Bacterial tracking using ferrographic separation

An innovative technique for tracking bacteria at low concentrations in wate r Was used to capture bacteria from natural waters. The technique utilizes an immunomagnetic method to confer magnetic susceptibility specifically to the bacteria of interest and uses a Bio-Ferrograph to concentrate the depos ition of magnetically tagged bacteria onto an exceedingly small area on a g lass cover slip. complete recovery of low concentrations of bacteria spille d into natural waters was achieved using the method after a blocking agent and a complexing agent were added to mitigate nonspecific interaction of an tibodies with mineral colloids in the water and to prevent cation-induced a ntibody coagulation. The ability to visually identify bacterial aggregation and shape using this method provides additional information potentially us eful in studying bacterial transport.