Graphene to destroy drug-resistant bacteria

Graphene shell helps particles destroy drug-resistant bacteria in wastewater treated in dedicated facilities

[Translation by Dr. Moshe Nachmani]

Graphene to destroy drug-resistant bacteria. From Scientific Research, Rice University
Graphene to destroy drug-resistant bacteria. From Scientific Research, Rice University

The new approach was developed by Rice University scientists from the Department of Environmental Engineering, who demonstrated the use of microspheres wrapped in graphene oxide in an article published in the scientific journal water research.

Researchers have been dealing for several years in the field of superbugs known as those that are able to survive in wastewater found in wastewater treatment facilities while emitting extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) when they are broken down during wastewater disinfection. In the next step, these genes are released into the environment and may make normal bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Explains the lead researcher: "Our invention will reduce the emission of such genes into the environment and thus reduce the proportion of bacteria resistant to antibiotics originating from wastewater."

The researchers showed that their spheres - consisting of a core of bismuth, oxygen and carbon wrapped in graphene oxide containing nitrogen atoms - disable the resistance of the bacterium Escherichia coli to a number of drugs and break down genes that promote such resistance in secondary wastewater originating from the Mtash. The spheres wrapped in graphene destroy the bacteria on By producing three times the amount of active oxygen species (ROS=Reactive Oxygen Species) compared to the spheroids themselves. The spheroids themselves are photocatalysts that produce active oxygen species when exposed to light. Experiments in the laboratory have shown that the spheroids reduce their ability to disinfect the solution. The researchers explain that adding nitrogen atoms to the coating The graphene increases the ability of the spheres to capture the bacteria, which allows the spheres The catalysis takes a longer time to destroy the bacteria. In the next step, the improved pellets immediately capture and break down the genes that cause the bacteria's resistance before they manage to contaminate the wastewater.

"The coating improves the affinity of the bacteria to the microspheres through increased hydrophobic interactions between the surface of the bacteria and the shell," explains the researcher. Since the coated pellets are large enough to be filtered out of the disinfected stream, they can be used over and over again. Tests showed that the photocatalytic activity of the spheres was relatively stable, with no significant decline in activity even after ten cycles. 

Abstract of the scientific article

The news about the study

3 תגובות

  1. Graphene is a subject of complete research in different parts of the world, mostly in the field of semiconductors and nanometer sensors

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