Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

Biological materials, more aptly biomaterials represent the largest possible repertoire of sustainable resources which could be exploited safely for applications related to human health. Key to their success lies in natural structural diversity, varied functionality, easy accessibility and amenability to surface engineering of functional groups. Microbially produced exopolysaccharides are excellent candidates proven for applicability in water treatment. However a multitasking attribute in such polymeric materials would be an obvious advantage should it be possible to render added additional attributes over those intrinsic in terms of water hygiene; the latter being strongly dependent on types and load of bacterial pathogens. We have completely characterized an exopolymer produced by Klebsiella terrigena, a microorganism isolated from environmental sources and demonstrated its intrinsic ability to rapidly bind waterborne pathogens. An attempt was made to engineer the surface structure through quarternization; the latter could significantly (p<0.05) capture and inactivate the water borne pathogens-Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella flexneri 2a, Aeromonas hydrophila, Yersinia enterocolitica, Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 ATCC to an order of 4 log at ambient temperature over a period of 30 minutes. Physical and chemical analysis revealed that the quarternized biopolymer possessed total sugar and total protein content of 66.8% and 2.45% (w/w), uronic acid (2.83%) and pyruvic acid (7.4%) attributable to acidic polysaccharide. The �surface engineered� or quarternized biopolymer exhibited high polydispersity index, stability over wide pH (5-9) and temperature range (25-450C) as well as low dosage requirement and safety demonstrable from animal studies. These results suggest a potential of this biomaterial for affording water hygiene through water disinfection and a future scope for development of biopolymer based sensors for determining the extent of decontamination achieved.

Biography

Email: mghosh@thapar.edu