Monitoring of microbial cell viability using nanostructured electrodes modified with Graphene/Alumina nanocomposite.
Microbial infections are rapidly increasing; however most of the existing microbiological and molecular detection methods are time consuming and/or cannot differentiate between the viable and dead cells which may overestimate the risk of infections. Therefore, a bioelectrochemical sensing platform with a high potential to the microbial-electrode interactions was designed based on decorated graphene oxide (GO) sheet with alumina (Al2O3) nanocrystals. GO-Al2O3nanocomposite was synthesized using self-assembly of GO and Al2O3and characterized using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman-spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Enhancement of electrocatalytic activity of the composite-modified electrode was demonstrated. Thus, using the GO-Al2O3nanocomposite modified electrode, the cell viability was determined by monitoring the bioelectrochemical response of the living microbial cells (bacteria and yeast) upon stimulation with carbon source. The bioelectrochemical assay was optimized to obtain high sensitivity and the method was applied to monitor cell viability and screen susceptibility of metabolically active cells (E. coli, B. subtilis, Enterococcus, P. aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi) to antibiotics such as ampicillin and kanamycin. Therefore, the developed assay is suitable for cell proliferation and cytotoxicity testing.
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States; Microanalysis Lab, Applied Organic Chemistry Department, National Research Centre (NRC), El Bohouth st., Dokki, 12622 Giza, Egypt. Electronic address: rabeayy@gmail.com.
Rabeay Y A
RYA
Hassan
National Institute for Materials Science, 1 Chome-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture 305-0047, Japan.
Moataz M
MM
Mekawy
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States.
Pankaj
P
Ramnani
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States; Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States.
Ashok
A
Mulchandani
D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D050296:Microbial Viability; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015003:Yeasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D006108:Graphite; D000537:Aluminum Oxide
Aluminum oxide; Cell viability measurement; Electrochemical assay; Graphene oxide; Modified electrode; Nano-microbial sensors; Nanocomposite