Abstract
Copper is the only solid metal touch surface registered by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an antimicrobial agent. Studies on mechanisms of killing the microorganisms by copper are in research stage. To understand the mode of attack of copper ions on microbes, the E. coli ATCC 25922 culture has been treated with 99.99 % pure copper thin film, which is synthesized by electrodeposition method. The morphological changes of E. coli cell has been analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The structural changes of the cell have been studied by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The copper inclusions were confirmed from Energy Dispersive Spectroscope (EDS), the observed values were in the range of 0.1–0.4 at.%. This can be attributed to the attraction of oppositely charged copper ions and E. coli cell. The electron microscopic studies elucidated that copper treated E. coli cell were wrinkled and damaged as compared to non-treated one. This is due to the lesions induced by copper ions, leads to efflux and influx of many ions and amino acids.
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Acknowledgments
Authors would like to thank Department of Chemical Engineering NITK Surathkal for providing lab facilities to do E. coli culture preparation. Arun Augustin would like to thank MHRD, India for research fellowship.
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Augustin, A., Thaira, H., Udaya Bhat, K., Udupa, K.R. (2016). Effect of Electrodeposited Copper Thin Film on the Morphology and Cell Death of E. Coli; an Electron Microscopic Study. In: B. D., P., Gummadi, S., Vadlani, P. (eds) Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1920-3_25
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1920-3_25
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