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Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2015

Initial findings on the efficiency of a non-thermal “Plasma Bullets” experimental design for the disinfection of contaminated surfaces

Résumé

The ability of bacteria to adhere on surfaces and to form biofilms represents a major issue in food, health care and pharmaceutical sectors, which need efficient sterilization devices. Emergency responses to bioterrorism attacks are also needed, reducing the toxicity related to the biological agent deposited on surfaces, and particularly in war zones where rapid reuse of the military equipment is crucial. In this context, an innovative time- and cost-effective sterilization device has been developed, not only suitable for the decontamination of various surfaces but also safe for the operator and for the environment and preventing damage to the treated surface. It consists of an electric discharge reactor allowing for the formation and propagation of ionization fronts, called “Plasma Bullets”, killing bacteria by generating active species in the immediate vicinity of the contaminated surface under atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature conditions. The efficiency of this experimental device was tested on three relevant microorganisms, including two Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus cereus sensu stricto and Staphylococcus aureus, and a Gramnegative bacterium, Escherichia coli. B. cereus sensu stricto was selected for both civil and military interests, since B. cereus sensu lato, also called “B. cereus group”, comprises both opportunistic foodborne pathogens (B. cereus sensu stricto) and the Bacillus anthracis biological weapon. The common genetic traits characterizing this bacterial group, including strong ability to form biofilms, allow the use of non-pathogenic strains as surrogates for safe laboratory studies. S. aureus was chosen for its relevance in foodborne disease and in the health care sector due to its strong involvement in nosocomial infections. Finally, E. coli was chosen as a Gram-negative foodborne pathogen model used as hygiene criterion in several food manufacturing processes. The non-pathogenic bacterial model, E. coli K12, was selected regarding the availability of laboratory tools for the study of the processes leading to bacterial death due to antimicrobial activities. The efficiency of the non-thermal “Plasma Bullets” device was prior tested on the surface of appropriate agar media containing growing bacteria. In a second time, the bactericidal effect was studied on the same bacteria previously allowed to adhere on miniaturized stainless steel, plastic, rubber and/or glass surfaces. This study represents the prerequisite for identifying and characterizing the bacterial targets of this innovative decontamination apparatus.
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Dates et versions

hal-02741754 , version 1 (03-06-2020)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-02741754 , version 1
  • PRODINRA : 493780

Citer

Sophie Jan, Olivier Abgrall, Noel Grosset, Clément Zaepffel, Denis Packan, et al.. Initial findings on the efficiency of a non-thermal “Plasma Bullets” experimental design for the disinfection of contaminated surfaces. BioMicroWorld 2015 : VI International Conference on Environmental, Industrial and Applied Microbiology, Oct 2015, Barcelone, Spain. ⟨hal-02741754⟩
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