New or reoccurring bacterial threats are a major challenge of this century, and a delayed response due to the lack of field-testing options risks human lives and causing an epidemic. Classical microbiology techniques are relatively slow, while cytometric methods allow the measurement of cell count, morphology etc. in an easy, reliable, and fast way. State of the art flow cytometers are high-throughput benchtop instruments that are neither portable nor cheap enough for field testing, causing logistic delays in bacterial testing in remote areas and conflict zones or where infrastructure is limited. The goal of this R&D activity is to create the proof of concept of and develop the methodology for low-cost, fully portable flow cytometers based on droplet microfluidics, which will not only allow field analysis of bacteria, but will have a single-cell resolution. Furthermore, through cognitive electronics, the system will be easy to use and fully automated from sample input to result output.
The most significant results of this project include developing a user-friendly tool for microbiology studies. This tool was used to figure out how growth of individual bacteria cells varies during exposure to different metals. This vital knowledge will contribute to ongoing experiments about the possibility of metals affecting individual bacteria cells’ ability to grow in the presence of antibiotics, and to overall research in antibacterial substances and antibiotic resistance. The newly developed tool has also opened the door for future experiments and new collaboration projects both regionally and internationally. Researchers and students alike, no matter their educational or financial background, will be able to apply the tool for their own research topic. Through this project the PI has obtained valuable insight into leadership, experimental procedures, networking, and writing which has contributed to development into an independent researcher.