In situ monitoring of antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial biofilms in a microfluidic device

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance of biofilms is a growing public health concern due to overuse and improper use of antibiotics. Thus, determining an effective minimal concentration of antibiotics to eradicate bacterial biofilms is crucial. Here we present a simple, novel one-pot assay for the analysis of antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial biofilms using a microfluidics system where continuous concentration gradients of antibiotics are generated. The results of minimal biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) clearly confirm that the concentration required to eradicate biofilm-grown Pseudomonas aeruginosa is higher than the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) that has been widely used to determine the lowest concentration of antibiotics against planktonically grown bacteria.