Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 17, 2025
05:10
A Microfluidic Platform to Study Bioclogging in Porous Media
Published on: October 13, 2022
2.3K
Introducing Porosity in Colloidal Biocoatings to Increase Bacterial Viability
Yuxiu Chen, Simone Krings, Joshua R Booth1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
Biomacromolecules
|June 26, 2020
Summary
This study developed enhanced biocoatings using halloysite nanoclays and latex for improved bacterial function. These composite materials significantly boost metabolic activity in encapsulated bacteria, showing promise for applications like wastewater treatment.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Microbial Engineering
- Environmental Biotechnology
Background:
- Biocoatings encapsulate metabolically active bacteria for functions like biocatalysis.
- High permeability is crucial for nutrient/waste transport in biocoatings.
- Tailoring biocoating porosity is essential but challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer biocoatings with tailored porosity using halloysite nanoclays and latex particles.
- To assess the impact of halloysite content on biocoating permeability and bacterial metabolic activity.
- To demonstrate the utility of these enhanced biocoatings for encapsulated bacteria.
Main Methods:
- Utilized rigid halloysite nanoclays and latex particles as colloidal building blocks.
- Employed electron microscopy to analyze nanostructure and nanovoid formation.
- Used confocal laser scanning microscopy and resazurin reduction assays to measure bacterial metabolic activity.
- Measured biocoating permeability using a fluorescein sodium salt diffusion assay.
Main Results:
- Halloysite incorporation created nanovoids, enhancing biocoating porosity.
- Composite biocoatings showed significantly increased permeability with higher halloysite content (up to 1 × 10⁻⁴ m h⁻¹).
- Encapsulated *Escherichia coli* exhibited statistically significant higher metabolic activity in halloysite composite biocoatings.
Conclusions:
- Halloysite nanoclays effectively tailor biocoating porosity and permeability.
- Enhanced biocoatings support higher metabolic activity of encapsulated bacteria.
- These findings offer a pathway for developing advanced biocatalytic materials for environmental applications.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Porosity in Cement Paste
384
The porosity of concrete is a measure of the void spaces within its structure. These spaces impact its strength and durability significantly. When water and cement interact, a chemical reaction called hydration creates a semi-solid paste. This paste includes combined water, making up approximately 23% of the cement's dry mass, and gel water, which fills minuscule voids known as gel pores, accounting for about 28% of the cement gel volume.
The balance of water to cement in the mix is...
The balance of water to cement in the mix is...
384
01:09Colloidal precipitates
4.2K
The high insolubility of some precipitates can result in an unfavorable relative supersaturation. This can lead to colloidal particles with a large surface-to-mass ratio, where adsorption is promoted. For instance, in the precipitation of silver chloride, silver ions are adsorbed on the surface of the colloidal particles, forming a primary layer. This layer attracts ions of opposite charge (such as nitrate ions), forming a diffuse secondary layer of adsorbed ions. This electric double layer...
4.2K
01:27Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Permeability Enhancement
127
Body:After oral administration, poor permeability often limits the rate at which drugs are absorbed through the intestinal epithelium. Enhancing drug permeability is crucial for effective therapy, and several strategies have been developed to overcome this challenge.One effective strategy involves the use of lipid-based formulations. These formulations enhance dissolution and solubility, targeting physiological mechanisms to increase drug absorption. This includes stimulating bile salt...
127
01:20Porosity and Absorption of Aggregate
638
Aggregates contain pores of varying sizes; while some are completely enclosed within the particles, others open onto the surface, allowing water to penetrate. The porosity of aggregates is a major factor contributing to the overall porosity of concrete, given that aggregates constitute about three-quarters of concrete's volume.
When all pores in an aggregate are filled with water, the aggregate is considered saturated and surface-dry. If left in dry air, water will evaporate until the...
When all pores in an aggregate are filled with water, the aggregate is considered saturated and surface-dry. If left in dry air, water will evaporate until the...
638
03:22Colloids
20.3K
Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles that are visible to the naked eye or can be seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. On the other hand, a solution is a homogeneous mixture in which no settling occurs and in which the dissolved...
20.3K
01:06Coagulation
1.1K
Colloidal solids are solid particles suspended in solution. They are usually negatively charged, attracting a compact primary layer of positively charged ions, which attract more counterions to form an electrical double layer. Electrostatic repulsion between the charged double layers prevents the particles from colliding, stabilizing the colloids. These solids are often undesirable because they can contain toxins that are difficult to remove. Coagulation is a technique that helps aggregate and...
1.1K