Dr. Mei’s TEM images of bacteria on graphene featured on GSK’s Behind the Science Magazine: ‘It’s insidious and it’s getting worse’: AMR and the urgent need for novel antibiotics
21 March 20255
Nanographene oxide interacting with bacteria
False-coloured transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of nanographene oxide sheets (purple; background) interacting with two rod shaped bacteria (pink/green/brown; foreground). Graphene is a 2-dimensional sheet of carbon one atom thick, and has been described as a wonder material as it is one of the thinnest, strongest materials so far discovered and conducts electricity more efficiently than copper. Nanographene oxide represents nano-sized graphene sheets in which carbon atoms are linked to oxygen functional groups. It can be prepared by subjecting graphite to a series of oxidative reactions. Length of each individual bacterium is approximately 2 micrometres.
Nanographene is a nanocarrier platform. It has a high surface area that allows attachment of multiple drugs, targeting and imaging molecules, and can be used to target more than one cell type e.g. a mammalian cancer cell or a bacterial cell. It is being researched for its ability to kill bacteria e.g. by encapsulating anti-microbial drugs or by absorbing near infra-red light and converting it to heat (photo-thermal therapy).
Mei KC, Rubio N, Costa PM, Kafa H, Abbate V, Festy F, Bansal SS, Hider RC, Al-Jamal KT. Synthesis of double-clickable functionalised graphene oxide for biological applications. Chem Commun (Camb). 2015 Oct 18;51(81):14981-4. doi: 10.1039/c5cc05412e. PMID: 26295072; PMCID: PMC4594119.
Mei, K.-C., Costa, P.M., Kreuzer, M. and Al-Jamal, K.T. (2021), Interpreting 2D Materials Bio-Nano Interactions: Influence of Aggregation Status, Protein Corona, Cell Culture Media, and Cell Types (Adv. Mater. Interfaces 17/2021). Adv. Mater. Interfaces, 8: 2170094. https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202170094