Microfluidic aqueous two-phase system for continuous partitioning of bacteria

The interaction of bacterial cells with surrounding environment depends on its surface characteristics such as hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity balance and net charge. In this paper, aqueous two-phase system partitioning of Escherichia coli strains based on their difference in surface properties is introduced in a microfluidic system. While aqueous two-phase system is widely use to separate biomolecules on macroscale, the method has not been adapted in microfluidic system. The bacterial cells are partitioned based on their affinity for streams formed by aqueous polymers polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran (Dex). Partitioning efficiency of two Escherichia coli strains is currently being optimized.