title: Bacterial physiology is a key modulator of the antibacterial activity of graphene oxide.
abstract: Carbon-based nanomaterials have a great potential as novel antibacterial agents; however, their interactions with bacteria are not fully understood. This study demonstrates that the antibacterial activity of graphene oxide (GO) depends on the physiological state of cells for both Gram-negative and -positive bacteria. GO susceptibility of bacteria is the highest in the exponential growth phase, which are in growing physiology, and stationary-phase (non-growing) cells are quite resistant against GO. Importantly, the order of GO susceptibility of E. coli with respect to the growth phases (exponential ≫ decline > stationary) correlates well with the changes in the envelope ultrastructures of the cells. Our findings are not only fundamentally important but also particularly critical for practical antimicrobial applications of carbon-based nanomaterials.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637459, Singapore and Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), Singapore, 638075, Singapore. jwei@simtech.a-star.edu.sg.
authors.forename: H Enis
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Karahan
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. yuan.chen@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637459, Singapore.
authors.forename: Kunli
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637459, Singapore.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, Koç University, Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, 34450, Istanbul, Turkey and KUYTAM Surface Science and Technology Center, Koç University, Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, 34450, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özgür
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Birer
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. yuan.chen@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dehghani
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637459, Singapore and NTU-Northwestern Institute of Nanomedicine, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore.
authors.forename: Chenjie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), Singapore, 638075, Singapore. jwei@simtech.a-star.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. yuan.chen@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9059-3839
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006108:Graphite / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010087:Oxides / Q000494:pharmacology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010087:Oxides; D006108:Graphite