THE SYNTHESIS OF PHOTOSENSITIZERS FOR THE PHOTODYNAMIC INACTIVATION OF ESCHERICHIA COLI

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Hurst, A. (2017). THE SYNTHESIS OF PHOTOSENSITIZERS FOR THE PHOTODYNAMIC INACTIVATION OF ESCHERICHIA COLI. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

The development of antibiotic resistance is a natural phenomenon that occurs when bacteria cells exchange resistant traits amongst each other or when mutations occur during replication. This causes bacteria to be able to withstand attack by antibiotic drugs so that standard treatments which have been successful for decades become ineffective in treating common infections. To combat antibiotic resistance an alternate treatment method, photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of bacteria, is currently being explored, and have been shown to be successful with less potential for development of resistance. PDI utilizes light, oxygen, and a photosensitizer to effectively kill bacteria. However, PDI has been shown to be less effective towards killing Gram-negative bacteria because Gram-negative bacteria cells have two cell membranes which makes them impermeable by the photosensitizer compounds. The PS have been changed with positively-charged groups to improve the electrostatic interaction with the negatively-charged outer membrane of the bacteria. In the present project, a series of PS which have positively-charged groups, trimethylammonium, were synthesized and characterized. Dark and light cytotoxicity studies were investigated to examine the charge effect of the cationic PS in the photodynamic inactivation against E. coli, a model for Gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, the mechanism of interaction between the cationic porphyrin and E. coli cells was shown using confocal fluorescence microscopy.

Details
Author

Hurst, Alexandra

Title

THE SYNTHESIS OF PHOTOSENSITIZERS FOR THE PHOTODYNAMIC INACTIVATION OF ESCHERICHIA COLI

Physical Description

1 online resource (99 pages) : PDF

Date

2017

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

The development of antibiotic resistance is a natural phenomenon that occurs when bacteria cells exchange resistant traits amongst each other or when mutations occur during replication. This causes bacteria to be able to withstand attack by antibiotic drugs so that standard treatments which have been successful for decades become ineffective in treating common infections. To combat antibiotic resistance an alternate treatment method, photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of bacteria, is currently being explored, and have been shown to be successful with less potential for development of resistance. PDI utilizes light, oxygen, and a photosensitizer to effectively kill bacteria. However, PDI has been shown to be less effective towards killing Gram-negative bacteria because Gram-negative bacteria cells have two cell membranes which makes them impermeable by the photosensitizer compounds. The PS have been changed with positively-charged groups to improve the electrostatic interaction with the negatively-charged outer membrane of the bacteria. In the present project, a series of PS which have positively-charged groups, trimethylammonium, were synthesized and characterized. Dark and light cytotoxicity studies were investigated to examine the charge effect of the cationic PS in the photodynamic inactivation against E. coli, a model for Gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, the mechanism of interaction between the cationic porphyrin and E. coli cells was shown using confocal fluorescence microscopy.

Genre

masters theses

Subjects--Topics

Chemistry

Degree

M.S.

Keywords

Antibiotic Resistance
Bacteria
Photodynamic Inactivation

Subject Area

Chemistry

Advisor(s)

Vivero-Escoto, Juan

Committee Members

Walter, Michael
Troutman, Jerry
Marriott, Ian

Degree Note

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2017.

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This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). For additional information, see http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/.

Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

Hurst_uncc_0694N_11492

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:302