Antibacterial Interactions of Ethanol-Dispersed Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Author(s)
- Mihaela Asaftei, Massimiliano Lucidi, Stefan Razvan Anton, Aikaterini-Flora Trompeta, Radu Hristu, Denis E. Tranca, Efstathios Fiorentis, Cristina Cirtoaje, Veronica Lazar, George A. Stanciu, Gabriella Cincotti, Paola Ayala, Costas A. Charitidis, Alina Holban, Paolo Visca, Stefan G. Stanciu
- Abstract
Infectious diseases are acknowledged as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Statistics show that the annual death toll caused by bacterial infections has reached 14 million, most of which are caused by drug-resistant strains. Bacterial antibiotic resistance is currently regarded as a compelling problem with dire consequences, which motivates the urgent identification of alternative ways of fighting bacteria. Various types of nanomaterials have been reported to date as efficient antibacterial solutions. Among these, carbon-based nanomaterials, such as carbon nanodots, carbon graphene oxide, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), have been shown to be effective in killing a wide panel of pathogenic bacteria. With this study, we aim to provide additional insights into this topic of research by investigating the antibacterial activity of a specific type of multiwalled CNTs, with diameters from 50 to 150 nm, against two representative opportunistic pathogens, i.e., the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, both included among the top antibiotic-resistant pathogens. We also test the synergistic effect of CNTs with different antibiotics commonly used in the treatment of infections caused by S. aureus and/or P. aeruginosa. Additionally, a novel approach for quantitatively analyzing bacterial aggregation in brightfield microscopy images was implemented. This method was utilized to assess the effectiveness of CNTs, either alone or in combination with antibiotics, in dispersing bacterial aggregates. Finally, atomic force microscopy coupled with a newly devised image analysis pipeline was used to examine any potential morphological changes in bacterial cells following exposure to CNTs and antibiotics.
- Organisation(s)
- Electronic Properties of Materials
- External organisation(s)
- National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), University of Bucharest, Università Degli Studi Roma Tre, Politehnica University of Bucharest, National Biodiversity Future Center
- Journal
- ACS Omega
- Volume
- 9
- Pages
- 33751-33764
- No. of pages
- 14
- ISSN
- 2470-1343
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.4c03044
- Publication date
- 08-2024
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 301902 Immunology, 210004 Nanomaterials
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Chemical Engineering(all), Chemistry(all)
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/antibacterial-interactions-of-ethanoldispersed-multiwalled-carbon-nanotubes-with-staphylococcus-aureus-and-pseudomonas-aeruginosa(f269434e-c073-4ee6-b38c-fe8b59625775).html