HR: 1340h
AN: B33C-1437    [Abstracts]
TI: Bacterial Physiology and Viability in the Presence of Quantum Dot Nanoparticles: Towards an Environmental Perspective
AU: * Aruguete, D M
EM: aruguete@vt.edu
AF: Virginia Tech Department of Geosciences, 4044 Derring Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
AU: Guest, J S
EM: jsguest@vt.edu
AF: Virginia Tech Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 403 Durham Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
AU: Shrout, J D
EM: Joshua.Shrout@nd.edu
AF: Notre Dame Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences, 166 Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States
AU: Love, N G
EM: nlove@vt.edu
AF: Virginia Tech Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 403 Durham Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
AU: Hochella, M F
EM: hochella@vt.edu
AF: Virginia Tech Department of Geosciences, 4044 Derring Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
AB: Quantum dot nanoparticles represent a broad class of engineered semiconductor nanomaterials under intensive development for multiple applications in the device and biomedical industries. Quantum dots have been studied in biological systems, particularly for bioimaging applications. Nevertheless, biological interactions with these materials in a more environmental context remain mostly unexplored. Understanding the long-term abiotic and biotic fate of this class of nanomaterials is necessary to forsee their potential environmental impact. Towards this goal, we present our initial studies of the effects of polymer-coated ZnS/CdSe core-shell nanoparticles (quantum dots) upon Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterial species common throughout the environment. Along with viability measurements, we discuss the results of physiological fitness measurements, which may be more indicative of long-term environmental impacts. The effect of bacteria upon the physical and chemical state of the quantum dots is also examined.
DE: 0432 Contaminant and organic biogeochemistry (0792)
DE: 0463 Microbe/mineral interactions
DE: 0478 Pollution: urban, regional and global (0345, 4251)
DE: 0499 New fields (not classifiable under other headings)
SC: Biogeosciences [B]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting