EAGER: Nanoparticle Control of Microbial Development on Ceramic Surfaces

非技术描述：细菌喜欢以表面生物膜的形式存在，在这种生物膜中，细菌形成有组织的菌落，周围有保护性的细胞外基质，使它们对消毒具有很强的抵抗力。生物膜的韧性可以通过感染植入物和医疗设备的表面来影响医疗结果，这些植入物和医疗设备随后必须被移除。它们还通过配水系统传播水传播疾病和呼吸系统疾病，对公共卫生产生深远影响。例如，最近的一项研究表明，通常由受污染的水传播的分枝杆菌致病性菌株在家庭淋浴喷头中高度富集，可能与发达国家肺部感染的增加有关。本研究旨在研究在成熟生物膜形成之前，少量抗菌纳米颗粒对分枝杆菌附着在陶瓷表面的影响，以及由此产生的消毒抗性。所获得的基本信息可用于制定战略，设计和制造用于发达国家水处理厂的抗生物膜陶瓷水净化膜，以及为欠发达国家的家庭设计的陶瓷使用点过滤器。技术细节：陶瓷加工科学和微生物学的独特结合被用来研究抗菌银纳米颗粒对分枝杆菌附着在陶瓷表面的影响。采用一种控制沉积的方法来改变纳米银在陶瓷表面的浓度和空间分布。然后将表面暴露于含有不同分枝杆菌菌株的流动水中，利用共聚焦光学显微镜、电子显微镜和图像分析观察和量化银纳米颗粒对细菌附着的影响。这些信息随后被用于开发抗生物膜陶瓷表面。此外，项目参与者还指导本科生参加服务学习经验，为在欠发达国家的贫困社区生产低成本陶瓷滤水器的非政府组织提供产品开发和工程服务。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Bacteria prefer to exist as surface biofilms in which the bacteria form organized colonies surrounded by a protective extracellular matrix that makes them very resistant to disinfection. The tenacity of biofilms can affect medical outcomes by infecting the surfaces of implants and medical devices that must be subsequently removed. They also have a profound effect on public health by transmitting waterborne and respiratory diseases through water distribution systems. For example, a recent study has shown that pathogenic strains of mycobacteria, commonly transmitted by contaminated water, are highly enriched in household showerheads and may be linked to a rise in pulmonary infections in the developed world. This study is examining the effect of small amounts of antibacterial nanoparticles on the attachment of mycobacteria to ceramic surfaces prior to the development of mature biofilms and consequent resistance to disinfection. The fundamental information obtained can be used to develop strategies for the design and manufacture of biofilm resistant, ceramic water purification membranes to be used in water treatment plants in the developed world and ceramic point-of-use filters designed for households in the less developed world.TECHNICAL DETAILS: A unique combination of ceramics processing science and microbiology is being used to study the effect of antibacterial silver nanoparticles on the attachment of mycobacteria to ceramic surfaces. A controlled deposition method is used to vary the concentration and spatial distribution of the silver nanoparticles on the ceramic surfaces. Then the surfaces are exposed to flowing water containing different strains of mycobacteria and the effect of the silver nanoparticles on the attachment of the bacteria is observed and quantified using confocal optical microscopy, electron microscopy and image analysis. The information is then used to develop biofilm resistant ceramic surfaces. Additionally, the project participants are mentoring undergraduate students participating in service learning experiences that provide product development and engineering services to non-governmental organizations that make low-cost ceramic water filters in poor communities in the less developed world.