Speaker
Description
In the fight against drug resistant pathogenic bacterial and fungal cells, low dimensional materials have been shown as a promising form of alternative treatment method. Specifically, few-layer black phosphorus (BP) has demonstrated its effectiveness against a wide range of pathogenic bacteria and fungal cells. In this work, the complex biochemical interaction of BP with a series of microbial cells is investigated to provide a greater understanding of the antimicrobial mechanism. Synchrotron macro-attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy is used to elucidate the chemical changes occurring outside and within the cell of interested after exposure to BP nanoflakes. The ATR-FTIR data, coupled with advanced, high-resolution microscopy, reveals noticeable differences to the polysaccharide and nucleic acid spectral maps, along with changes in amide protein structure when compared to untreated cells. This study provides a greater insight into the biochemical interaction of BP nanoflakes with microbial cells is given, allowing for a better understanding of the antimicrobial mechanism of action.
| Level of Expertise | Student |
|---|---|
| Which facility did you use for your research | Australian Synchrotron |
| Pronouns | They/Them |
| Presenter Gender | Non-Binary |
| Condition of submission | Yes |
