Bioelectronic Drug-free Control of Opportunistic Pathogens through Selective Excitability.

ABSTRACT: The natural excitability in mammalian tissues has been extensively exploited for drug-free electroceutical therapies. However, it is unclear whether bacterial residents on the human body are equally excitable and if their excitability can also be leveraged for drug-free bioelectronic treatment. Using a microelectronic platform, we examined the electrical excitability of Staphylococcus epidermidis, a skin-residing bacterium responsible for widespread clinical infections. We discovered that a non-lethal electrical stimulus could excite S. epidermidis, inducing reversible changes in membrane potential. Intriguingly, S. epidermidis became excitable only under acidic skin pH, indicating that the bacteria were 'selective' about the environment in which they display excitabil

SUBMITTER: Kim S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12124811 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature