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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Measuring the Bending Stiffness of Bacterial Cells Using an Optical Trap
Published on: April 26, 2010
Optically Responsive, Smart Anti-Bacterial Coatings via the Photofluidization of Azobenzenes
Gannon M Kehe, Dylan I Mori, Michael J Schurr
1Materials Science and Engineering , University of Colorado , Boulder , Colorado 80309 , United States.
Abstract:
Antibacterial strategies sans antibiotic drugs have recently garnered much interest as a mechanism by which to inhibit biofilm formation and growth on surfaces due to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Based on the photofluidization of azobenzenes, we demonstrate for the first time the ability achieve up to a 4 log reduction in bacterial biofilms by opto-mechanically activating the disruption and dispersion of biofilms. This unique strategy with which to enable biofilm removal offers a novel paradigm with which to combat antibiotic resistance.
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