Fig. 3: Cell rupture by the hydrodynamic-bactericidal effect.
From: Hydrodynamic tearing of bacteria on nanotips for sustainable water disinfection
a A typical puncturing curve of E. coli obtained with AFM. The inset shows the fit of the data in the early part of indentation using the Sneddon model. b Finite element method simulation of the cell penetration process of the AFM tip. c The calculated velocity field of the simulated area. A right triangle domain was selected for computation, in which the hypotenuse was defined as the inlet boundary, while the other two sides were defined as the outlet boundaries. d Possibilities of the four types of contact between the bacteria and the nanotips. Stress distribution profiles of the cell membrane during collision process by end-contact (e) and middle-contact (f). Stress distribution profiles of the cell membrane during tearing process by end-contact (g) and middle-contact (h). The maximum stresses exerted at each contact form are denoted in red, and are compared with the critical stress (0.05 MPa). Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
