Iontolysis using an electrically excited solid source of aqueous copper ions compatible with bacterial gene quantification

Iontolysis was demonstrated as a feasible low-voltage and low-frequency technique for bacterial DNA extraction. This was achieved through mild electrical excitation (3 Vpp with a 0.5 VDC offset at 5 Hz sinusoidal signal) of submerged copper thin films serving as a solid source for releasing aqueous copper ions into the bacterial sample upon electrical stimulation. The technique achieved approximately 40 % of the lysing efficiency of bead beating after 5 min. The electrical power consumption per Escherichia coli K12 bacterial sample was approximately 25 mW, making it suitable for use with existing portable analyzers. Its compatibility with the existing intercalating fluorescent dye gene quantification technique was demonstrated with high linearity (R2 = 0.97). Notably, it suggested the minimal presence of interfering species that may have been generated from the iontolysis byproducts. This compatibility is essential for existing bacterial gene quantification techniques to leverage the low electrical power consumption, simplicity of design and manufacturing, and ease of storage and shipping of the proposed iontolysis.