Evaluating the “Electricidal Effect” with Shewanella Woodyi biofilms on Agar Plates

Evaluating the “Electricidal Effect” with Shewanella Woodyi biofilms on Agar Plates

Presenter(s)

Christopher T. Mortensen

Description

Electrical exposure can result in thwarting microbial biofilm formation through what has been labeled as an “Electricidal effect”. However, separating the effect of electrochemical potential from the presence of toxic metal ions has proven to be difficult. Separating these effects could create biotechnologies for detecting toxic metals or changes in electrochemical potential in salt water. Based on our previous work with bioluminescent marine bacterium, Shewanella woodyi, we will now present results from experiments designed to sense electric fields or the toxic metal ions using S. woodyi colonies on agar plates. We will present bioluminescence and brightfield images of working single Zn(s)/Vulcan Carbon (VC), Ag(s)/VC, and Cu(s)/VC electrodes drop cast on agar plates in order to evaluate the effect of the toxic metals (Cu(II), Zn(II), and Ag(I)) on the bioluminescence intensity from S. woodyi biofilms. We confirmed the overall activity of the microbial colonies with Live/Dead Assays and determined the density of toxic metal ions over time with Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICPOES) analysis. Our data confirmed that toxic metal ion sensitivity was the reason for growth inhibition around the electrodes rather than an electrical effect.

Publication Date

4-22-2020

Project Designation

Honors Thesis

Primary Advisor

Justin C. Biffinger

Primary Advisor's Department

Chemistry

Keywords

Stander Symposium project, College of Arts and Sciences

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Life Below Water

Evaluating the “Electricidal Effect” with Shewanella Woodyi biofilms on Agar Plates

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