ISSN 1017-2548(Print)
ISSN 2234-8530(Online)
Volume 48, Number 2
JKCSEZ 48(2)
April 20, 2004 

Various experimental factors that affect the separation of bacteria were investigated using capillary electrophoresis. At different buffer concentrations, gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria showed somewhat different migration behavior under high electric filed. The separation efficiency was also investigated as a function of concentration of bacterium injected into the capillary. In order to separate bacteria as the difference of size and shape, water soluble polymers such as poly(ethylene)oxide (PEO), polyvinylpyirrolidone (PVP), and dextran were studied. PEO, which is more flexible and has lower steric hinderance, showed the best separation efficiency. The mixed bacteria sample of Micrococcus lysodeikticus as gram-positive bacteria and Aerobacter aerogenes as gram-negative bacteria were successfully analyzed with PEO.