Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Commons^™

Microfluidic-Assisted Atomic Force Microscopy For The Mechanical Characterization Of Soft Biological Materials, Aaron Peter Mosier

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Viable methods for bacterial biofilm remediation require a fundamental understanding of biofilm mechanical properties and their dependence on dynamic environmental conditions. Mechanical test data, quantifying elasticity or adhesion, may be used to perform physical modeling of biofilm behavior, thus enabling the development of novel remediation strategies. To achieve real-time, dynamic measurements of these properties, a novel analysis platform consisting of a microfluidic flowcell device has been designed and fabricated for in situ analysis using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The flowcell consists of microfluidic channels for biofilm establishment that are then converted into an open …

Exploring Bacterial Nanowires: From Properties To Functions And Implications, Kar Man Leung

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The discovery of electrically conductive bacterial nanowires from a broad range of microbes provides completely new insights into microbial physiology. Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1, a dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium, produces extracellular bacterial nanowires up to tens of micrometers long, with a lateral dimension of ~10 nm. The Shewanella bacterial nanowires are efficient electrical conductors as revealed by scanning probe techniques such as CP-AFM and STM.

Direct electrical transport measurements along Shewanella nanowires reveal a measured nanowire resistivity on the order of 1 Ω∙cm. With electron transport rates up to 10⁹/s at 100 mV, bacterial nanowires can serve as a …