10.1021/ac5017776.s002 Ortal Schwartz Ortal Schwartz Moran Bercovici Moran Bercovici Microfluidic Assay for Continuous Bacteria Detection Using Antimicrobial Peptides and Isotachophoresis American Chemical Society 2015 technique concentration AMPs reaction zone Continuous Bacteria Detection detection leverage isotachophoresis water samples bacteria antimicrobial peptides concentration zone fluorescence signal microfluidic channel concentration AMPs novel microfluidic assay water sample flows Microfluidic Assay Antimicrobial Peptides 1 h monitoring time ITP 2015-12-17 05:20:07 Media https://acs.figshare.com/articles/media/Microfluidic_Assay_for_Continuous_Bacteria_Detection_Using_Antimicrobial_Peptides_and_Isotachophoresis/2042397 We present a novel microfluidic assay for continuous and quantitative detection of bacteria in water. We leverage isotachophoresis (ITP), an electrophoretic focusing technique, to create a stationary high concentration zone of fluorescently labeled antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in a microfluidic channel. The tested water sample flows continuously through this high concentration AMPs reaction zone; any bacteria present in the sample is simultaneously labeled by, and separated from, the high concentration AMPs. The labeled bacteria continue into the downstream pure-buffer zone where the fluorescence signal is monitored, providing a direct quantitative measurement of the original bacterial concentration in the sample. We present the principles of the technique, demonstrate its applicability for quantitative detection of <i>E. coli</i> as well as its stability over a 1 h monitoring time, and provide a simple model for predicting its performance at different operating conditions. The method could be potentially expanded for use with other types of probes and provide continuous analysis and monitoring of water samples at the point of need.