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2011 Archive
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Author(s): Amanda Smith
Presentation: poster
Staphylococcus aureus infections are the most common cause of nosocomial infections in the United States. Our research was dedicated to investigating photocatalysts as passive antimicrobial agents aimed at killing S. aureus. We have focused our study on bismuth oxide-based photocatalysts because of their relatively narrow band gap and their established biological compatibility. Under the conditions that we have explored, nano Pt-Bi2O3 and micron -Bi2O3 showed reduction in the number of viable S. aureus colonies in solution. Future studies will be dedicated to confirming our results with K+ ion monitoring and further improving the antimicrobial activity of these materials.
The College of Idaho 2112 Cleveland Blvd Caldwell, ID 8360 USA 208-459-5011 800-2C-IDAHO