ELECTROMECHANICAL LYSIS OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS USING ION CONCENTRATION POLARIZATION

• US 20180371400A1
• Filed: 10/10/2017
• Published: 12/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Kim, Minseok, Han, Jongyoon
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/06 Lysis of microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 13/00 Treatment of microorganisms or enzymes with electrical or wave energy, e.g. magnetism, sonic waves

Abstract

Scalable, high throughput and power-efficient electromechanical lysis using low electric potential, which can be used for harvesting valuable intracellular biomolecules (DNA, RNA, and proteins) and metabolites (e.g., biodiesels, bioplastics, antibiotics, and antibodies), and for sterilizing large volume solutions (e.g. disinfection of bacterial contaminated drinking water). The method can be directly integrated with other microfluidic devices for all-in-one, fully integrated total-analysis systems for various bacterial (and cellular) studies and clinical applications.

Claims

1. A method of lysing a cell membrane comprising the steps:

a. directing a fluid stream containing cells in a channel comprising an inlet and an outlet and defined, at least in part, by at least a first ion exchange membrane and at least a second ion exchange membrane, wherein the ion exchange membranes are juxtaposed and characterized by the same charge;

b. applying an electric field across the channel at a voltage and duration sufficient to cause helical electroconvective vortex formation across the channel, thereby lysing the cell membranes of the cells;

c. collecting a fluid stream comprising lysate; and

d. isolating the lysate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a first and at least a second juxtaposed ion exchange membrane are cationic exchange membranes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a first and at least a second juxtaposed ion exchange membrane are anionic exchange membranes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel is a microchannel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of concentrating the lysate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one nonionic porous membrane is located at the outlet of the channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electric field is created by an electrode and a ground each located external and parallel to the channel.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the electrode forms a second channel with at least a first ion exchange membrane and the ground forms a third channel with the at least a second ion exchange membranes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second and third channel are filled with an electrolyte solution.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising a plurality or channels in parallel, each defined by an ion exchange membrane.