Probing the toxicity mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on bacteria
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged recently as superior adsorbent materials for the removal of recalcitrant pollutants. The potential of combining the sorption capability of CNTs with bacterial degradation for pollutant removal, however, necessitates further investigation of the mechanisms of CNTs...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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2019
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/80535 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/50375 |
| _version_ | 1824455086286307328 |
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| author | Hartono, Maria Regina Kushmaro, Ariel Chen, Xiaodong Marks, Robert S. |
| author2 | School of Materials Science & Engineering |
| author_facet | School of Materials Science & Engineering Hartono, Maria Regina Kushmaro, Ariel Chen, Xiaodong Marks, Robert S. |
| author_sort | Hartono, Maria Regina |
| collection | NTU |
| description | Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged recently as superior adsorbent materials for the removal of recalcitrant pollutants. The potential of combining the sorption capability of CNTs with bacterial degradation for pollutant removal, however, necessitates further investigation of the mechanisms of CNTs’ toxicity towards bacterial cells. In this study, we used a panel of stress-responsive recombinant Escherichia coli bioluminescence bacterial strains to explore the possible mechanisms of toxicity of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The effects of MWCNTs on markers of oxidative stress, protein, DNA, and membrane damage enabled the exposition of some of the mechanisms of their antimicrobial properties. Using both a bioluminescence bioreporter panel and live/dead staining, we observed that membrane damage played a role in the toxicity of MWCNTs. A subsequent viability study using three strains of bacteria—two gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and one gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis)—showed significant MWCNT toxicity in hypotonic water and phosphate-buffered saline solution, compared with the MWCNT toxicity towards the same bacteria incubated in isotonic-rich media. Using a field-emission scanning electron microscope, we demonstrated that membrane damage is caused largely by MWCNTs trapping bacteria and piercing the cell walls. As a result of our observations, we propose integrating MWCNTs and bacteria degradation for pollutant removal in nutrient-rich media to minimize the toxicity effect of CNTs. |
| first_indexed | 2025-02-19T03:32:37Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | ntu-10356/80535 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-19T03:32:37Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/805352023-07-14T15:49:19Z Probing the toxicity mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on bacteria Hartono, Maria Regina Kushmaro, Ariel Chen, Xiaodong Marks, Robert S. School of Materials Science & Engineering Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise Engineering::Materials Carbon Nanotubes Nanotoxicity Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged recently as superior adsorbent materials for the removal of recalcitrant pollutants. The potential of combining the sorption capability of CNTs with bacterial degradation for pollutant removal, however, necessitates further investigation of the mechanisms of CNTs’ toxicity towards bacterial cells. In this study, we used a panel of stress-responsive recombinant Escherichia coli bioluminescence bacterial strains to explore the possible mechanisms of toxicity of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The effects of MWCNTs on markers of oxidative stress, protein, DNA, and membrane damage enabled the exposition of some of the mechanisms of their antimicrobial properties. Using both a bioluminescence bioreporter panel and live/dead staining, we observed that membrane damage played a role in the toxicity of MWCNTs. A subsequent viability study using three strains of bacteria—two gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and one gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis)—showed significant MWCNT toxicity in hypotonic water and phosphate-buffered saline solution, compared with the MWCNT toxicity towards the same bacteria incubated in isotonic-rich media. Using a field-emission scanning electron microscope, we demonstrated that membrane damage is caused largely by MWCNTs trapping bacteria and piercing the cell walls. As a result of our observations, we propose integrating MWCNTs and bacteria degradation for pollutant removal in nutrient-rich media to minimize the toxicity effect of CNTs. NRF (Natl Research Foundation, S’pore) Accepted version 2019-11-07T07:28:36Z 2019-12-06T13:51:40Z 2019-11-07T07:28:36Z 2019-12-06T13:51:40Z 2017 Journal Article Hartono, M. R., Kushmaro, A., Chen, X., & Marks, R. S. (2018). Probing the toxicity mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on bacteria. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 25(5), 5003-5012. doi:10.1007/s11356-017-0782-8 0944-1344 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/80535 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/50375 10.1007/s11356-017-0782-8 en Environmental Science and Pollution Research © 2017 Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. All rights reserved. This paper was published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research and is made available with permission of Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. 24 p. application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | Engineering::Materials Carbon Nanotubes Nanotoxicity Hartono, Maria Regina Kushmaro, Ariel Chen, Xiaodong Marks, Robert S. Probing the toxicity mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on bacteria |
| title | Probing the toxicity mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on bacteria |
| title_full | Probing the toxicity mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on bacteria |
| title_fullStr | Probing the toxicity mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on bacteria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Probing the toxicity mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on bacteria |
| title_short | Probing the toxicity mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on bacteria |
| title_sort | probing the toxicity mechanism of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on bacteria |
| topic | Engineering::Materials Carbon Nanotubes Nanotoxicity |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/80535 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/50375 |
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