital for bacterial culture but are not strongly focused in biology field, we developed in-liquid electron microscopy of bacteria at high resolution. A super thin electron transparent membrane and transportation methods of bacteria in a microchannel were developed, resulting in high resolution visualization of bacteria in liquid. With this technology, we achieved the visualization of hundreads-nanometer structures in bacteria in liquid and viruses, and further analyze the elemental spectrums of bacteria.

Free Research Field

ナノマイクロシステム

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、液中細菌やウイルスの高分解能観察と無機元素分析を可能とした。これにより、これまで得られなかった細菌の生命現象に関する知見や細菌とウイルスの相互作用を高分解能で観察できるようになる。これらの知見は、耐性菌の新規治療方法の開発に大いに役立つと考えられる。