Analytical Sciences

A Microfluidic Approach to Investigating a Synergistic Effect of Tobramycin and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate on Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms

Soojeong SHIN,* Ishtiaq AHMED,** Jangsun HWANG,** Youngmin SEO,** Eunwon LEE,** Jonghoon CHOI,*,** Sangjun MOON,*** and Jong Wook HONG,*,**

*Department of Bionano Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan Kyunggi-do 426-791, Korea
**Department of Bionano Technology, Graduate School, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
***Cybernetics Laboratory, Department of Robotics Engineering, DGIST, Daegu 711-873, Korea

In recent years, a microfluidic technology has contributed a significant role in biological research, specifically for the study of biofilms. Bacterial biofilms are a source of infections and contamination in the environment due to an extra polymeric matrix. Inadequate uses of antibiotics make the bacterial biofilms antibiotic resistant. Therefore, it is important to determine the effective concentration of antibiotics in order to eliminate bacterial biofilms. The present microfluidic study was carried out to analyze the activities of tobramycin and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms with a continuous flow in order to achieve a greater delivery of the agents. The results show that a co-treatment of tobramycin and SDS significantly reduced the biomass of biofilms (by more than 99%) after 24 h. Tobramycin and SDS killed and detached bacteria in the cores of biofilms. Evidently, our data suggest that a microchannel would be effective for both quantitative and qualitative evaluations in order to test combinatorial effect of drugs and chemicals on a complexed biological system including biofilm.

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