The Novel Use of Nano-Particle Enhanced Magnesium Bentonite Clay in Water Filtration Systems and Bacterial Inhibition

Overview

It is predicted that by the year 2050, drug resistant bacteria will cause the deaths of 10 million lives a year, and the loss of over 100 trillion dollars in the worlds GDP. With this statistic in mind, there is a constant need for approaches towards control and cure to prevent emergence and the spread of multidrug resistant microbes. Here we report a novel water filtration device that is more efficient and cost effective than traditional purification systems. We demonstrate that magnesium bentonite clay (MBC) has strong antibacterial properties and then exploit this property to eliminate live bacteria from contaminated water. Prior year studies into the antibacterial mechanism indicate that the antibacterial activity is mediated through soluble components of MBC. The clay was determined to trigger a stress-response in E. coli, as measured by targeted gene expression analysis. The upregulation of magnesium-dependent rpsV in MBC-treated E. coli suggested that magnesium may be involved in inducing the antibacterial activity. This year’s experiments sought to combine MBC and magnesium oxide (MgO)-nanoparticles to enhance bacterial inhibition rates. Optimal concentrations of MgO nanoparticle enhanced MBC was found to achieve100% cell death in E. coli within a 6-hour time period. Based on these results, this patent-pending bacterial filtration device with MgO nanoparticle-enhanced MBC has the potential to outperform expensive, high-maintenance, industrial filters.

Competition history

• AJAS 2018 Category not listed

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