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Production of Metal Nanoparticles by Pulsed Laser-ablation in Liquids: A Tool for Studying the Antibacterial Properties of Nanoparticles
Published on: June 2, 2017
Pulse-based non-thermal plasma (NTP) disrupts the structural characteristics of bacterial biofilms
James R Ferrell1, Fan Shen, Scott F Grey
1Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA.
Abstract:
Bacterial biofilms were constructed in vitro with two pathogenic strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus using a modified, novel sequential bioreactor system. The structure and stability of bacterial biofilms were evaluated following exposure to non-thermal plasma (NTP) discharge. Mathematical software was used to determine structural changes as biofilms grew over the course of 7 days. Statistical modeling was also performed to assess the ability of NTP to affect the development of the biofilms over different periods of time. Several structural characteristics were significantly affected by NTP discharge whereas others were unaffected. Changes in the three-dimensional structure of the biofilm following introduction of NTP was not limited to one period of development. The mechanism for this phenomenon is not understood but is likely to be a dual, synergistic effect due to the composition of the reactive species and other plasma-associated molecules isolated previously in the NTP discharge used in this study.
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