Dr Pavani

 

IMSE Webinar Series

Challenges in Antimicrobial Resistance

The challenge that will be discussed in this session is:

Nanocomposite Sponges – An Emerging Low-Cost Bacteria Adhesive Surfaces

Join us for this informal webinar with Dr Pavani Cherukupally. There will be an opportunity for question and answer after the presentation. To join this webinar you must register in advance and you will be emailed the joining instructions for the webinar.

Abstract

Porous bacteria adhesive surfaces (BAS) have diverse applications, such as water treatment, biofuels, and solvents production. However, their large-scale usage is hindered by high materials cost. Inexpensive polymeric sponges can potentially serve as substrates for low-cost BAS, enabling their wider usage. This work demonstrates a passive approach for attachment of common bacteria, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and staphylococcus epidermis (S. epidermis) to a polyurethane sponge using pH of the wastewater. The ionic-responsive charge property of the sponge was used to bind negatively charged bacteria to its pore surface at different pH conditions. At the best pH condition, the sponge adsorbed E. coli with over 99% and S. epidermis with over 92% efficiencies. The rate of bacteria adsorption is being enhanced by functionalized the sponges with amine and carboxyl functionalized nanocoatings. The pH-driven bacteria adhesion to sponge surface is simple, effective, and passive, therefore has the potential for industrial-scale applications.

Pavani Cherukupally,1,2 Huw Williams,2 Daryl Williams1

Biography

Dr Pavani Cherukupally

Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Research Associate

The primary aims of Dr. Pavani Cherukupally’s research include investigating innovative material-based approaches in addressing environmental and health challenges, as well as training creative problem solvers.

 At Imperial, Dr. Cherukupally’s investigating cell-surface interactions using chemistry and visualization tools for water-borne disease control. Also, developing rapid screening techniques to evaluate the particle-particle adhesion in pharmaceutical powders.

Dr. Cherukupally received PhD and MEng from the University of Toronto and BEng from Osmania University, all in Mechanical Engineering. Also, she was a Visiting Scholar at the Imperial College London and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Cherukupally’s expertise specializing in exploration of interactions between solid-liquid-gas systems for novel material, process, and technology innovation. She uses apply an array of spectroscopy, microscopy, thermo-mechanical, and computational tools to unravel phytochemical mechanisms at the materials’ interface from atomic to macroscale.

If you have any questions about accessibility requirements please email Leah Adamson (IMSE Events Officer) on l.adamson@imperial.ac.uk

More webinars in the Antimicrobial Resistance Webinar series:

For more information about IMSE involvement with surfaces to combat Antimicrobial Resistance please read our briefing paper Smart Surfaces to Tackle Infection and Anti Microbial Resistance

 

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