This invention belongs to the field of microbial
electrochemistry and single-
cell analysis technology, and specifically relates to a femtocoulomb-level single-bacterial
surface charge imaging method and its application. This technology is based on
electrochemiluminescence microscopy, utilizing the spontaneous enrichment of cationic ECL luminescent molecules by the electrostatic field of the
negative charge on the bacterial surface, thereby non-destructively enhancing its ECL
signal. By establishing a quantitative relationship between the ECL intensity enhancement ratio and the number of adsorbed molecules, and combining this with COMSOL
simulation to determine the thickness of the luminescent layer, it achieves for the first time high-
throughput, high
spatiotemporal resolution dynamic quantitative measurement of femtocoulomb-level charges on the surface of a single living bacterium. The invented technology has high sensitivity,
high resolution, and good
biocompatibility, and can be used to reveal bacterial metabolic-charge regulation mechanisms, analyze synergistic
electron transport pathways, and screen highly electroactive bacterial subpopulations in situ, providing a key tool for microbial electrochemical research.