Theses and Dissertations

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Open Access
Study of real-time spatial and temporal behavior of bacterial biofilms using 2D impedance spectroscopy
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Begly, Caleb R., author; Chen, Thomas W., advisor; Wilson, Jesse, committee member; Chicco, Adam, committee member
The study of biofilms and their effect on disease treatment, prevention, and cures has been increasing in importance in recent years. Bacterial biofilms are colony formations developed by bacteria that allow them to anchor onto a surface and survive hostile environments. The formation of harmful bacteria biofilms on some surfaces can be troublesome, particularly in the case of medical implants. The continuing rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria over the past decade had escalated the need to study and understand biofilms. This thesis presents the design of a multi-channel impedance spectroscopy instrument to allow 2D spatial and temporal evaluation of biofilm growth. The custom-designed circuits allow measurement updates once per second on the entire set of impedance sensors. The distance between the neighboring sensors is 220 micrometers, allowing realtime observation of biofilm growth. The initial results show that the proposed 2D impedance spectroscopy tool provides the needed accuracy to predict the existence of bacteria biofilm at a given sensor location. The initial results were validated using optical images with fluorescent staining.