Development of hybrid antimicrobial nanomaterials

• Main Author: Lai, Kai Jun
• Other Authors: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Nanotechnology; DRNTU::Engineering::Bioengineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/60846
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Antibiotic resistance has been one of the emerging challenges faced by the biomedical industry in the 21st century. These antibiotic resistant microbial are often known as the “superbugs” that made antibiotics in medicine less effective. However, advancement in nanotechnology has provided new possibilities for integrating different types of nanoscale building blocks into a new generation of antimicrobial nanomaterials. Hence, in this project, a combination of antimicrobial nanomaterials consisting of graphene oxide and polymer was synthesized to test the effectiveness in killing microbial via cytoplasmic membrane disruption of bacteria. The cytoplasmic membrane disruption works on the principle of charge interactions between the positively charged polymer of the material and the negatively charged cytoplasmic membrane surface of bacteria. The disruption of cell membrane eventually causes the membranes to be damaged and interrupt the normal cell functions of the bacteria. Results of cultured antibacterial test show that cell growth ability of treated E. coli was inhibited. Fluorescence microscopic imaging of the treated samples showed that the cell membranes were damaged due to the sample being entirely red fluorescent stained. Images of scanning electron microscopy showing the surface characterization of the bacterial cell surface revealed the existence of antimicrobial nanomaterials attachment on membrane surface as well as damage of cell membrane surface were clearly evident. The results for characterization show that the synthesized antimicrobial nanomaterial is effective in causing the cell membrane disruption of E. coli.