Involvement of multiple stressors induced by non-thermal plasma-charged aerosols during inactivation of airborne bacteria

Bipolar Ionization Did Not Reduce Airborne Bacteria in a Lecture Hall

Ionization treatment of indoor air has attracted attention for its potential to inactivate airborne pathogens and reduce disease transmission, yet its real-world effectiveness remains unverified. We evaluated the impact of an in-duct, bipolar ionization system on airborne particles, including culturable bacteria, in a lecture hall. The ionizer was off with variable fan speed for 1 week, on with variable fan speed for a second week, and on with high and constant fan speed for a third week. We measured ion concentrations and aerosol particle concentrations, and we collected bioaerosol samples for analysis of 16S rRNA gene copies representing total bacteria and colony forming units (CFUs) on Tryptic Soy Agar representing culturable bacteria. There were no significant differences in positive, in-room ion concentrations between any weeks; however, negative, in-room ion concentrations were significantly lower when the ionizer was on with constant fan speed. To account for day-to-day variability in total bacteria concentrations, related to occupancy and other factors, we examined the ratio of CFUs to 16S rRNA gene copies (CFU gc-1) and found no significant differences whether the ionizer was on or off. This result indicates that the ionizer was not effective at reducing levels of culturable airborne bacteria in this study.

Rhizospheric soil chemical properties and microbial response to a gradient of Chromolaena odorata(L) invasion in the Mount Cameroon Region

Chromolaena odorata is a noxious alien invasive weed species with an enormous impact on the terrestrial ecosystem. The allelopathic potentials of this weed have had little attention, leading to changes in soil properties and microbial communities. This study investigates the impacts of Chromolaena odorata invasion gradients on rhizospheric soil chemical properties and microbial response in the Mount Cameroon Region. Forty-eight soil samples at four different degrees of invasion (uninvaded, low degree invasion, moderate degree invasion and high degree invasion) based on species coverage within subplots in four study areas were collected and rhizospheric soil chemical properties, microbial load, phosphatases activities and secondary metabolites were evaluated. At medium-degree invasion, rhizospheric soil concentrations of P, K and Fe increased with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization and phosphatases enzyme activities. Soil C, N and organic matter were significantly increased at high-degree invasion, supporting the use of the plant as a fallow crop. Acid phosphatase activity ranged from 0.69 to 0.90 mmol h-1 kg-1 and was significantly different at different degrees of invasion. AMF colonization ranged from 23.33 to 50.00%, with a strong positive correlation between AMF colonization and phosphatase activity. Soil bacterial load was high (46 × 105 CFU/g- 67 × 105 CFU/g), with mostly Staphylococcus having health concerns about its spread. The invasion situation had no significant effect on soil bacterial load, but high-degree invasion significantly increased fungal load. Low-degree invaded soils had high saponin (24.55±0.00 mg/g), flavonoid (47.7 mg/g) and tannin (28.68 mg/g) concentrations. The investigation reveals that Chromolaena odorata invasion altered rhizospheric soil properties and microbial communities significantly, thereby influencing ecosystem dynamics and soil nutrient availability. However, further studies elucidating kinds of secondary metabolites, identifying microbial communities, and monitoring soil changes influenced by C. odorata are essential for effective ecosystem management.

Effects of chemically-reductive trace gas contaminants on non-thermal plasma inactivation of an airborne virus

Transmission of airborne infectious diseases poses great risk for public health and socio-economic stability, thus, there is a need for an effective control method targeting the spread and transmission of pathogenic aerosols. The existence of chemically-reductive trace air contaminants in animal agriculture may affect the oxidation inactivation process of pathogens. In this study, we report how the presence of such gasses impacts the effectiveness of using non-thermal plasma (NTP) within a packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge reactor to inactivate MS2 bacteriophage. Inactivation of the aerosolized bacteriophage is determined by the combination of viability and polymerase chain reaction assays. Using a plasma power source with a voltage of 20 kV and frequency of 350 Hz, after differentiating and excluding the physical removal effects of viral aerosols potentially caused by plasma, the baseline inactivation of MS2 aerosol in air has been determined based on an overall air flow rate of 200 Liters per minute and plasma discharge power of 1.8 W. When either ammonia or hydrogen sulfide gas is introduced into the airstream at a concentration of 1 part per million, the NTP virus inactivation efficiency is reduced to around 0.5-log from the 1-log baseline inactivation in air alone. Higher concentrations of those gasses will not further inhibit the effectiveness of plasma inactivation.

Mechanisms of bacterial inhibition and tolerance around cold atmospheric plasma

The grim situation of bacterial infection has undoubtedly become a major threat to human health. In the context of frequent use of antibiotics, a new bactericidal method is urgently needed to fight against drug-resistant bacteria caused by non-standard use of antibiotics. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is composed of a variety of bactericidal species, which has excellent bactericidal effect on microbes. However, the mechanism of interaction between CAP and bacteria is not completely clear. In this paper, we summarize the mechanisms of bacterial killing by CAP in a systematic manner, discuss the responses of bacteria to CAP treatment that are considered to be related to tolerance and their underlying mechanisms, review the recent advances in bactericidal applications of CAP finally. This review indicates that CAP inhibition and tolerance of survival bacteria are a set of closely related mechanisms and suggests that there might be other mechanisms of tolerance to survival bacteria that had not been discovered yet. In conclusion, this review shows that CAP has complex and diverse bactericidal mechanisms, and has excellent bactericidal effect on bacteria at appropriate doses. KEY POINTS: • The bactericidal mechanism of CAP is complex and diverse. • There are few resistant bacteria but tolerant bacteria during CAP treatment. • There is excellent germicidal effect when CAP in combination with other disinfectants.

A Fur-regulated type VI secretion system contributes to oxidative stress resistance and virulence in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a widespread protein secretion apparatus deployed by many Gram-negative bacterial species to interact with competitor bacteria, host organisms, and the environment. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis T6SS4 was recently reported to be involved in manganese acquisition; however, the underlying regulatory mechanism still remains unclear. In this study, we discovered that T6SS4 is regulated by ferric uptake regulator (Fur) in response to manganese ions (Mn2+), and this negative regulation of Fur was proceeded by specifically recognizing the promoter region of T6SS4 in Y. pseudotuberculosis. Furthermore, T6SS4 is induced by low Mn2+ and oxidative stress conditions via Fur, acting as a Mn2+-responsive transcriptional regulator to maintain intracellular manganese homeostasis, which plays important role in the transport of Mn2+ for survival under oxidative stress. Our results provide evidence that T6SS4 can enhance the oxidative stress resistance and virulence for Y. pseudotuberculosis. This study provides new insights into the regulation of T6SS4 via the Mn2+-dependent transcriptional regulator Fur, and expands our knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms and functions of T6SS from Y. pseudotuberculosis.

Large-scale evaluation of microorganism inactivation by bipolar ionization and photocatalytic devices

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised awareness in the spread of disease via airborne transmission. As a result, there has been increasing interest in technologies that claim to reduce concentrations of airborne pathogens in indoor environments. The efficacy of many of these emerging technologies is not fully understood, and the testing that has been done is often conducted at a small scale and not representative of applied settings. There is currently no standard test method for evaluating air treatment technologies, making it difficult to compare results across studies or technology types. Here, a consistent testing approach in an operational-scale test chamber with a mock recirculating heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system was used to evaluate the efficacy of bipolar ionization and photocatalytic devices against the non-enveloped bacteriophage MS2 in the air and on surfaces. Statistically significant differences between replicate sets of technology tests and control tests (without technologies active) are apparent after 1 h, ranging to a maximum of 0.88 log10 reduction for the bipolar ionization tests and 1.8 log10 reduction for the photocatalytic device tests. It should be noted that ozone concentrations were elevated above background concentrations in the test chamber during the photocatalytic device testing. No significant differences were observed between control and technology tests in terms of the amount of MS2 deposited or inactivated on surfaces during testing. A standardized, large-scale testing approach, with replicate testing and time-matched control conditions, is necessary for contextualizing laboratory efficacy results, translating them to real-world conditions, and for facilitating technology comparisons.

Technologies to decontaminate bacterial biofilm on hospital surfaces: a potential new role for cold plasma?

Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a major challenge and the near patient surface is important in harbouring causes such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridioides difficile. Current approaches to decontamination are sub-optimal and many studies have demonstrated that microbial causes of HCAIs may persist with onward transmission. This may be due to the capacity of these microbes to survive in biofilms on surfaces. New technologies to enhance hospital decontamination may have a role in addressing this challenge. We have reviewed current technologies such as UV light and hydrogen peroxide and also assessed the potential use of cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) in surface decontamination. The antimicrobial mechanisms of CAPP are not fully understood but the production of reactive oxygen and other species is believed to be important. CAPP systems have been shown to partially or completely remove a variety of biofilms including those caused by Candida albicans, and multi-drug-resistant bacteria such as MRSA. There are some studies that suggest promise for CAPP in the challenge of surface decontamination in the healthcare setting. However, further work is required to define better the mechanism of action. We need to know what surfaces are most amenable to treatment, how microbial components and the maturity of biofilms may affect successful treatment, and how would CAPP be used in the clinical setting.

Reactive oxygen species accumulation is synchronised with growth inhibition of temperature-sensitive recAts polA Escherichia coli

When combined with recombinase defects, chromosome breakage and double-strand break repair deficiencies render cells inviable. However, cells are viable when an SOS response occurs in recAts polA cells in Escherichia coli. Here, we aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of this process. Transposon mutagenesis revealed that the hslO gene, a redox chaperone Hsp33 involved in reactive oxidative species (ROS) metabolism, was required for the suppression of recAts polA lethality at a restricted temperature. Recently, it has been reported that lethal treatments trigger ROS accumulation. We also found that recAts polA cells accumulated ROS at the restricted temperature. A catalase addition to the medium alleviates the temperature sensitivity of recAts polA cells and decreases ROS accumulation. These results suggest that the SOS response and hslO manage oxidative insult to an acceptable level in cells with oxidative damage and rescue cell growth. Overall, ROS might regulate several cellular processes.

Using engineered water nanostructures (EWNS) for wound disinfection: Case study of Acinetobacter baumannii inactivation on skin and the inhibition of biofilm formation

Engineered water nanostructures (EWNS) were utilized to deliver a cocktail of nature derived antimicrobials, to assess their efficacy as a solution to the problem of wound infections. The wound related microorganism Acinetobacter baumannii was inoculated on stainless steel and porcine skin and treated with EWNS. EWNS were able to reduce A. baumannii on stainless steel by 4.79 logs in 15 min, and 2 logs in 30 min on porcine skin. The EWNS were able to reduce the strength of A. baumannii biofilm on stainless steel by 87.31% as measured with the XTT assay (P < .001) and 86.27% in cellular counts (P < .001), after two EWNS interventions of 30 min each. Total antimicrobial dose delivered to the surface was 1.42 ng. SEM of biofilms after EWNS treatment showed reduced biomass. These results indicate that the EWNS technology has potential for application in field of wound disinfection and healing.

Non-thermal Plasma Treatment of ESKAPE Pathogens: A Review

The acronym ESKAPE refers to a group of bacteria consisting of Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp. They are important in human medicine as pathogens that show increasing resistance to commonly used antibiotics; thus, the search for new effective bactericidal agents is still topical. One of the possible alternatives is the use of non-thermal plasma (NTP), a partially ionized gas with the energy stored particularly in the free electrons, which has antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects. Its mechanism of action includes the formation of pores in the bacterial membranes; therefore, resistance toward it is not developed. This paper focuses on the current overview of literature describing the use of NTP as a new promising tool against ESKAPE bacteria, both in planktonic and biofilm forms. Thus, it points to the fact that NTP treatment can be used for the decontamination of different types of liquids, medical materials, and devices or even surfaces used in various industries. In summary, the use of diverse experimental setups leads to very different efficiencies in inactivation. However, Gram-positive bacteria appear less susceptible compared to Gram-negative ones, in general.

Cumulative damage by nonthermal plasma (NTP) exceeds the defense barrier of multiple antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a key to achieve complete inactivation

Objectives

The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the nonthermal plasma (NTP)-induced inactivated behaviors on a multiple antibiotic–resistant (MAR) Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).

Materials and Methods

A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) NTP system was employed for the inactivation of a MAR S. aureus under various applied powers of 35, 45, and 55 W, and gas distances of 4, 6, and 8 mm. The inactivation kinetics of S. aureus were estimated with linear and nonlinear predictive models. In addition, degradation of carotenoid pigment, peroxidation of fatty acids, oxidation of nucleic acids and proteins, and alteration in gene expression were analyzed after NTP treatment.

Results and Discussion

The computationally simulated results indicated that the densities of various reactive species increased with enhanced applied powers and decreased discharge distances. These species were further transformed into reactive oxidative and nitrogen species in the gas–liquid interphase and liquid phase. The oxidative and nitrosative stress of NTP resulted in severe damage to cellular components and the morphological structure of S. aureus. On the other hand, the plasma reactive species could also induce the sublethal injury of S. aureus through upregulating the general stress response, antioxidative and antinitrosative defensive systems. Once the cumulative damages overrode the stress tolerance of S. aureus, the completed cell death was finally achieved by NTP.

Conclusions

This work infers the possible risk of inducing the repair and resistant capacity of pathogens when the applied NTP parameters are inappropriate, which helps the optimization of NTP process to achieve sufficient inactivation.

Biofilm and methods of its eradication

Microorganisms occur in the natural environment in the form of planktonic or create biofilms, i.e. communities of cells surrounded by the extracellular matrix. This is possible due to the phenomenon of quorum sensing, i.e. the ability of microorganisms to estimate their own density and change the expression of genes in response to them. Within such a structure, microorganisms are protected against harmful environmental conditions, their metabolic profile and the level of expression of individual genes are also changed, which leads to an increase in the pathogenicity of organisms associated in the form of biofilms. They pose a huge threat to hospital patients because they are capable of residing abiotic surfaces, such as catheters and endoprostheses, and can cause infection. The current methods of combating microbes with antibiotics and fungicides lose their effectiveness, both due to the increasing drug resistance of clinically relevant strains, but also to the very properties of biofilms. This determines the need to search for new and effective methods (physical, chemical and biological) to eradicate biofilms

Potential Applications of Non-thermal Plasma in Animal Husbandry to Improve Infrastructure

Infrastructure in animal husbandry refers to fundamental facilities and services necessary for better living conditions of animals and its economy to function through better productivity. Mainly, infrastructure can be divided into two categories: hard infrastructure and soft infrastructure. Physical infrastructure, such as buildings, roads, and water supplying systems, belongs to hard infrastructure. Soft infrastructure includes services which are required to maintain economic, health, cultural and social standards of animal husbandry. Therefore, the proper management of infrastructure in animal husbandry is necessary for animal welfare and its economy. Among various technologies to improve the quality of infrastructure, non-thermal plasma (NTP) technology is an effectively applicable technology in different stages of animal husbandry. NTP is mainly helpful in maintaining better health conditions of animals in several ways via decontamination from microorganisms present in air, water, food, instruments and surfaces of animal farming systems. Furthermore, NTP is used in the treatment of waste water, vaccine production, wound healing in animals, odor-free ventilation, and packaging of animal food or animal products. This review summarizes the recent studies of NTP which can be related to the infrastructure in animal husbandry.

The molecular chaperone Hsp33 is activated by atmospheric-pressure plasma protecting proteins from aggregation

Non-equilibrium atmospheric-pressure plasmas are an alternative means to sterilize and disinfect. Plasma-mediated protein aggregation has been identified as one of the mechanisms responsible for the antibacterial features of plasma. Heat shock protein 33 (Hsp33) is a chaperone with holdase function that is activated when oxidative stress and unfolding conditions coincide. In its active form, it binds unfolded proteins and prevents their aggregation. Here we analyse the influence of plasma on the structure and function of Hsp33 of Escherichia coli using a dielectric barrier discharge plasma. While most other proteins studied so far were rapidly inactivated by atmospheric-pressure plasma, exposure to plasma activated Hsp33. Both, oxidation of cysteine residues and partial unfolding of Hsp33 were observed after plasma treatment. Plasma-mediated activation of Hsp33 was reversible by reducing agents, indicating that cysteine residues critical for regulation of Hsp33 activity were not irreversibly oxidized. However, the reduction yielded a protein that did not regain its original fold. Nevertheless, a second round of plasma treatment resulted again in a fully active protein that was unfolded to an even higher degree. These conformational states were not previously observed after chemical activation with HOCl. Thus, although we could detect the formation of HOCl in the liquid phase during plasma treatment, we conclude that other species must be involved in plasma activation of Hsp33. E. coli cells over-expressing the Hsp33-encoding gene hslO from a plasmid showed increased survival rates when treated with plasma while an hslO deletion mutant was hypersensitive emphasizing the importance of protein aggregation as an inactivation mechanism of plasma.

Inactivation of common hospital acquired pathogens on surfaces and in air utilizing engineered water nanostructures (EWNS) based nano-sanitizers

Infectious diseases represent a major public health challenge worldwide. There are various modes for the transmission of these diseases, with surface and airborne transmission being two of the most important ones. The inefficiencies of current intervention methods have resulted in the emergence of nosocomial infections. Here, we report the use of a nanotechnology based antimicrobial platform using Engineered Water Nanostructures (EWNS) generated using a combined electrospray and ionization of an aqueous suspension of various active ingredients (AIs). These EWNS based nano-sanitizers were tested in terms of their ability to efficiently deliver AI and inactivate Acinetobacter baumannii and influenza H1N1/PR/8 on both surfaces and air. Results indicate a significant reduction in the concertation of the pathogens, while the delivered to pathogen AI doses required for inactivation were miniscule (nanogram level), indicating the viability of such nano-carrier platform as an intervention technology against infectious microorganisms.

Sublethal Injury and Viable but Non-culturable (VBNC) State in Microorganisms During Preservation of Food and Biological Materials by Non-thermal Processes

The viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state, as well as sublethal injury of microorganisms pose a distinct threat to food safety, as the use of traditional, culture-based microbiological analyses might lead to an underestimation or a misinterpretation of the product's microbial status and recovery phenomena of microorganisms may occur. For thermal treatments, a large amount of data and experience is available and processes are designed accordingly. In case of innovative inactivation treatments, however, there are still several open points with relevance for the investigation of inactivation mechanisms as well as for the application and validation of the preservation processes. Thus, this paper presents a comprehensive compilation of non-thermal preservation technologies, i.e., high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), pulsed electric fields (PEFs), pulsed light (PL), and ultraviolet (UV) radiation, as well as cold plasma (CP) treatments. The basic technological principles and the cellular and molecular mechanisms of action are described. Based on this, appropriate analytical methods are outlined, i.e., direct viable count, staining, and molecular biological methods, in order to enable the differentiation between viable and dead cells, as well as the possible occurrence of an intermediate state. Finally, further research needs are outlined.

A nano-carrier platform for the targeted delivery of nature-inspired antimicrobials using Engineered Water Nanostructures for food safety applications

Despite the progress in the area of food safety, foodborne diseases still represent a massive challenge to the public health systems worldwide, mainly due to the substantial inefficiencies across the farm-to-fork continuum. Here, we report the development of a nano-carrier platform, for the targeted and precise delivery of antimicrobials for the inactivation of microorganisms on surfaces using Engineered Water Nanostructures (EWNS). An aqueous suspension of an active ingredient (AI) was used to synthesize iEWNS, with the 'i' denoting the AI used in their synthesis, using a combined electrospray and ionization process. The iEWNS possess unique, active-ingredient-dependent physicochemical properties: i) they are engineered to have a tunable size in the nanoscale; ii) they have excessive electric surface charge, and iii) they contain both the reactive oxygen species (ROS) formed due to the ionization of deionized (DI) water, and the AI used in their synthesis. Their charge can be used in combination with an electric field to target them onto a surface of interest. In this approach, a number of nature-inspired antimicrobials, such as H₂O₂, lysozyme, citric acid, and their combination, were used to synthesize a variety of iEWNS-based nano-sanitizers. It was demonstrated through foodborne-pathogen-inactivation experiments that due to the targeted and precise delivery, and synergistic effects of AI and ROS incorporated in the iEWNS structure, a pico- to nanogram-level dose of the AI delivered to the surface using this nano-carrier platform is capable of achieving 5-log reductions in minutes of exposure time. This aerosol-based, yet 'dry' intervention approach using iEWNS nano-carrier platform offers advantages over current 'wet' techniques that are prevalent commercially, which require grams of the AI to achieve similar inactivation, leading to increased chemical risks and chemical waste byproducts. Such a targeted nano-carrier approach has the potential to revolutionize the delivery of antimicrobials for sterilization in the food industry.