Engineered cerium oxide nanoparticles: Effects on bacterial growth and viability

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2010 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00650-10· OSTI ID:1007824

Pelletier, Dale A ^[1]; Suresh, Anil K ^[1]; Holton, Gregory A ^[1]; McKeown, Catherine K ^[1]; Wang, Wei ^[1]; Gu, Baohua ^[1]; Mortensen, Ninell P ^[1]; Allison, David P ^[1]; Joy, David Charles ^[1]; Allison, Martin R ^[1]; Brown, Steven D ^[1]; Phelps, Tommy Joe ^[1]; Doktycz, Mitchel John ^[1]

---

1. ORNL

Interest in engineered nanostructures has risen in recent years due to their use in energy conservation strategies and biomedicine. To ensure prudent development and use of nanomaterials, the fate and effects of such engineered structures on the environment should be understood. Interactions of nanomaterials with environmental microorganisms are inevitable, but the general consequences of such interactions remain unclear. Further, standardized methods for assessing such interactions are lacking. Therefore, we have initiated a multianalytical approach to understand the interactions of synthesized nanoparticles with bacterial systems. These efforts are focused initially on cerium oxide nanoparticles and model bacteria in order to evaluate characterization procedures and the possible fate of such materials in the environment. In this study the effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles on the growth and viability of Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Shewanella oneidensis, a metal-reducing bacteria, and Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis were examined relative to particle size, growth media, pH, and dosage. A hydrothermal based synthesis procedure was used to prepare cerium oxide nanoparticles of defined sizes in order to eliminate complications originating from the use of organic solvents and surfactants. Bactericidal effects were determined by minimum inhibitory concentration, colony forming units, disc diffusion tests and Live/Dead assays. In growth inhibition experiments involving E. coli and B. subtilis, a clear strain and size-dependent inhibition was observed. S. oneidensis appeared to be unaffected by the cerium oxide nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy along with microarray-based transcriptional profiling have been used to understand the response mechanism of the bacteria. The use of multiple analytical approaches adds confidence to toxicity assessments while the use of different bacterial systems highlights the potential wide-ranging effects of nanomaterial interactions in the environment.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1007824
• Journal Information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Vol. 76, Issue 24; ISSN 0099--2240
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
BACILLUS SUBTILIS
BACTERIA
CERIUM OXIDES
COLONY FORMING UNITS
DIFFUSION
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ESCHERICHIA COLI
GROWTH
INHIBITION
MICROORGANISMS
NANOSTRUCTURES
ORGANIC SOLVENTS
PARTICLE SIZE
STRAINS
SURFACTANTS
SYNTHESIS
TOXICITY
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
VIABILITY