Undergraduate Projects

Tapping mode AFM image of MS2 bacteriophage

Past and Current Projects

Enhancing bacterial transport in porous media (to improve bioremediation efforts).
Imaging bacterial cells using Tapping Mode Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).
Using AFM to measure the interaction forces between bacteria and surfaces.
Relating bacterial interaction force measurements to bacterial adhesion.
Studying the conformation of bacterial biopolymers using AFM.
Bacterial-natural organic matter interactions.
Polymer/DNA interactionns in gene therapy.

Tapping mode AFM image of Pseudomonas strutzeri KS after exposure to disodium tetraborate

Isolating and purifying biopolymers from environmentally relevant bacteria. The microbes that I have worked with are very interesting from an environmental perspective because they can degrade contaminants. For example, Burkholderia cepacia G4 degrades the chlorinated solvent trichloroethylene (TCE). We think that polymers on the bacterial surface cause it to attach very strongly to soil. However, no one has isolated and studied the polymers.
Studying the shape and size of bacterial polysaccharides under different chemical conditions (ex. pH, salt concentration, different solvents). Once the polymers have been isolated, we want to find out what size and shape they have, and these properties depend on the type of solution the polymers are placed in. Characterizing the polymers could be done with a combination of techniques, such as AFM and electron microscopy for imaging, and light scattering to determine the size. We can also do similar studies on model polysaccharides.
Relating bacterial adhesion to interaction force measurements. Since our overall interest is in how the bacteria attach to surfaces, we need to relate the forces measured with the AFM to adhesion measurements.
Bacterial adhesion to biomaterials.
Bioremediation studies.
Effects of chemicals (disinfectants, antibacterials) on bacterial cells.

Please see Terri Camesano terric@wpi.edu for more information on any of these projects or if you have another idea you wish to explore.

Tapping mode AFM (phase) image of Burkholderia cepacia G4

Please see Terri Camesano terric@wpi.edu to discuss.

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Last modified: November 06, 2007 08:46:12