Acinetobacter baumannii Deactivation by Means of DBD-Based Helium Plasma Jet

TL;DR

This study investigates the use of helium plasma jets to deactivate Acinetobacter baumannii, demonstrating effective bacterial inactivation through biochemical and morphological changes, offering an alternative to antibiotics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel plasma-based method for bacterial deactivation, analyzing its effects on Acinetobacter baumannii with detailed spectroscopic and microscopic techniques.

Findings

Complete bacterial deactivation achieved

Reactive species identified in plasma streamers

Morphological modifications observed in bacteria

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii is a typically short, almost round, rod-shaped (coccobacillus) Gram-negative bacterium. It can be an opportunistic pathogen in humans, affecting people with compromised immune systems, and it is becoming increasingly important as a hospital-associated (nosocomial) infection. It has also been isolated from environmental soil and water samples. In this work, unlike conventional medical methods like antibiotics, the influence of atmospheric-pressure cold plasma on this bacterium is evaluated by means of a colony count technique and scanning electron microscopy. The plasma used here refers to streamers axially propagating into a helium channel penetrating the atmospheric air. The plasma is probed with high resolution optical emission spectroscopy and copious reactive species are unveiled under low-temperature conditions. Based on the experimental results, post-treatment (delayed) biochemical effects on Acinetobacter baumannii and morphological modifications appear dominant, leading to complete deactivation of this bacterium.