The interactive effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and light on heterotrophic bacteria and microalgae associated with marine aggregates in nearshore waters.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (n-TiO) are emerging contaminants and the ecological impact of these materials to the nearshore environment is largely unknown. The reactivity of n-TiO increases with light exposure, and the photocatalytic effects have been shown on cultures of bacteria and microalgae in the laboratory. The purpose of this study was to assess the response of natural bacterial and microalgal communities associated with marine aggregates to n-TiO under conditions similar to those found in the photic zone of nearshore waters.

Photocatalytic effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on aquatic organisms-Current knowledge and suggestions for future research.

Nanoparticles are entering natural systems through product usage, industrial waste and post-consumer material degradation. As the production of nanoparticles is expected to increase in the next decade, so too are predicted environmental loads. Engineered metal-oxide nanomaterials, such as titanium dioxide, are known for their photocatalytic capabilities.

Influence of hypoxia on bacteremia in the Dungeness crab, Cancer magister.

We examined the possibility that decreased environmental oxygen can elevate the levels of indigenous bacteria in the hemolymph of Cancer magister. Crabs were exposed to air-saturated and hypoxic (50% air-saturation) water for 3 days and levels of culturable bacteria in hemolymph were measured every 24 h as the total number of colony-forming units (CFU) per milliliter of hemolymph. Bacteremia increased after 24 h of exposure to hypoxia and persisted for 72 h, whereas crabs exposed to normoxia had no measurable change in number of culturable bacteria.

Development of real-time assays for impedance-based detection of microbial double-stranded DNA targets: optimization and data analysis.

A real-time, label free assay was developed for microbial detection, utilizing double-stranded DNA targets and employing the next generation of an impedimetric sensor array platform designed by Sharp Laboratories of America (SLA). Real-time curves of the impedimetric signal response were obtained at fixed frequency and voltage for target binding to oligonucleotide probes attached to the sensor array surface. Kinetic parameters of these curves were analyzed by the integrated data analysis package for signal quantification.