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Updated: May 9, 2026
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In Situ Microscopy for Real-time Determination of Single-cell Morphology in Bioprocesses
Published on: December 5, 2019
Shape recognition of microbial cells by colloidal cell imprints.
Josef Borovička1, Simeon D Stoyanov, Vesselin N Paunov
1Surfactant and Colloid Group, Department of Chemistry, The University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK.
Nanoscale
|July 30, 2013
Summary
Engineered "colloid antibodies" recognize and bind to specific microbial cell shapes and sizes. This breakthrough enables selective microbial targeting, advancing antimicrobial therapies and drug delivery applications.
Area of Science:
- Colloid and Surface Science
- Biotechnology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Developing selective methods for microbial cell targeting is crucial for diagnostics and therapeutics.
- Existing methods often lack specificity for shape and size, leading to off-target effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer imprinted colloid particles (
- colloid antibodies
- ) capable of shape- and size-selective binding to microbial cells.
- To investigate the mechanism of recognition and the influence of electrostatic interactions.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of colloid imprints via partial fragmentation of silica shells templated on target microbial cells.
- Demonstration of shape and size recognition through binding assays.
- Exploration of electrostatic interactions by polyelectrolyte pre-coating.
Main Results:
- Colloidal imprints demonstrated high binding percentages with size-matching target particles.
- Selective binding to target cells was achieved in binary mixtures, indicating high selectivity.
- Opposite surface charges enhanced selective binding, with recognition mechanism linked to increased contact area.
Conclusions:
- The developed "colloid antibodies" offer a novel approach for shape- and size-selective microbial cell recognition.
- This technology has potential applications in developing targeted antimicrobial therapies and drug delivery systems.
- Further functionalization can enhance binding efficiency and enable external manipulation of colloid antibodies.
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