Journal of Undergraduate Research
Keywords
electrical killing of bacterial, voltage, current geometry
College
Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology
Department
Chemical Engineering
Abstract
As part of a constant pursuit of better health researchers continuously investigate the role of bacteria in disease and infection. Much research today investigates methods for effectively killing unwanted bacteria in the body. Modern antibiotic medications are the most effective method of accomplishing this, but they have their limits. One particular limit of today’s antibiotics is the ability to eliminate biofilms. Biofilms consist of many layers of bacterial cells growing on top of each other, typically attached to a solid surface. Antibiotics cannot penetrate the layers of biofilms, leaving the lower bacteria untouched after treatment. This problem led us to investigate the possibility of electricity as an effective antibiotic that could function in the place of, or alongside, traditional antibiotics. Our preliminary results indicated that it was possible to kill bacteria with low doses of electricity, but only in specific conditions. Here I report further investigation of those conditions and the experiments designed to test them.
Recommended Citation
Turner, Taylor and Pitt, Dr. William
(2013)
"Characterization of Variables in Electrical Killing of Bacteria: Voltage and Current Geometry,"
Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013:
Iss.
1, Article 1755.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/1755