Western Kentucky University
Comparison of Antimicrobial Effects between Biologically and Chemically Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles
Institution
Western Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Shivendra Sahi; Sneha Krishnamurthy
Abstract
In the field of biotechnology, nanoparticles are one of the fastest developing areas of research. While chemical synthesis of nanoparticles is the standard, biological synthesis offers a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative. This experiment analyzed the inhibition of microbial growth when the microbes were treated with biologically-synthesized silver nanoparticles that were created using yucca extract as a reducing agent compared to chemically-synthesized silver nanoparticles that were purchased commercially. The antimicrobial effects were analyzed by treating Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli with varying concentrations of nanoparticles. The inhibition of growth was tested first with disk diffusion method, and then the growth curves of the microbes that were treated with varying concentrations of nanoparticles were quantified and analyzed. The results showed that the biologically synthesized nanoparticles had a significantly more potent antimicrobial effect than their chemically synthesized counterparts.
Comparison of Antimicrobial Effects between Biologically and Chemically Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles
In the field of biotechnology, nanoparticles are one of the fastest developing areas of research. While chemical synthesis of nanoparticles is the standard, biological synthesis offers a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative. This experiment analyzed the inhibition of microbial growth when the microbes were treated with biologically-synthesized silver nanoparticles that were created using yucca extract as a reducing agent compared to chemically-synthesized silver nanoparticles that were purchased commercially. The antimicrobial effects were analyzed by treating Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli with varying concentrations of nanoparticles. The inhibition of growth was tested first with disk diffusion method, and then the growth curves of the microbes that were treated with varying concentrations of nanoparticles were quantified and analyzed. The results showed that the biologically synthesized nanoparticles had a significantly more potent antimicrobial effect than their chemically synthesized counterparts.