Breathing moisture barrier film and bottom-less plates

(More stuff out of my "ideas" Google Doc)

ACLAR film:
Typically used for embedding histology sections.  Fluorcarbon based, clear as glass, flexible, and easy to cut - I'm assuming doesn't produce shards. According to the specs, it has a high O2 permeability, but low to nill moisture transmission.

Potentially useful for a number of things:

• a way to get around special rehydration channels or fluorinert in valve lines in PDMS based microfluidics
• top
• thick casting for structural support
• aclar film
• control layer (thin)
• flow layer (thin)
• glass slide/coverslip
• bottom
• a lid for microplate readers - I wonder if they make the stuff with adhesive backing.

Greiner Bio-One makes bottom less plates now!

These would be useful if the LED tray experiments get started again - no need to custom manufacture the base plate.

These might also be useful for more standardized microfluidic assembly - e.g. select a large bottomless well plate (6-well). Glue a chip (glass and all) to one of the wells from the bottom.

Interesting references

These have been languishing in a Google Doc for some time (Aug 2009 to be exact).  Perhaps having them here might help me to read them more carefully ...

Influence of Heavy Metals on Microbial Growth Kinetics Including Lag Time: Mathematical Modeling and Experimental Verification.

PMID: 19496634.  This looks like an interesting model to study - esp given the specific ways Zn and Cu affect halo growth

Also,

Removal of multi-heavy metals using biogenic manganese oxides generated by a deep-sea sedimentary bacterium - Brachybacterium sp. strain Mn32.

PMID: 19383675.  Apparently oxides of Mn(II) can sequester Zn, maybe copper.  Check to see how Mn(II) specific resistance is differentially expression during Zn/Cu stress.

Oh, hell yes ...

A P-type ATPase importer that discriminates between essential and toxic transition metals.

PMID: 19264958.  A heavy metal importer with specificity to Cu and Zn is identified in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Q9I147.  There are several importers described or referenced here with specificities only for Cu or Zn.  Get protein sequences and blast against the Halo proteome.

Last, worthwhile to review.  I might have this one already

The role of efflux in bacterial resistance to soft metals and metalloids.

PMID: 10730185