electrical stimulation of cells

UC San Diego scientists developed a new technology that specifically targets one type of cell among genetically identical bacteria that live in the same microenvironment. They discovered that a second-long shock emitted by an electrode (dark circle in the center), preferentially causes growth of (orange) motile cells, rather than (blue) matrix-producing cells, thereby changing the ratio of cell types in the community. Credit: Süel Lab, UC San Diego
Is electricity a new tool that can destabilize biofilms without creating antibiotic resistance?