Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of the Bacteria–Mineral Interface: Adsorption of Lipopolysaccharides to Silica and Alumina
Fateh Eltaboni, Emily A. Caseley, Maria G. Katsikogianni, Linda Swanson, Thomas Swift, María Romero-González
Abstract
surfaces. Strong adsorption was observed at low pH for both minerals and varied with both pH and mineral concentration, likely in part due to conformational rearrangement of the LPS macromolecules. Bacterial growth was also enhanced in the presence of the particles at low pH values. This demonstrates that at a molecular level, bacterial cell wall components are able to adapt their conformation, depending on the solution pH, in order to maximize attachment to substrates and guarantee community survival.
Topics & Concepts
AdsorptionChemistryIonic strengthBacterial cell structureMacromoleculeChemical engineeringSorptionFluorescenceAdhesionIonic bondingBacteriaOrganic chemistryBiochemistryAqueous solutionIonPhysicsBiologyEngineeringQuantum mechanicsGeneticsMicrobial Community Ecology and PhysiologyBacterial biofilms and quorum sensingInfections and bacterial resistance