Effect of static magnetic field on growth of Escherichia coli and relative response model of series piezoelectric quartz crystal

The effect of magnetic field on the growth of bacteria was studied with the series piezoelectric quartz crystal (SPQC) sensing technique. The growth situations of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the absence and presence of different intensities of static magnetic fields were examined and analyzed. The results showed that the growth of E. coli was inhibited due to the presence of magnetic fields. By fitting frequency shift (deltaD) versus time curves according to the frequency shift response equation of SPQC, the relationships between three kinetic growth parameters, i.e., the asymptote A, the maximum specific growth rate mu(m) and lag time lambda, and magnetic field intensity were established. Based on these results, a new response model containing the magnetic field intensity was derived as: delta(f) = 167.7 (7.25 - 7.11B)/[1 + exp[4 x 2.46e(-3.97B)/(7.25 -7.1 IB)] x (4.42 + 16.46B - t) + 2]] The kinetic parameters of bacterial growth obtained from this model are close to those obtained from the logistics popular growth model, in which the concentration of the bacteria was determined by the traditional pour plate count method.     

A Rapid Method for Determination of Growth of Thiobacillus Ferrooxidans by Series Piezoelectric Quartz Crystal

ABSTRACT

A rapid and simple method for monitoring the growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans is put forward by using a series piezoelectric quartz crystal (SPQC). The SPQC was applied to continuously determine the variation of frequency shift during the culture of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, with a conductive electrode as the probe. The frequency shift as a function of time agrees with a typical 'S - shape' model, a piezoelectric sensor responding well to the growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. The fundamentals for determination of the bacterial growth activity using the SPQC is also described; the frequency shift is only dependent on the electrical conductivity of the solution and the dielectric constant.     

A Novel Method for Mutagenicity Test of Carcinogen by using a Series Piezoelectric Quartz Crystal Bactrial Growth Sensor

ABSTRACT

A new method for mutagenicity testing of carcinogens is proposed in this paper. Mutagenic activity is examined through monitoring of the growth situation of Salmonella typhimurium TA98 strain with a series piezoelectric quartz crystal (SPQC) sensor. This method needs no immobilization and preincubation of microorganism, and is simple and rapid. It can be applied to detect mutagen directly. When it was used to study the mutagenicity of dimethyl sulfate, the test time was 4 h at 37°C. There was a good linear relationship between frequency shift and the dose of mutagen in the range 2.5-20 μg/mL and the regression equation was ∠F = 53.82 + 3.81C. Some experimental conditions are also discussed in detail.     

Novel Reduction Kinetics Model of Dimethoate (DMA) on the Growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract

A new method for monitoring Pseudomonas aeruginosa growth with dimethoate (DMA) as sole carbon using the series piezoelectric quartz crystal (SPQC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was described. Compared with the general methods, SPQC gives real-time, multidimensional information. The determination limit of HPLC was 1.08 ng. A combined novel response model for Pseudomonas aeruginosa degrading DMA was derived. By fitting DMA reducing data, the value of the reduction rate constant (k) was obtained and in line with the actual trend. The proposed kinetic model was successfully applied to Pseudomonas aeruginosa degrading DMA.     

Monitoring of mutagenic process with piezoelectric quartz crystal impedance analysis

A novel method for monitoring of mutagenic process of dimethyl sulfate to Salmonella typhimurium strain (TA100) was proposed by using piezoelectric quartz crystal impedance (PQCI) analysis technique. The time courses of responses piezoelectric impedance parameters for a quartz crystal in a culture system were simultaneously obtained and discussed. It was found that the motional resistance variation (DeltaR(m)) increases and frequency shift (Deltaf) of PQC sensor decreases correspondingly during the mutagenic process of the bacteria. These parameters could reflect the variations of viscosity and density of culture system. By fitting DeltaR(m) versus time curves toward Gompertz bacterial growth model, we obtained and discussed the bacterial growth parameters for both normal growth and mutagenic process. The experiments showed that the proposed method could provide real time and multidimensional impedance information to the monitoring of mutagenic process.     

压电晶体传感器的研究进展

本文简要介绍了压电晶体传感器的基本原理,以及基于质量、粘度、电导率变化的溶液分析法。重点介绍了电化学石英晶体微天平（EQCM）、压电生物传感器;对具有很大发展潜力和重要应用价值的串联式压电传感器（SPQC）、串联式表面声波电导传感器（SAW）、液隔电极式压电传感器（ESPS）等也作了简要说明。     

A Series Piezoelectric Quartz Crystal Microbial Sensing Technique Used for Biochemical Oxygen Demand Assay in Environmental Monitoring

A new method for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) determination, which combines the series piezoelectric quartz crystal (SPQC) technique with the growth of a microorganism is presented in this paper. This method needs no immobilization of bacteria and is simple and convenient. When a calibration technique was used for BOD analysis, the detection time was 2.5 h at 37°C. There was a good linear relationship between the frequency shift and BOD value in the range 2.2–11 mg/L and the regression equation was ΔF = 64.10 + 11.23[BOD]. The proposed method was compared with the conventional BOD₅ method. This method was more rapid than the BOD₅ method and the results obtained by the former were in good agreement with those obtained by the latter. The experimental conditions are also discussed in detail.     

Oscillation condition for a series piezoelectric sensor. Application to the determination of urease activity in plant seeds

The oscillating conditions for a series piezoelectric quartz crystal (SPQC) are proposed and verified experimentally. The influence of the cell constant and oscillator phase on the oscillational ability of the SPQC was investigated. It is shown that the SPQC possesses excellent oscillational ability in low or high conductivity solutions, but in solution of intermediate conductivity, the oscillational ability decreases with increasing oscillator phase or decreasing cell constant, sometimes resulting in a cease-to-oscillate zone. The SPQC was applied to determine the urease activity in plant seeds with a detection limit of 0.004 U ml⁻¹, based on the change in conductivity.     

An impedance analyzer method to simulate the oscillating characteristic of a series piezoelectric sensor in oscillators with zero or non-zero phases

An impedance analyzer method is employed to simulate the oscillation frequency of a series piezoelectric quartz crystal (SPQC) in electrolyte or non-electrolyte solutions. The influence of the oscillator phase on the oscillation frequency and response sensitivity are theoretically derived and experimentally verified. In non-electrolyte liquids, the oscillator phase has little effect on both the oscillation frequency and the response to the permittivity. But in electrolyte solutions, the oscillator phase has a significant influence on the oscillation frequency and the response sensitivity to the conductivity. Depending on the oscillator phase, the oscillation frequency of the SPQC may increase, be maintained or decrease with increasing conductivity in low or high conductive solutions. The dependence of the oscillation frequency of the SPQC on the supply voltage is explained. As an example of the applications, the SPQC is applied to the determination of the critical micelle concentration of ionic surfactants in aqueous solutions.     

Simplified determination of bacterial contamination by Escherichia coli using a flow injection system with piezoelectric detection

A rapid and automated method was developed for the determination of bacterial contamination and using Escherichia coli as a model microorganism. The method involves the use of a sensor connected to a flow injection (FI) system. The sample is introduced through a flow injection system into a piezoelectric quartz crystal (PQC) flow-cell. The resulting change of the resonance frequency is related to the bacterial contamination in the sample. The parameters associated with the flow system and the conditions for introducing the sample culture were optimized. Calibration curves are linear in the range from 3.2?×?10⁷ to 3.2?×?10⁹ cfu per mL^-1, with a correlation coefficient of 0.997. The reproducibility was between 3.1 and 7.6%, and the detection limit is 1.1?×?10⁷ cfu per mL^-1. The method allowed the determination of bacterial contamination in residual water and in samples of milk and chicken stock within 5 h, while the conventional plate count method requires 24 to 48 h. The results obtained by these two methods are in good agreement.

Real-time monitoring of formaldehyde-induced DNA-lysozyme cross-linking with piezoelectric quartz crystal impedance analysis

A novel method for monitoring, in real time, the formaldehyde (FA)-induced DNA-protein cross-linking process with the piezoelectric quartz crystal impedance (PQCI) technique is proposed. The method was used to monitor FA-induced DNA-lysozyme cross-link formation. Lysozyme was directly immobilized on the silver electrode surface of a piezoelectric quartz crystal by adsorption. The lysozyme-coated piezoelectric sensor was in contact with FA and DNA solutions. The time courses of the resonant frequency and equivalent circuit parameters of the sensor during the cross-linking were simultaneously obtained and are discussed in detail. On the basis of the feature of the multi-dimensional information provided by the PQCI technique, it was concluded that the observed frequency decrease could be mainly ascribed to the mass increase resulting from the cross-linking. According to the frequency decrease with time, the kinetics of the cross-linking process were quantitatively studied. A piezoelectric response model for the cross-linking was theoretically derived. Fitting the experimental data to the model, the kinetic parameters, such as the binding and dissociation rate constants (k(1) and k(-1)) and the cross-linking equilibrium constant (Ka), were determined. At 37 degrees C, the k(1), k(-1) and Ka values obtained were 7.0 (+/-0.1) x 10(-5) (microg ml(-1))(-1) s(-1), 6.6 (+/-0.1) x 10(-3) s(-1) and 1.06 (+/-0.02) x 10(-2) (microg ml(-1))(-1), respectively.     

A conductance sensor for dissolved sulphur dioxide using a series piezoelectric crystal device

A new piezoelectric crystal impedance sensor for the determination of sulphur dioxide in aqueous solution is presented. It is realized using a series piezoelectric crystal device which is constructed by connecting an AT-cut piezoelectric crystal to a probe in series. The probe is filled with an internal electrolyte solution that is separated from sample solutions by a gas-permeable membrane. The present sensor exhibits a favourable frequency response to 1 x 10(-7)-1 x 10(-3) M sulphur dioxide. The detection limit is 1 x 10(-8) M. The effects of the sensor preparation are considered. Dynamic range, reproducibility, response time and selectivity of the sensor are also discussed. The proposed sensor has been used successfully for lamp sulphur determinations in petroleum samples.     

Determination of bioelectrochemical parameters of red cell using a piezoelectric crystal sensor

Based on the impedance behavior of red cell at high frequency, the frequency response of series piezoelectric crystal sensor in the red cell suspension was derived and verified experimentally. A method of using piezoelectric crystal sensor to determine the conductivity of the interior of the cell was proposed. The experimental results show that the mean conductivity of rabbit red cell cytoplasm was 0.269 S/m and the mean shape factor of red cell was 2.05.     

Rapid diagnosis of M. tuberculosis using a piezoelectric immunosensor.

A piezoelectric immunosensor was developed for detecting Mycobacteria Tuberculosis (M. TB). Protein A was modified onto a silver-coated piezoelectric quartz-crystal sensor. Antibodies could be bond onto the crystal surface in an ordered orientation through protein A. An impendence analyzer was employed to record the admittance-frequency curve. The experimental results showed a successful and less-rigid bonding of protein A and antibodies. Compared with other traditional detection methods of TB, the method suggested in this paper was sensitive, selective and effective. The nonspecific response was limited by using control antibody-rabbit anti-honey bee venom (anti-HBV). A glycine-HCI buffer solution (pH = 2.4) was used to release antibodies from a crystal coated with protein A, and 0.5 mg/mL anti-TB was used to remove TB from a crystal that was bonded by an antibody. Good reusability was exhibited. Spike samples of sputum and saliva from normal people with and without adding M. tuberculosis were diagnosed using the proposed method. Good results were obtained.     

A Coated Piezoelectric Crystal Sensor for the Determination of 2, 4-Toluene Diisocyanate in Air

Abstract

2, 4-toluene diisocyanate (TDI) in air was detected and determined by a piezoelectric quartz crystal sensor coated with tetrakis(hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine (THEED)/dithizone(diphenylthiocarbazone) solution (l:3v/v in acetone). The response curve is linear over the concentration range 3–24 ppb of TDI. The sensor can be used for more than 2 months without loss in sensitivity and presented good reversibility and reproducibility. Of the different possible interferents tested, only SO₂ caused a frequency change.     

Flow Injection Piezoelectric Determination of Brix in Sugar Cane Juice and in the Alcoholic Fermentation Process

Abstract

A flow injection piezoelectric procedure is proposed for the determination of brix (total solids dissolved) in the alcoholic fermentation process. A piezoelectric Perspex cell was constructed to fit one of the gold electrodes of a 10 MHz crystal and this sensor was adapted to a flow injection system. The analytical curve is linear over the brix range from 0.5 to 20.0% with a detection limit of 0.3%. Seventy results can be obtained per hour and the relative standard deviation was less than 1.45% for a solution containing 6% of brix (n=15). Applications of this method for the determination of brix in sugar cane juice and in an alcoholic fermentation bench show satisfactory results in comparison with refractometric and densimetric methods, respectively.     

Monitoring,and estimation of kinetic data,by piezoelectric impedance analysis,of the binding of the anticancer drug mitoxantrone to surface-immobilized DNA

A new method of monitoring drug binding to DNA, in real-time, by means of the piezoelectric quartz-crystal-impedance (PQCI) technique, is proposed. The method was used to monitor the binding of an anticancer drug, mitoxantrone (MX), to double-stranded calf-thymus DNA covalently immobilized on the thioglycollic acid-modified gold electrode surface of a quartz crystal. Optimum experimental conditions for the immobilization were established. The DNA-anchored piezoelectric sensor was in contact with MX solution. The time courses of the resonant frequency and the equivalent circuit characteristics of the sensor were also obtained during the study of DNA-drug binding. On the basis of the analysis of the multidimensional information provided by the PQCI technique the observed frequency decrease was mainly ascribed to the increase in the mass of the sensor surface resulting from the binding. The kinetics of the binding process were studied quantitatively by monitoring the frequency change with time and a piezoelectric response model for the binding was derived theoretically. The experimental data were fitted to the model and the binding and dissociation rate constants and the binding equilibrium constant were estimated to be 66.0+/-0.1 mol(-1) L s(-1), 1.4+/-0.1x10(-4) s(-1), and 4.71+/-0.07x10(5) mol(-1) L, respectively, at 37 degrees C.     

Determination of volatile organic compounds using piezosensors modified with the Langmuir-Blodgett films of calix[4]resorcinarene

A sensor based on a piezoelectric quartz resonator modified with the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of calix[4]resorcinarene is proposed for the detection of volatile organic compounds. Parameters for the formation of ordered LB films based on calix[4]resorcinarene were optimized, and the effects of the pH and metal ion content of the subphase on the behavior of the Langmuir monolayers of calix[4]resorcinarene were studied. The effects of the number of monolayers in a sensor coating, the pH of the subphase from which the monolayers were transferred, and the presence of copper ions in the subphase on the response of the resulting piezoelectric quartz sensors to the vapors of various volatile organic compounds (ethanol, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, ethyl acetate, acetone, hexane, and cumene) were studied. It was found that the proposed sensor was characterized by a short response time and reproducible measurements.     

Study of the Adsorption of Glutathione on a Gold Electrode by Using Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Impedance, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, and Cyclic Voltammetry

Adsorption of a biological peptide, glutathione, on a gold electrode was studied by using electrochemical quartz crystal impedance (EQCI), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques. The time courses of responses of piezoelectric and electrochemical impedance parameters were simultaneously obtained during the adsorption processes of the two forms of peptide, oxidized and reduced glutathione. It was found that the frequency curve due to the oxidized glutathione (GSSG) adsorption exhibited a character of a sum of two exponential functions. For reduced glutathione (GSH), the frequency adsorption curve could be expressed by a first-order reaction kinetic model and the corresponding kinetic parameters at different amounts of GSH were obtained. The heterogeneous charge-transfer rate constants of ferricyanide/ferrocyanide before and after the peptide adsorption were determined by CV and EIS methods, respectively. According to the simple equivalent electric network of the electrochemical interface, the electrochemical impedance parameters were also obtained. The results showed that the proposed method should be found in wider applications in interfacial biochemistry studies since these combined techniques have advantages in real time multidimensional information including electrochemical and electrochemical impedance parameters. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Recognition of alkyl ketone molecules based on thickness-shear-mode acoustic sensors with calixarene derivatives

The frequency response characteristics for twenty-two organic vapours by piezoelectric thickness-shear-mode (TSM) acoustic wave sensors coated with four supramolecule compounds—calixarenes have been investigated. Among them, 2,8,14,20-tetraethyl-4,6,10,12,16,18,22,24-octahydroxylcalix[4]arene (I) was the most efficient actively adsorptive material for host-guest recognizing alkyl ketone molecules such as 2-butanone and acetone. The supramolecule recognition mechanism has been discussed, that is based on the formation of C-H?π bond interaction between the methyl group of ketone molecule and the phenyl ring of the calixarene compound. The linear range of the TSM sensor upon exposure to 2-butanone vapour was 0-940.5 ppm with a detection limit of 2.67 ppm when the coating mass of the compound I was selected as 19 μg. The kinetics behaviours in the adsorption and desorption processes have been examined with polynomial curve fitting procedure. Furthermore, the proposed TSM sensor possessed good selectivity, reversibility, reproducibility and high stability. Compared with gas chromatography (GC) method, the proposed sensor can be used for on-line determination of 2-butanone vapour in air with a recovery of 94.8-106.5%, which was in consistent with those obtained by GC method.