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Deformability Assessment of Waterborne Protozoa Using a Microfluidic-Enabled Force Microscopy Probe
John S McGrath1, Jos Quist2, James R T Seddon2
1Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
Plos One
|March 4, 2016
Summary
FluidFM technology can distinguish between Cryptosporidium species and assess oocyst viability. This novel method aids in detecting harmful Cryptosporidium in drinking water, improving water safety for consumers.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Microbiology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Cryptosporidium oocysts in drinking water pose health risks, with current detection methods lacking specificity for species or viability.
- Inadequate filtration technologies necessitate improved methods for identifying pathogenic Cryptosporidium in water supplies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of FluidFM, a single-cell manipulation technique, in differentiating Cryptosporidium species and assessing oocyst viability.
- To determine if oocyst deformability measured by FluidFM can serve as a marker for Cryptosporidium parvum viability.
Main Methods:
- Utilized FluidFM, a force spectroscopy method with microchannelled cantilevers, for single-cell analysis of Cryptosporidium oocysts.
- Assessed size and deformability properties of Cryptosporidium muris and Cryptosporidium parvum.
- Compared deformability of untreated and temperature-inactivated Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts.
Main Results:
- FluidFM achieved 86% efficiency in distinguishing between Cryptosporidium muris and Cryptosporidium parvum.
- The method processed over 50 oocysts per hour, demonstrating high throughput.
- Significantly different deformability distributions were observed between untreated and inactivated Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, suggesting deformability as a potential viability indicator.
Conclusions:
- FluidFM offers a high-throughput, single-cell approach for discriminating between Cryptosporidium species.
- Oocyst deformability measured by FluidFM shows promise as a reliable indicator of Cryptosporidium parvum viability.
- This technology can enhance the safety of drinking water by improving the detection of infectious Cryptosporidium parasites.
