A synergistic capture strategy for enhanced detection and elimination of bacteria.

Despite the advanced detection and sterilization techniques available today, the sensitive diagnosis and complete elimination of bacterial infections remain a significant challenge. A strategy is reported for efficient bacterial capture (ca. 90%) based on the synergistic effect of the nanotopography and surface chemistry of the substrate on bacterial attachment and adhesion. The outstanding bacterial-capture capability of the functionalized nanostructured substrate enables rapid and highly sensitive bacterial detection down to trace concentrations of pathogenic bacteria (10 colony-forming units mL(-1)). In addition, this synergistic biocapture substrate can be used for efficient bacterial elimination and shows great potential for clinical antibacterial applications.