Imaging of cells behavior under influences of drugs

• Main Author: Low, Lai Peng.
• Other Authors: Lim Chu Sing
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Bioengineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/16706
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In this project, we investigated five practices in collecting maggot native excretions/secretions (nES) from blowfly L. Cuprina. After taking all factors into account, the one hour incubation method without food supply was found to be the most optimize technique among all, which gives us the largest amount of serum obtained without affecting serum characteristics. The aim of this study is to quantify the antibacterial properties of secretions by using various kinds of bioassays. These investigations revealed the presence of antimicrobial agents within larval secretions, which able to prevent a range of potentially pathogenic bacteria growth, including Gram-positive methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and to a lesser extent the Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E.coli). Besides, bactericidal effect of maggot flatulence was also assessed by incubating L. Cuprina larvae in a container and fumes released was being injected into culture plate initially streaked with bacteria. However, no evidence of inhibition was recorded, indicating that maggot flatulence may not be the suitable form for detecting the inhibitory effects of larvae discharged. Present work also describes a system to monitor the cell behavior exposed to a combinatory of drugs. Thereby, case studies involving MSSA ATCC with dilutions and combination studies of two drugs, maggot nES and Ciprofloxacin are presented. Outcome proposed the enhancement of antibacterial activity by drug mixing and mixture of 60% Ciprofloxacin with maggot nES appears to be the best combination which exhibits maximum effect. Furthermore, it also suggested that addition of maggot serum will eventually reduce bacteria mutation rate. The results display a very promising outlook which would lead to discovery of more effective means of treatment, particularly for Staphylococcus infections.