Microplasma-assisted manipulation of intact airborne bacteria for real-time autonomous detection
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
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Publications
Maguire P
(2018)
Investigating Electron And Radical Interactions With Biomolecules And Cells Using A Droplet In Plasma Laboratory
in Clinical Plasma Medicine
Bennet E
(2016)
Precision charging of microparticles in plasma via the Rayleigh instability for evaporating charged liquid droplets
in Journal of Aerosol Science
Maguire P
(2017)
Continuous In-Flight Synthesis for On-Demand Delivery of Ligand-Free Colloidal Gold Nanoparticles.
in Nano letters
McQuaid H
(2023)
Generation and delivery of free hydroxyl radicals using a remote plasma
in Plasma Sources Science and Technology
Helling C
(2016)
Atmospheric Electrification in Dusty, Reactive Gases in the Solar System and Beyond
in Surveys in Geophysics
Description | To date, 1. novel understanding of how to use aerosols as a moderator to control charge deposition onto an encapsulated target, by firing the aerosol through a discharge plasma 2. a new approach to calculating the diffusion properties of (charged) aerosols and dust in gas-plasma mixtures 3. new insight into the enhanced chemistry possible in aerosolised, charged droplets |
Exploitation Route | given that we are engaged in building a novel real-time airborne bacteria warning system, this will be of huge interest to the biohazard community, sensors, medicine, military etc. The enhanced chemical pathways possible in charged aerosols are hugely significant as novel nanofabrication techniques; the biocidal promise of plasma-treated droplets has myriad applications in biosciences and medicine. The underlying innovation in charging droplets in this way is still being explored: we have accrued a significant data set that requires patient analysis and modelling, and we are not yet finished. |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Education Environment Healthcare Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology Security and Diplomacy |
Description | Whilst the grant is formally over, the impact continues. The experimental techniques developed during this grant have been harnessed for the synthesis of nanoparticles in aerosols, after being passed through a plasma. This is a wholly novel approach, with great promise for alternative methods of manufacturing in applied contexts. Additionally, the theoretical modelling associated with this project has helped us understand how to combine fluid and plasma instabilities in a unified approach to multi-phase plasmas, which may help with plasmas in general, but also in remote sensing of charged droplets. |
First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
Sector | Chemicals,Environment,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic |
Description | standard grant |
Amount | £344,732 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/N018117/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2016 |
End | 03/2019 |
Title | Novel approach to using aerosol droplets as charging moderator |
Description | using liquid droplets containing bacteria (or any other desired target), these can be fired through a plasma to acquire charge. The precise charge deposited on the encapsulated target is controlled by evaporation, using the Rayleigh instability to determine the final charge. |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | Publication is being refereed at the moment |
Title | precision charging of microparticles using charged liquid evaporation |
Description | In this modelling analysis we describe a novel method for delivering a precise, known amount of electric charge to a micron-sized solid target. Aerosolised microparticles passed through a plasma discharge will acquire significant electric charge. The fluid stability under evaporative stress is a key aspect that is core to the research. Initially stable charged aerosols subject to evaporation (i.e. a continually changing radius) may encounter the Rayleigh stability limit. This limit arises from the electrostatic and surface tension forces and determines the maximum charge a stable droplet can retain, as a function of radius. We demonstrate that even if the droplet charge is initially much less than the Rayleigh limit, the stability limit will be encountered as the droplet evaporates. The instability emission mechanism is strongly linked to the final charge deposited on the target, providing a mechanism that can be used to ensure a predictable charge deposit on a known encapsulated microparticle |
Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
Year Produced | 2016 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | A deeper understanding of the behaviour of charged liquids is gained by our research group, prompting further investigation of the chemical impact of lacing free droplets with significant numbers of free electrons. |
Description | Collaboration with NIBEC |
Organisation | Ulster University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Collective endeavour to study charged aerosol dynamics in plasma, with a view to harnessing this as a way of detecting bacteria |
Collaborator Contribution | Experimental skills and equipment |
Impact | Various conference papers and invited lectures |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | Sankaran Lab USA |
Organisation | Case Western Reserve University |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Joint research into droplet transport through low temperature plasmas for biomedical and materials applications. We share equipment and specialised expertise on the in-situ measurement of plasma impedance, along with modelling for joint publication. |
Collaborator Contribution | We share equipment and specialised expertise on the in-situ measurement of plasma impedance, along with modelling for joint publication. We use complementary configurations and diagnostics instrumentation, with impedance measurement using shared instrument as benchmark |
Impact | Initial data for analysis |
Start Year | 2018 |