Exploring How Nanoparticle Shape and Surface Area Influence Antimicrobial Activity Against Escherichia coli
Session Number
2
Advisor(s)
Lisa Stabryla, PhD, University of Illinois Chicago
Location
B108
Discipline
Engineering
Start Date
15-4-2026 11:10 AM
End Date
15-4-2026 11:55 AM
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a growing public health challenge in which bacteria evolve the ability to survive antibiotic treatment. As antibiotics become less effective, new strategies are needed to fight bacterial infections. One promising approach is the use of antimicrobial nanoparticles - extremely small materials (< 100 nm) that can interact with bacteria in multiple ways and disrupt important cellular processes. Nanoparticles can be engineered in many shapes, including spheres, rods, and cubes. However, when researchers synthesize different shapes, other properties often change as well, including particle size, surface area, and surface chemistry. This makes it difficult to determine whether shape alone affects antimicrobial activity. In this project, we synthesized gold nanoparticles of two shapes (rods and cubes) at two size regimes using seed-mediated growth, while carefully controlling surface area and capping ligands. This allowed us to isolate and study the effect of shape at specific size ranges. The nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. We then tested their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli using microbiology assays, considering different dosing metrics, including mass, surface area, and particle number. This work helps clarify how nanoparticle design influences antimicrobial activity and may guide future strategies to address antibiotic resistance
Exploring How Nanoparticle Shape and Surface Area Influence Antimicrobial Activity Against Escherichia coli
B108
Antimicrobial resistance is a growing public health challenge in which bacteria evolve the ability to survive antibiotic treatment. As antibiotics become less effective, new strategies are needed to fight bacterial infections. One promising approach is the use of antimicrobial nanoparticles - extremely small materials (< 100 nm) that can interact with bacteria in multiple ways and disrupt important cellular processes. Nanoparticles can be engineered in many shapes, including spheres, rods, and cubes. However, when researchers synthesize different shapes, other properties often change as well, including particle size, surface area, and surface chemistry. This makes it difficult to determine whether shape alone affects antimicrobial activity. In this project, we synthesized gold nanoparticles of two shapes (rods and cubes) at two size regimes using seed-mediated growth, while carefully controlling surface area and capping ligands. This allowed us to isolate and study the effect of shape at specific size ranges. The nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. We then tested their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli using microbiology assays, considering different dosing metrics, including mass, surface area, and particle number. This work helps clarify how nanoparticle design influences antimicrobial activity and may guide future strategies to address antibiotic resistance