[Zurück]

C. Gösselsberger, O. Hekele, M. Brandstetter, R. Sommer, I. Gebeshuber:
"Nanobiological atomic force microscopy study of the sporulation of bacillus subtilis";
Vortrag: 9th Conference of the Yugoslav Materials Research Society (YUCOMAT 2007), Herceg Novi/Montenegro; 14.09.2007; in: "Programme and the Book of Abstracts/9th Conference of the Yugoslav Materials Research Society (YUCOMAT 2007)", (2007), ISBN: 978-86-80321-11-0; S. 60.

Atomic force microscopy can yield valuable information concerning changes in material
properties of living organisms. Bacillus subtilis is a single celled bacterium commonly found in
soil. It can sporulate, i.e. reversibly form a tough and protective endospore that allows the
organism to tolerate extreme environmental conditions. B. subtilis is not harmful to human
health and its robust spores may therefore serve as safe model organisms for pathogenic
microorganisms in drinking water. Thus, this organism is used to evaluate water disinfection
devices that utilize UV radiation.
By inducing adverse environmental conditions to living B. subtilis cells while imaging them
with the atomic force microscope, the sporulation procedure was successfully recorded over a
time span of about 50 hours. Given this promising result, the recording time of material
properties shall be extended to a week, thereby covering the entire sporulation procedure from
the vegetative cell to the spore. Two methods of spores production resulting in different types
of spores were included in the investigation. One type of B. subtilis spores is highly resistant to
UV irradiation, whereas the other type shows a low UV resistance By means of the atomic force
microscopy technique differences in the characteristics of the different spores may be
elucidated. Detailed scientific understanding of the sporulation of this organism shall provide
information regarding the development of novel biomimetic UV resistant materials.\