Optical tweezers for probing the interactions of ZnO and Ag nanoparticles with E. coli.

The antibacterial effect of nanoparticles is mainly studied on the ensembles of the bacteria. In contrast, the optical tweezer technique allows the investigation of similar effects on individual bacterium. E.

Investigating alterations in the cellular envelope of Staphylococcus aureus in simulated microgravity using a random positioning machine.

Continuous rotation of liquid bacterial culture in random positioning machine (RPM) causes formation of a colloidal bacterial culture in the culture tube, due to lack of sedimentation and convection. Interestingly, similar colloidal bacterial cultures can also be seen in suspended bacterial cultures in a spaceflight environment. Thus, as a consequence of no sedimentation, an alteration in the microenvironment of each bacterial cell in simulated microgravity is introduced, compared to the bacterial culture grown in normal gravity wherein they sediment slowly at the bottom of the culture tube.

Biosurfactant/s from Lactobacilli species: Properties, challenges and potential biomedical applications.

Lactic acid bacteria are generally believed to have positive roles in maintaining good health and immune system in humans. A number of Lactobacilli spp. are known to produce important metabolites, among which biosurfactants in particular have shown antimicrobial activity against several pathogens in the intestinal tract and female urogenital tract partly through interfering with biofilm formation and adhesion to the epithelial cells surfaces.

Enhancement of magnetotactic bacterial yield in a modified MSGM medium without alteration of magnetosomes properties.

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), Magnetospirillum magnetotacticum (MS-1) were successfully grown in modified magnetic spirillum growth medium (MSGM) at normal laboratory environment. About five-time increase in the bacterial yield was achieved in the modified MSGM medium without compromising their magnetosomes properties. Transmission electron and scanning electron microscopy (TEM & SEM) were used for morphological study of MTB.