Polymer-induced phase separation in Escherichia coli suspensions

Jana Schwarz-Linek; Alexander Winkler; Laurence G. Wilson; Nhan T. Pham; Tanja Schilling; Wilson C. K. Poon

doi:10.1039/c0sm00214c

Polymer-induced phase separation in Escherichia coli suspensions

Jana Schwarz-Linek, Alexander Winkler, Laurence G. Wilson, Nhan T. Pham, Tanja Schilling, Wilson C. K. Poon

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We studied aggregation and phase separation in suspensions of de-flagellated Escherichia coli (AB1157) in phosphate buffer induced by the anionic polyelectrolyte sodium polystyrene sulfonate. We also performed Monte Carlo simulations of this system based on the Asakura-Oosawa model of colloid-polymer mixtures. The results of these simulations, as well as comparison with previous work on synthetic colloid-polymer mixtures, demonstrate that the role of the polymer is to cause a depletion attraction between the E. coli cells. The implication of these results for understanding the role of (predominantly anionic) extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secreted by bacteria in various natural phenomena such as biofilm formation is discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	4540-4549
Number of pages	10
Journal	Soft Matter
Volume	6
Issue number	18
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1039/c0sm00214c
Publication status	Published - 2010

Keywords

WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMERS
VOLUME-RESTRICTION
CORRESPONDING-STATES
LIGHT-SCATTERING
FLOCCULATION
AGGREGATION
MIXTURES
LATEX
BEHAVIOR
MODEL

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10.1039/c0sm00214c

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title = "Polymer-induced phase separation in Escherichia coli suspensions",

abstract = "We studied aggregation and phase separation in suspensions of de-flagellated Escherichia coli (AB1157) in phosphate buffer induced by the anionic polyelectrolyte sodium polystyrene sulfonate. We also performed Monte Carlo simulations of this system based on the Asakura-Oosawa model of colloid-polymer mixtures. The results of these simulations, as well as comparison with previous work on synthetic colloid-polymer mixtures, demonstrate that the role of the polymer is to cause a depletion attraction between the E. coli cells. The implication of these results for understanding the role of (predominantly anionic) extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secreted by bacteria in various natural phenomena such as biofilm formation is discussed.",

keywords = "WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMERS, VOLUME-RESTRICTION, CORRESPONDING-STATES, LIGHT-SCATTERING, FLOCCULATION, AGGREGATION, MIXTURES, LATEX, BEHAVIOR, MODEL",

author = "Jana Schwarz-Linek and Alexander Winkler and Wilson, {Laurence G.} and Pham, {Nhan T.} and Tanja Schilling and Poon, {Wilson C. K.}",

year = "2010",

doi = "10.1039/c0sm00214c",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

pages = "4540--4549",

journal = "Soft Matter",

issn = "1744-683X",

publisher = "Royal Society of Chemistry",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Polymer-induced phase separation in Escherichia coli suspensions

AU - Schwarz-Linek, Jana

AU - Winkler, Alexander

AU - Wilson, Laurence G.

AU - Pham, Nhan T.

AU - Schilling, Tanja

AU - Poon, Wilson C. K.

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - We studied aggregation and phase separation in suspensions of de-flagellated Escherichia coli (AB1157) in phosphate buffer induced by the anionic polyelectrolyte sodium polystyrene sulfonate. We also performed Monte Carlo simulations of this system based on the Asakura-Oosawa model of colloid-polymer mixtures. The results of these simulations, as well as comparison with previous work on synthetic colloid-polymer mixtures, demonstrate that the role of the polymer is to cause a depletion attraction between the E. coli cells. The implication of these results for understanding the role of (predominantly anionic) extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secreted by bacteria in various natural phenomena such as biofilm formation is discussed.

AB - We studied aggregation and phase separation in suspensions of de-flagellated Escherichia coli (AB1157) in phosphate buffer induced by the anionic polyelectrolyte sodium polystyrene sulfonate. We also performed Monte Carlo simulations of this system based on the Asakura-Oosawa model of colloid-polymer mixtures. The results of these simulations, as well as comparison with previous work on synthetic colloid-polymer mixtures, demonstrate that the role of the polymer is to cause a depletion attraction between the E. coli cells. The implication of these results for understanding the role of (predominantly anionic) extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secreted by bacteria in various natural phenomena such as biofilm formation is discussed.

KW - WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMERS

KW - VOLUME-RESTRICTION

KW - CORRESPONDING-STATES

KW - LIGHT-SCATTERING

KW - FLOCCULATION

KW - AGGREGATION

KW - MIXTURES

KW - LATEX

KW - BEHAVIOR

KW - MODEL

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U2 - 10.1039/c0sm00214c

DO - 10.1039/c0sm00214c

M3 - Article

VL - 6

SP - 4540

EP - 4549

JO - Soft Matter

JF - Soft Matter

SN - 1744-683X

IS - 18

ER -

Polymer-induced phase separation in Escherichia coli suspensions

Abstract

Keywords

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Edinbugrh Soft Matter and Statistical Physics Programme Grant Renewal

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