Molecular wires : behaviour and uptake in cells.

• Main Author: Poh, Wee Han.
• Other Authors: School of Biological Sciences
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science::Biological sciences::Microbiology::Bacteria
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/50861
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Transmembrane electron transfer molecules (TETMs) are phenylenevinylene oligoelectrolytes that associate with and insert themselves into bacterial membranes and can facilitate electron transfer across the membrane. They can be used to improve the efficiency of microbial fuel cells (MFC) and other remediation technologies that rely on transmembrane electron transport, such as reductive dechlorination. In addition, toxicities of TETMs against bacteria have been observed. In this project, we demonstrate that TETMs display anti-microbial activities towards both gram positive and gram negative bacteria, with gram positive bacteria being more susceptible to TETMs than gram negative organisms. Uptake studies suggest that the differential toxicities of TETMs against these bacteria may be due to the faster rate of uptake or the preferential accumulation of TETMs in a gram positive bacterium, as compared to a gram negative bacterium. Furthermore, membrane integrity studies indicate that TETMs result in membrane perturbation, which may be a factor accounting for their anti-microbial activity. Results from these studies provide a minimum inhibitory concentration of TETMs, and hence a guideline for the dosage to be used for their application in MFC and remediation process. In addition to their use in biotechnology for electron transfer, the results also indicated that TETMs could be potentially used as antimicrobials.